58 nails: installation dedicated to the victims of Tempi

Inspired by symbolism, artist Giorgos Koftis created an installation called 58 Nails. It is dedicated to the fifty-eight people killed and dozens injured in the fatal train collision at Tempi in central Greece on February 28, 2023.

The installation is located 500 meters south of the tragedy site. In a post on social media, Koftis wrote that the installation “simply aims to show you and the rest of the world that somewhere, in the pervasive silence that reigns everywhere in the media, in the absolute absence of introspection and self-criticism, solidarity and love, there are still pure souls and, as far as possible, clarity and solidarity.”

Speaking about the people who volunteered to help with the installation, he wrote: “There are people with pure hearts, full of love and support, and we are confident that they express themselves with us by the thousands. We do not accept silence, we are not cynical and vulgar, as the media, but ordinary people, fiercely try to shape our self-image , with much healthier reflexes than the common cynicism that prevails.”

Expressing the bitterness that the investigation of the tragedy generated, Giorgos Koftis, in particular, noted: “Now Greece has an open wound in its heart. Nails have been driven into its heart. We support the association of victims of Tempi and together with them we demand to revise the constitution in order to deprive parliamentary immunity. We apologize in advance to those for whom this movement does not bring aesthetic pleasure, but art designed not only to decorate, but sometimes to disturb. This is not easy for everyone, even for us who entered this process. Nevertheless, our hearts have been aching even in silence since that unfortunate day…”

“58 nails in Tempi”. Installation dimensions 15x5x2.5 meters.

“Together with a group of friends who willingly helped make it happen, we have the following message. First of all, we want to say to the children and relatives of the victims of the Tempi accident that there is no one who does not remember. There is no one who will forget you. We are with you every day We are here, we want to express our support and solidarity with you and your loved ones.

This project is dedicated to the memory of the victims, to you and to the survivors who are still living with the trauma. Above all, we hope that God gives you strength, that you get better, and that at some point you can just get through each day a little easier. There is no use in trying to console you, all we can do is love you, even from afar. This movement is simply meant to show you and the whole world that somewhere, among the pervasive silence that reigns in the media, in the complete absence of introspection and self-criticism, solidarity and love, pure souls and as much clarity and solidarity as possible are still alive.

There are people in the world with hearts full of love and support, and we are sure that thousands of people express their opinions with us. We do not accept silence, we are not cynical and vulgar people, as the media tries to make it out to be, but simple people with much healthier reflexes than the pervasive cynicism that prevails. This work, in addition to sadness and anger, also expresses a mood of self-criticism. Unfortunately, this is true, and we feel that in this crime we are each responsible and complicit to a certain extent. Every time we turned a blind eye, either to corruption, or to buffoonery, or to lawlessness, or to exceeding our responsibilities, we fed this beast. Now we are paying dearly for all this negligence and tolerance. We cannot know what made us so cowardly and irresponsible, but this is something we all must change immediately. If we want to one day shake off all these orders and feel at least a little safe in our country.

Greece now has an open wound in its heart with nails driven into it. We support the association of victims of Tempi and together with them we demand a revision of the constitution to remove parliamentary immunity. We apologize in advance to those who will not be affected by this movement from an aesthetic point of view, but art is not only meant to decorate, sometimes it should also disturb. It’s not easy for anyone, even for us who have gone through this process. But our hearts still, albeit silently, hurt from that ill-fated day.

Truth is one. She’s not made up. We know that this mess called the Greek state was the cause of the crime that unjustly took the lives of so many people. The pain is unimaginable. All we want to convey to you is that not only for you, but for all of us, time stopped at that damned hour.

We feel that there are many more people around us than the media wants to show that we have no official voice. If we have to do something, it is to change this world with our own hands, based on freedom, subtlety, respect and solidarity. And above all – on justice. The project is located 500 meters south of the site of the tragic event on February 28, 2023. I thank those who willingly helped.”

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