Nature & Perception
Poretsou Monastery
In a 16th-century monastery among the pine forests of Mount Erymanthos. Ten days where silence has weight and art emerges not from intention, but from attention.
INFORMATION
LOCATION
Poretsou Monastery, Kalavryta, Peloponnese — 16th century monastery on the slopes of Mount Erymanthos, near the historic town of KalavrytaDURATION
12 days (11 overnight stays)DISCIPLINES
Visual artists, photographers, musicians, writers, directors, actors — anyone whose practice can respond to nature, silence, and perceptionPRICE
€1,780 per person12 participantsMAX CAPACITY
CURATOR / MENTOR
Pano Labrou — Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize winnerACCOMONDATION
Double rooms (two single beds) inside the monastery complex with private bathroomMEALS
✓ All meals included — breakfast, lunch, dinner, prepared by chef from local seasonal ingredientsTRANSPORT
✓ Bus from Athens to Monastery and return to Athens includedEXCURSION
✓ Full-day excursion to Ancient Olympia (UNESCO) — transport and entrance ticket includedAVAILABLE DATES
May+June+September+October 2027
The Place
Hidden among the slopes of Mount Erymanthos, near the historic town of Kalavryta, lies Poretsou Monastery — a place built in the 16th century where the air is pure, the light unfiltered, and the sound of the river replaces the noise of the world.
Every path, every echo, every surface becomes part of the sensory experience. The texture of moss on walls, the smell of rain, the glow of evening light on the mountain. This is a landscape that sharpens perception — where observation turns into meditation, and creation emerges from attention itself.
In this environment, living and working are not separate. The act of inhabiting becomes part of the creative process. Nature becomes mirror, and perception becomes path.
Where silence has weight and time slows into rhythm
perception as an act of life
The day begins with silence, movement, and openness to what the environment reveals. Guided walks through the landscape. Sensory exercises of observation, sound, and light. The morning belongs to the place.
Artists return to their rooms or workspaces — writing, photographing, composing, drawing, or simply reflecting. The mentor is available for discussion and feedback. The process is self-directed. The afternoon belongs to you.
Group meetings — conversations around artistic practice, perception, and the philosophy of seeing. Occasional silent walks or readings close the day, under the sound of the river and the evening light. The evening belongs to everyone.
The Place
Clear about what's included — and what isn't
✓ Included
✓Accommodation
Double room (two single beds) with private bathroom inside the monastery complex
✓All meals
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner — prepared by a chef from local, seasonal, vegetarian ingredients
✓Transport Athens ↔ Monastery
Private bus from central Athens to Poretsou Monastery and return — journey approx. 3.5 hours each way
✓Ancient Olympia excursion
Full-day bus excursion to the UNESCO heritage site — transportation is included and museum entrance ticket is not included
✓Daily program
Guided walks, meditation, breathing exercises, river bathing, sensory observation sessions
✓Workshop space
Shared indoor and outdoor areas, open spaces under pine trees as natural studios
✓Curator daily
Pano Labrou accompanies participants throughout all activities — not to instruct, but to curate experience
✓Collective presentation
Final sharing within the monastery grounds — process becomes offering
✗ Not included
✗Travel & medical insurance
Participants must arrange their own coverage
✗Personal artistic materials
Bring whatever tools you need for your practice — the landscape and the monastery are your studio
✗Optional excursions
Beyond the Olympia excursion included in the program
The group departs together from Athens . This shared travel is part of the program — a slow transition from urban to natural, from movement to stillness.
The Place
You'll live in
Poretsou Monastery
Participants are accommodated in double rooms inside the monastery complex — simple, luminous spaces that open toward the forest and the sound of running water.
Each room retains its monastic clarity: stone, wood, and light.
There are shared indoor and outdoor areas for reading, writing, and reflection, as well as open spaces under the pine trees that serve as natural studios.
Artists are invited to work individually or in silence, allowing their practice to unfold through presence and observation rather than production.
The landscape itself becomes the workspace — paths, riversides, and courtyards offering sites for walking, photographing, drawing, or contemplation.
Meals are shared in the monastery’s dining area, prepared with local ingredients and seasonal produce.
The rhythm of the day — movement, creation, rest — follows the natural flow of light, encouraging a deep sense of connection between body, space, and perception.
In this environment, living and working are not separate: the act of inhabiting becomes part of the creative process.
Panayiotis Lamprou is a Greek visual artist whose work explores perception, intimacy, and the silent relationship between the self and the world. His photography reveals the unseen — moments where light, texture, and thought converge into stillness. He has developed a practice rooted in attention and authenticity, often working within landscapes of isolation and reflection.
As curator of Nature and Perception, he guides participants through a process of awareness — not by instruction, but by presence. For Pano, art begins where observation deepens: when the surface becomes threshold, and seeing becomes being.
Availability
04-15 May 2027
15-26 May 2027
01-12 June 2027
12-23 June 2027
31 Aug. - 11 Sept.2027
11-22 Sept.
05-16 Oct.2027
16-27 Oct. 2027
11 nights · 12 participants · €1,780
Available — Apply NowBefore you arrive
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The program focuses on research, sensory awareness, and shared experience. There are no required outcomes and no portfolio requirements. What matters is openness — to observation, to silence, to the place. Participants are encouraged to explore and create at their own pace.
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Yes — bring whatever tools or equipment your practice requires. The program encourages a personal, self-directed approach. The monastery and landscape provide the studio; you bring the practice.
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Guided walks, group reflections, and shared discussions form the core of the residency. Participation is strongly encouraged — but we understand that individual needs vary. The daily program has built-in space for personal work and solitude.
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Accommodation is individual. If you wish to share your room with a friend, please contact us in advance and we will see what can be arranged. The intimate scale of the program (12 participants) makes the group dynamic important to maintain.
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If the program is canceled by Eutopia, all advance payments are refunded. If a participant cancels, advance payments are non-refundable, unless the spot is filled by another artist from the waiting list.
Write to us directly — we respond personally.
Mountain silence.
May+June+September+October, 2027.
One edition still available. 12 participants maximum. Deadline:.
Apply Now ↗