Pantelis Sabaliotis

June 2025:

Around 1997, Panagiotis Nanos, mayor of the Thessalian prefecture of Plastira since 2020, was excited by the idea of a history park. At a very special location at the entrance to the mountain village of Morfovouni, his hometown.

Through many long, passionate discussions with his friend and international artist Pantelis Sabaliotis, the idea of ​​a place of art with references to natural philosophy and regional history evolved. In 1999, the first concrete project idea emerged, which unfortunately remained unanswered by the Greek Ministry of Culture. The same was true of the second attempt in 2008, this time addressed to the Plastiras administration. It wasn’t until 2020, nine years after the unfortunately far too early death of Pantelis Sabaliotis, that the project was recognized and partially funded as part of the Greece 21 initiative, the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Greek struggle for freedom. On December 22, 2020, the opening night of the YMST, the Open-Air Museum of Contemporary Art (Ypaithrio Museio Synchronis Technis) Morfovouni, was finally celebrated to great acclaim.

Following a smaller sculpture symposium in 2023, the 1st International Sculpture Symposium was realized in 2024, supported by the German Embassy. The works of the participating artists form the core of the park, with more to follow in the coming years.

The park’s specialness lies not only in its bridge between ancient and present-day Greece, but above all in its ecological and natural-philosophical approach. Alongside the sculptors and their works, “nature itself presents itself as art, as an artist.” Panagiotis Nanos intends to display a collection of smaller micro-sculptures alongside the large natural “art objects.” In keeping with Albrecht Dürer’s famous phrase: “For truly, art is in nature.” And that is precisely what visitors to the park are meant to discover: the hidden behind the obvious.

And it’s not just the works of art, those created by humans and nature, that change with and within nature. The weather also influences the park, lending it a different atmosphere depending on the time of day and year: snow, sunlight and moonlight, fog and wind give the history, the place that offers a breathtaking view of the Thessalian plain, something unique and special.

At individual stations along the paths, visitors discover Pelasgian ideograms from pre-Greek times. The work of Netherland artist Ton Kalle, with four sculptures titled “Paths of Orion,” is inspired by Greek mythology. The Greek artist Theodoros Papagiannis is represented with two works. One, made of metal, commemorates the time of resistance and the mountains as a refuge for the partisans, while the other, made of stone, pays tribute to the women of Agrafa, who fought just as hard for their children, their families, and freedom.

A German sculptor and good friend of Pantelis Sabaliotis, Rainer Fest, uses his work to evoke the destruction and massacres perpetrated by Italian and German soldiers in 1943. Losing loved ones and people, entire villages, homes, and the courage to start anew.

With his metal sculpture of a fallen dove (“Waiting for Peace“), Italian artist Francesco Moretti has addressed the 50-year occupation and division of Cyprus. Vasili Vasili, of Greek descent and living in Canada, creates an opening in the dazzling white marble that allows a glimpse of the other side. The eye sweeps across the vast Thessalian plain, the “window” oriented toward distant Mount Olympus, the seat of the gods.

Pantelis Sabaliotis, developing together with Panagiotis Nanos the idea for  this unique natural park of art and history, maintains a strong connection to this mountainous location. One of his works will soon occupy a special place there. The Morfovouni Museum, which will follow the park and is scheduled to open in 2027, will house a larger collection of his works and present them as a permanent exhibition. Thus, Pantelis Sabaliotis will continue to be present on site, overlooking his beloved Thessaly, to which he has always remained connected with soul and heart. Just as we will always remain connected to him, the amazing artist and man…

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