Usually it is the Athenians who visit Crete and Chania. But yesterday it was the other way around, as the municipality of Chania was in the Concert Hall to evaluate the art festival “Open Fabrics”, which has only two years of existence, but a collaboration with more than 300 artists and 30 original works.

In recent years, Chania has taken a dynamic and systematic path in the field of culture and art, with the organization of book festivals, the revitalization of art spaces and, of course, with Open Sails, which host events in the fields of music, theater, visual arts, dance, cinema. , literature, photography and new media for a period of about six months, from summer to early winter, with free admission.

The attractiveness of the festival is indicative. In 2021, over 6,000 people attended the performances, and in 2022, over 7,000 people attended from all over Greece and from abroad. In the previous two years, actions were held in more than 50 locations in Chania, and some of them took place in three areas outside the prefecture and two places outside of Crete.

The festival is structured around five axes: original artistic creation, the city of Chania as a guide and starting point for artistic creation, interaction with local communities, educational programs and revitalization of spaces with the spread of action in parts of the city. which are re-presented to the public through art. On the occasion of Open Sails, many hidden corners of Chania were activated, such as the Etz Chayim synagogue, the Bastion of San Salvatore, Agios Rokkos in Splancia, the area of ​​Nea Chora and Tabakaria, the tombs of Venizelos, the fortress of Koules. from Archaia Apteras et al.

At the final event of the festival, the mayor of Chania, Panagiotis Simandirakis, noted that the event is a “counterbalance of culture” against the monoculture of tourism. The deputy mayor for culture, Yiannis Yannakakis, stressed that the purpose of the organization is not to invite foreign artists, but to bring original creations from Chania. Artistic director Mirto Lavda has announced the addition of a new theme for 2023 called “Centrifuge”, designed for the hinterland of Chania and local communities. From February 15 to March 24, artists will be able to send their proposals for promotions that will be presented next summer.