In the summer 2011, Pamela Longobardi (US) swam to a massive sea cave from Liakas with Maria Rigatou (GR). It was immense and filled with many pieces of plastic, some very large. The two women swam out several large bags of material and large plastic objects.
For Drifters Project/Kefalonia Phase II July 2012, Longobardi cleaned the entire cave with a team of swimmers and removed all the material, transporting it by swimming around the Cape of Liakas. The materials were floated out of the cave as a giant raft of plastic, a floating island chain transported by the swimmers -- Longobardi, along with Sarina Basta (NY/Paris), a NY-based cultural producer and curator of the large-scale project in Monaco OCEANOMANIA, and Maria Rigatou, a musician living in Kefalonia.
This action was documented by Athens-based Nickos Myrtou and Sergio Ko with underwater and above water videographers to create this film which was projected in the gallery with the array of material that was removed and sorted. Craig Dongoski provided a searing soundtrack. Longobardi then conducted a forensic study of the modern-day archeology of the cave, with statistical analysis, object identification of all components, and presentation of the findings, and then created a single large-scale installation in the gallery of the Ionion Center in Metaxata. Claudia Lamas Cornejo (GE/PE), a Berlin-based culture manager and curator of the environmental exhibition project PACKET-SOUP, will provide commentary by live internet connection from Savvy Contemporary Gallery in Berlin.
Along with Longobardi, the artist and Plastic Pollution Coalition founder Dianna Cohen (US) displayed her large scale abstract painting constructions made of plastic bags on the walls and floor of the gallery. Dianna Cohen's maternal grandfather was born on Kefalonia.
Recover Apparel has come on board as a sponsor for the project. Recover makes 100% recycled clothing, dedicated to rethinking and repurposing plastic waste. Surfrider Foundation Atlanta Chapter supported the project with a GO Pro Hero underwater camera.
