By Faikham Harnnarong
Sitting on top of the Turkish castle ruin above Sigri, absorbed by the bright silver moon shining over the midst of the Mediterranean, that night, I wonder how long has this been going on. That people have fled here, settled here, in this dry yet fertile land. And how long will it continue to be, this peaceful place where people come to seek refuge. Sigri is a small fisher man village at the furthest west of Lesvos Island. I arrived in late June, wanting to find out what kind of ‘sustainable place’ Sigri wants to and can be. In search for the answer, I met two artists who decided to settle, more or less, here and agreed that it is a perfect place to live in combination of peace and work. Of course I have not found the exact answer, since development direction depends on the decisions of the people of Sigri themselves. I have looked from the eyes of an outsider, and these two artists as well are not locals - but the locals should also hear what other people think about them and their place. This is what I try to reflect in this article.
After some 20 years in Bangkok, almost a year in Budapest, and a month in Mytilene, my impression of Sigri is, of course, that it is very small, but a perfect place to escape from the bustling city life. As many people say, it has a lot to offer - beautiful nature within reach, peaceful beaches with bright blue-green Mediterranean, fresh food, unique stories (histories) to stir my fascination. The most impressive thing, local people are so friendly, perhaps characteristic of people in small villages anywhere, and make me feel comfortable enough to start learning them, their cultures. What more will you ask from a restful holiday? And so this phrase came up in my mind ‘small is beautiful’.
Michalis, the silversmith, has settled here for more than 15 years. Induced into ancient copper works at his teenage by a monk in Mytilene, he continued learning jewelry making, started working with silver, in Athens, then Amsterdam for some years - full of life. At the end of his 30s, he decided to come back to his origin, Lesvos, and Sigri is where he has chosen. Attracted, like me, by the arid yet very strong landscape, his works reflect the simple but powerful nature of the surroundings. He thinks Sigri has passed its tourism golden age, when busses of tourists flooded the village even during the week. These days, it attracts those who look for quiet life, Greeks or foreigners alike. Many of them come back years after years, some decided to settle here, in this family-feeling community. He is one of them. Entering his small shop in the village, not all tourists go for his unique works; many go for quick-cheap things, mass productions he curates from Athens. But once they notice pieces of his precious hand-mades, getting to know the motivation behind and the story of how they are made, like me, people are tempted, and of course willing to pay more. This is perhaps another general characteristic of human - the search for uniqueness and identity.
Joanna, a Polish origin artist/curator, with her Swedish husband who is a professor and consultant on environmental management and sustainable tourism, decided that Sigri is their ‘end of the road’ when they will retire. After traveling through the world, writing several successful guidebooks on France, Germany, and Denmark - variety of beauties in different seasons here attracts her. ‘Summer is burning dry, but the light and the air give very strong atmosphere. Then spring comes, green leaves and colourful flowers blooming, it is such a beautiful picture.’ She now manages her own gallery in Sweden but still paints sometimes and continues writing different things. Sitting relaxed in her Greek house she said Sigri is a perfect place to combine pleasure and work - it can attract a lot of artists. She dreams of creating an artist community here.
So, what kind of ‘sustainable’ place it wants to be? Ones need to answer what they have and want to maintain. What are unique in their place - be it the charming fisherman way of life, beautiful beaches and nature, archeological sites, or the Petrified Forest. If Sigri has decided that tourism will be its main source of income, it has to determine what type of people it wants to attract, and what are these people looking for when they come. I have given examples of what I, Michalis, and Joanna look at Sigri - something along the line of ‘small is beautiful and peaceful’. What is clear to me - those who come here do not look for much of the ‘entertainment’ night life as they can find that in Mytilene, Eressos, Petra, to name a few in the island. For sustainable way of development, it also has to answer what and how the community can really benefit in the long term - as the village has already experienced rise and fall of tourisms for the past few decades. Perhaps, the most important ingredient of success is mutual understanding and consensus from the whole community. Of course, the answers lie with the people of Sigri.
