Ikariaka Dromena – Festival Ikarias continues to follow and support Birgit Urban’s journey exploring the life of Nikos Ikaris. Following the publication of the fascinating book “From Aegean Light to Northern Skies—The Life and Work of the Ikarian Artist Nikos Ikaris in Ikaria and Germany” (in Greek and English) in 2025 and the exhibition that accompanied its launch at the Old City Hall of Agios Kirykos, Ikaria, last September with the support of IIkariaka Dromena – Festival Ikarias, we are pleased to announce the exhibition to be held from April 29 to May 20, 2026, in Castrop-Rauxel, Germany, where the artist lived and worked, and which will bring to a close this significant journey that has inspired many people—both from Ikaria and beyond—to engage with his work and life.
Below is a text by Birgit Urban:
“Very happy to announce: My journey with Nikos Ikaris is coming to an end! For nearly 3 years I had the pleasure to work intensively on putting together ‘bits and pieces’ of the Ikarian artist and famous sculpturer about his life on Ikaria, America and especially in Germany, in my hometown Dortmund.
The result had been manifold: an article, published in a German book about Greeks living in Castrop-Rauxel, my proper book about Nikos Ikaris “From Aegean Light to Northern Skies – The Life and Work of the Ikarian Artist Nikos Ikaris on Ikaria and in Germany” (in Greek and in English), published in summer 2025 (sold out).
And this was followed by an exhibition about Nikos Ikaris, presented on Ikaria, Agios Kirikos, in September 2025, where I had the pleasure to work together with Selina Kastania and Alexia Gaglia, who curated with me this exhibition.
And now: this work will come to an end, as I am able to bring the result of my work back to Germany, to Castrop-Rauxel, where one of the most famous art-works, that Nikos Ikaris had crafted during his stay in Germany (1957 – 1960) – the sculpture “To the Light”, showing three coal miners digging the coal out of the earth – is still exhibited in the town hall of this city.
From 29 April 2026 till 20 May 2026 the exhibition, that opened on Ikaria in September 2025, will be presented at the townhall of Castrop-Rauxel (a city of nearly 77.000 inhabitants). On the specific invitation of the Mayor, Mr Rajko Kravanja, the exhibition will shine the light again not only on this famous sculpture “To the Light” – but also on the Greek artist, Nikos Ikaris. As it can be seen in his art, these three years in Germany, where Nikos Ikaris tried to showcase the hard work of coal miners in a specific artistic way, using new materials, had a deep impact on his future art work. This can explicetly be seen in the sculpture the “Mermaid”, which was shown at the World Exhibition in New York and its smaller version, which is exhibited in the harbour of Agios Kirikos, as well as in the sculpture “Apotheosis”, which is also presented in Agios Kirikos/Ikaria.
I am very grateful that I had the chance to work on this subject and to learn more about this important Ikarian artist, whose work – somehow – built a strong link between my homeland, Germany, and my choosen 2nd home, Ikaria. Again many thanks to the many people, who supported this work, especially the General State Archives (G.S.A.) of Greece, Department of G.S.A. – Icaria, the archive of the city of Castrop-Rauxel and all the others, who were sitting with me for hours, helping with the translations of the texts, the making of the book and the exhibition. Together we had a chance to highlight the “German”-period of the life of Nikos Ikaris. Some details had been new for the Ikarians.
The exhibition in Castrop-Rauxel will also shine the light on the ‘Greek side’ of Nikos Ikaris and his homeland Ikaria, which will be ‘new’ for the Germans.
I am very happy that this exhibition is happening in cooperation with the association “Friends of Ikaria“, “Ikariaka Dromena – Festival Ikarias” and the City of Castrop-Rauxel.
To be noted: With a part of the income of the book “From Aegean Light to Northern Skies” the album with information about Nikos Ikaris (articles, pictures etc.), which is stored at the archive G.S.A.-Icaria in Agios Kirikos, Ikaria, and which had been the basis of my research, had been digitalized. It was the aim that more people will have access to these important documents related to Nikos Ikaris.
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