Hydra: Island in the Sound

Hydra Island in the Saronic Gulf, is a place untouched by modern haste, where cars are forbidden and streets bear no names. As late autumn settles in and the final summer visitors drift away, the island exhales. Hydra’s true essence resurfaces with the unhurried rituals of daily life of those who remain. Hydra reveals herself only to those who linger, who listen, and who allow her grace to shape them.

Hydra: Island in the Sound is a limited-edition history book by Ekaterina Juskowski and Alkistis Boutsioukou, commissioned by Mnemosyne Projects. Drawing from archival research, field recordings, and intimate interviews with Hydra’s local community, the book offers a richly woven exploration of the island’s cultural traditions and historical memory. From liturgical rites and folk customs to maritime lore, it paints a vivid portrait of Hydra’s evolving identity, preserving the voices and rituals that have shaped its rugged terrain across generations.

Accompanying the book is a 7” vinyl EP composed by Angela Tisner during her Hydra Art Residency. Featuring six original tracks, the EP reimagines the island’s sonic heritage, blending sacred and popular musical forms into a mythic soundscape. It serves as an auditory companion to the book, deepening the reader’s immersion in Hydra’s cultural legacy.

With a lyrical foreword and track narratives by the authors, and cover art by Holly Biörklund inspired by an 1808 epitaphios, the project stands as a multidisciplinary celebration of Hydra’s memory, myth, and place.