Tell us a little bit about Eaxo and what you do?
Eaxo is an artist-in-residence where up to five practicing artists live and work together for a three-week period. These artists are either professionals or students and recent graduates from recognized art academies across Europe. The program is curated with a strong focus on diversity—both in terms of media and background—to encourage international collaboration. While artists are free to work independently, the Eaxo residency also actively encourages cooperation and exchange between residents.

Eaxo is a playful, exploratory space that fosters creative encounters and professional development. Since its inception, Eaxo has received applications from artists in Germany, Sweden, France, Denmark, Portugal, and Greece. We recently concluded our first season with emerging artists from all over Europe, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive—highlighting the program’s ability to foster new networks across artistic practices.

Throughout the renovation, maintaining the site’s original identity as a gas station has been central. The industrial architecture offers a unique setting for artistic production. The building enables both quiet spaces for deep work and spontaneous, informal encounters among the artists. Every square meter of the 390 m² has been carefully utilized—resulting in 280 m² of studio space and 110 m² of shared living and common areas. Even the old roadside gas station sign has been repurposed as a display platform, featuring rotating installations by resident artists.

All international residents are required to participate in a studio visit and present their work, receiving feedback from peers.

What led to the inception of the artist residency, Eaxo, in Stavros, Greece?  How did you discover the site that would become Eaxo? 
The idea of the artist residency came to me in my twin brother’s gallery in Copenhagen (aaaa nordhavn). His primary goal is to exhibit a younger generation of artists from all over Europe, but what really inspired me was his ability to establish networks of collaboration between them. I realized this was what I wanted – To facilitate the gathering of young European artists in one place, let them network and inspire each other. I discovered that Crete had low renting prices which allowed me to dream big. The dream became a reality when I travelled to Crete looking for old industrial buildings for rent. I actually found a shut down factory on the other side of Chania, but financial disagreements put the dream on hold. While I went home to regroup, the dream still felt very much alive, and I went through all the online listings in Crete and finally after a week of scouring the internet, there it was, at the very end of the last page. A beautiful red and blue gas station. Worn out and out of order. It was love at first sight. I immediately went to google streetview and stalked every road around the gas station and the little village of Stavros. The following Monday I had put down the deposit for the place and signed the lease, before even having seen the place in real life. Now the work of making it into a residency began.

What was the process like for transforming the gas station and market to become a space for artists?
I spent the first four months renovating the empty spaces. I installed flooring for heavy use, poured concrete, and built up the walls. I painted the rooms in colours spanning from olive green to greek white. All of it was done with the generous help of good friends.

Are there any influences that are core to your work?
I am in love with gas stations! I wanted something different than the typical 9-to-5 job —a desire for a different life which led me here. I spend most of my days talking, thinking, or dreaming about Eaxo. The core of my interests stem from being an urban planner and my deep fascination with industrial construction. The gas station leads my mind to a short break, a pitstop, of driving off again. For me ‘the gas station’ is a constant where time stands still, a place whose secret evolution I dreamt of revealing. The huge empty rooms, the former minimarked and the garage, all make for perfect studios for the artists-in-residence. These rooms ecco the stories of the former keeper’s life and of the thousands of customers who passed through, while now providing vast open entrances, allowing the artist to work in scale.

Does your background in urban planning influence the way you build or consider spaces for artists?
Yes, my background in urban planning absolutely shapes how I think about building and holding spaces for artists. For me, a big part of being an urban planner – is doing actor mapping. It’s about identifying which actors are essential to involve in order to develop a meaningful place.  I’m convinced that by grounding the project in both the local community and in the Athenian art scene, we create a stronger and more meaningful space. That’s why Eaxo also hosts an open house for the local community one evening each month, in order to build local connections and strengthen the relationship between the place and its surroundings. In addition, Eaxo offers free residency spots to Greek-based artists, as a way of staying rooted in the local art scene.

How did the board that supports the work of Eaxo form? Are there any traits that unite this group?
Eaxo is a solo project. From the very beginning, it has been important for me to invite talented professionals into the process — people I can learn from and who can help shape the artistic and professional quality of the project. I have therefore assembled a board consisting of both Danish and Greek members. This ensures that the project is based in international networking while reflecting the collaborative nature of Eaxo. The board is primarily composed of young, emerging gallerists and one art historian.

The board supports Eaxo’s development and ensures the professional standards of the program. They are also responsible for awarding residency scholarships. The board members work on a voluntary basis and include:

• Stavros Kapetanios – Director of the exhibition space OKAY in Athens.
• Marie Inge Malberg – Art historian specializing in artist–gallerist relations.
• Aske Aagaard Andersen – Owner of gallery aaaa in Nordhavn, showcasing both Danish and international artists.
• Søren Dahlgaard – Danish artist and PhD Søren Dahlgaard creates a playground for the understanding of art with his physical, participatory and socially engaging action sculptures.

This board is united by its foundation: it is created for newly established artists by members that are also composed of recently established, but highly skilled young professionals. The daily operations are managed with a fresh and open-minded approach, while keeping the decision structure as flat as possible.

How do you think that time away from urban spaces influences an artist’s practice? 
Being based in a small village near the mountains and close to the ocean, the natural surroundings play a vital role in shaping the rhythm of daily life and artistic exploration. I’m no artist but the abnormal environment of the gas station seems to invite for a new artistic focal point.

Are there any aspects of daily life at the Eaxo that artists seem to embrace?
Artists at Eaxo seem to fully embrace the rhythms of daily life here, which naturally blend creative work with communal living. Shared activities like cooking together and having collective dinners help foster a strong sense of connection. These moments not only build community but also provide space for informal conversations from which ideas are often developed and exchanged.

There’s also a shared appreciation for the simple, grounding rituals—like swimming in the ocean, watching the sunrise or sunset, or taking trips together to the nearby city to gather materials. These routines encourage a slower, more intentional pace that contrasts with the intensity of urban life, offering time for reflection and inspiration.

Working side by side in a supportive environment, getting to know new people from diverse backgrounds, and engaging with the local community all contribute to a vibrant, evolving dialogue. It’s this balance between solitude and sociability, routine and spontaneity, that artists seem to value most during their time at Eaxo.

Are there any particular challenges you’ve noticed that artists are struggling with these days? How do you see these dynamics developing?
Access to space—both physical and mental—is another issue. Affordable studios are rare in many cities, and the fast pace of urban life doesn’t always allow for slow, reflective processes. At the same time, there’s a hunger for alternative models—residencies, rural initiatives, collectives—that allow artists to support one another outside of more commercial or institutional frameworks.

I hope Eaxo can be one of those places—a space where artists feel supported to slow down, connect, and explore new ways of creating and being together.

Is the Red Room at Eaxo reserved for special programming?

The Red Room is primarily designed to induce the eye—it faces the street and reflects the character of the gas station. It’s not an ideal space for working with color, as its function is more symbolic and atmospheric than practical.

 

Eaxo currently has an open call for its residency program. The deadline for its Autumn 2025 program is June 14^th and December 10^th for its Spring 2026 program.  More information can be found here.

Interviewed by Luca Lotruglio.