Today marks two years since the Tempi train collision in Greece. The collision, which happened on 28 February 2023, resulted in the deaths of 57 people and left many others injured. This tragic incident shook the country, sparking calls for justice and change. Artit spoke with Greek artists who created works inspired by the tragedy, using their art to express grief, resilience, and remembrance.

Konstantinos Douloudis' "Untitled" series explores the emotional weight of the tragedy through repetition and text, blending personal grief with social critique. The works function as both a protest and a form of collective memory—an effort to ensure that the lives lost are never forgotten. By incorporating words as integral elements, the series transforms language into a ritual of remembrance, reinforcing the urgency of bearing witness.

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You’ve spoken about the role of art in sparking reflection. When you began working on your pieces, “Untitled” inspired by the tragedy, did you feel an obligation to contribute to public dialogue, or was it a more personal exploration of grief and resilience?

All works are always a personal exploration, as they spring from the different experiences of each one. The feelings that exist during the creation of the works most often find common recipients, that is, people who identify with these feelings. Even more so, in the case of the specific works, where the world's empathy for the issue of  Tempi is at its zenith.

Working on a project rooted in loss and tragedy can be emotionally intense.  How did the experience of creating this piece compare to your previous works in terms of both artistic challenges and emotional impact? 

Personal losses for everyone are an inspiration for their art. All of us through self-expression strive to find ourselves, our true origins and the meaning of our existence.  Thus, these works are also an attempt at expression, demonstrating the meaning of life and its importance.

Did a project like this, responding directly to a societal theme, feel like a natural extension of your work, or did it mark a shift towards more socially or politically engaged art? 

Several of my works are "protests" or recordings of reality as I experience it with a dose of criticism. Therefore, the works concerning Tempi perfectly matched my reasoning, but also the mental state I was experiencing due to the dramatic event, with the works being to some extent a cure.

Art often delves into what words cannot fully capture. Were there any specific emotions or messages you found particularly difficult to express through this piece, and how did you navigate those challenges?

My work often includes words on their own that tell a story or make a complaint. They  go together and there is no difficulty, on the contrary, they are aids to express a certain feeling. Every word that participates in my works has a special meaning for me as it is  connected to some experience. Ιts multiple and obsessive use constitutes a form of  ritual, through repetition.

Art has long been used as a form of catharsis and healing. Did creating this  piece bring you personal closure, or did it open new reflections on the role of art  in processing collective trauma?  

The Tempi accident is obviously a collective trauma. Art has a proven tendency to  heal, which helped me as well. Any form of art that helps a person express what is  consuming them is therapeutic. 

Do you believe art inspired by public tragedies—like your “Untitled” series — can serve as a catalyst for change, or is its primary role to provide a space for reflection and remembrance?

Certainly, in creating the specific works I worked both ways. On the one hand, these works are a criticism of the situation that prevailed from the beginning for the case of  Tempi. On the other hand, they clearly function as springboards for collective memory that will always remind us of the people who lost their lives.

As we approach two years since the Tempi tragedy, do you envision a larger collective art movement forming to address and reflect on this event, or do you believe individual artistic responses are more impactful?

Of course collective movements are always more interesting, as everyone offers from  their own point of view. Always, when more than one voice is heard, the sound gets  stronger and reaches people's souls more easily.

New details about the tragedy continue to emerge. Does this ongoing process influence you as an artist to create follow-up pieces, or do you feel that the “Untitled” series stands on its own as a complete statement?

The constant information that arises every day creates the need for expression. Even other events that do not concern Tempi are a source of inspiration to denounce the injustices that occur in the outside world.

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Art has long been a space for remembrance, critique, and healing. Through Untitled, Konstantinos Douloudis transforms grief into action—repetition of words, layering of emotions, and the relentless act of bearing witness ensure that the tragedy of Tempi is not forgotten.