PEBBLE MOSAICS OF KASOS, Documenting a living tradition
Updated: Oct 1
Documenting a living tradition for the island of Kasos.
How can an existing body of cultural heritage documentation become a living and accessible resource for a community?
This was the starting point for “The Pebble Mosaics of Kasos”, a digital documentation project developed by COMM’ON in collaboration with the Municipality of Heroic Island of Kasos, building on a systematic recording process that began in 2022 by the Municipality, the Service of Modern Monuments and Technical Works of Dodecanese of the Ministry of Culture, with the contribution of the University of West Attica.
The Municipality entrusted COMM’ON with bringing together the material already collected - locations, photographs, research and archival material - while also addressing what was still missing.
From mapping places to documenting voices
More than 160 pebble mosaics have been identified and documented across Kasos. The existing material provided an important foundation: locations had been mapped, mosaics had been photographed, and information about their patterns and characteristics had been collected.
But there was another important part of the story that could not be captured through a map or a photograph alone: the voices of the people who live with this tradition, and the knowledge and perspectives of researchers who have studied it.
Explore “The Pebble Mosaics of Kasos”:
The project therefore treated the existing documentation as a starting point rather than a finished archive. The aim was to bring together what was already known and fill some of the gaps.
This led to the production of an audio documentary, developed in collaboration with SPOOVIO and Elli Xypolitaki, featuring conversations with people from Kasos and researchers working on the subject. The platform also includes 360° virtual tours by Alexandros Papadakis, allowing selected pebble mosaics to be experienced in relation to their physical surroundings.
Together, these elements connect place, image, memory and voice, creating a fuller picture of the tradition.
A living tradition, not a closed archive
The pebble mosaics of Kasos are not simply remnants of the past. They remain part of the island’s built environment and everyday life, and continue to be part of the community’s living cultural heritage. This is why participation is central to the project.
The digital platform is designed as an open and evolving archive. Residents who know of pebble mosaics that have not yet been documented can contribute to the continuing recording of the island’s heritage.
For COMM’ON, this reflects an important principle of cultural heritage documentation: heritage cannot be separated from the people who live it. Communities are not only sources of information; they are active participants in how their heritage is documented, understood and passed on.
Supporting the documentation of intangible cultural heritage
The project also supports the ongoing process for the recognition of the art of pebble mosaics as an element of Greece’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.
In 2026, “The Art of Pebble Mosaics” was submitted to the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Greece through a joint initiative involving communities and organisations across the South Aegean, including the Municipality of Kasos. The submission has passed to the next stage of the official process.
The Kasos platform brings together existing documentation with community voices, research and new forms of digital access, creating a resource that can support further research, education and future documentation.
It also makes the material accessible to schools, educators, researchers and the wider public, helping a living tradition remain visible and relevant to future generations.
For COMM’ON, this is the value of digital heritage documentation: not simply to preserve information, but to make knowledge accessible, connect different sources and keep cultural heritage connected to the communities that carry it.
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The Pebble Mosaics of Kasos” was developed by the Municipality of Heroic Island of Kasos in collaboration with COMM’ON, with the support and funding of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture. The project builds on documentation undertaken between 2022 and 2024.
When: 2025-26
Where: Kasos island
In Collaboration: Municipality of the heroic island of Kasos
With the Support: SPOOVIO, Alexandros Papadakis