The Collection
Introducing Sisyfos: Nelum's inaugural collection of 467 distinctive digital collectibles (NFTs). Each collectible is a unique, five-second excerpt inspired by the Sisyfos installation that Tsoclis created in 2015. This evocative work portrays the legendary figure of Sisyfos, eternally condemned to roll a massive stone uphill, only for it to roll back down time and again.
These collectibles embed innovative digital creations, meticulously crafted by Tsoclis. He drew upon elements from his original museum installations and digitally reimagined these components to form unique, original works that underpin each collectible. Each piece is sequentially numbered, creating an unbroken series that echoes the narrative of the original Sisyfos installation.
Unique to this collection, the first and last seconds of each collectible reflect the previous and next pieces in the sequence, symbolizing continuity through a darkened effect. The heart of each collectible is captured in the brightened middle three seconds, embodying Tsoclis's dynamic vision.
To maintain the exclusivity of these digital works, Tsoclis and Nelum commit that neither the digital creations from this collection will be duplicated or otherwise reissued, nor will the elements of the original museum installations be repurposed to create new collectibles.
You can view our three collections on OpenSea, Sisyfos, Prometheus, and Conclusive Oedipus, by clicking the links below.
Sisyfos on OpenSea
Prometheus on OpenSea
Conclusive Oedipus on OpenSea
You can also buy NFTs at the Nelum shop with Euros.
Sisyfos on Nelum Shop
Prometheus on Nelum Shop
For more information on the two ways of buying Nelum NFTs, click below.
How to Buy
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The Living Painting
Costas Tsoclis is a world pioneer in Living Painting which is how he has defined the integration of the static quality of painting with the dynamic nature of illuminated projection. Click here for more details about the Living Painting of Costas Tsoclis.
Sisyfos (2015) belongs to the second phase of the Living Painting. The movement of the figure in space intensifies and the projection of the moving image becomes independent of the painting whose role is restricted to that of a background working in parallel.
Sisyfos has been exhibited in the Fondazione Palazzo Albizzini Collezione Burri, in 2015, and in the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens, Greece, in 2018, and in the Costas Tsoclis Museum, in 2019. You can see an excerpt of the original Sisyfos video below.
The Myth
In Greek mythology, Sisyfos or Sisyphus, was the cunning king of Corinth renowned for his trickery and deceit. His most audacious acts were cheating death twice; once by tricking Thanatos, the personification of death, into demonstrating how chains worked and then using the opportunity to bind Thanatos (Death) himself, thereby preventing any mortal from dying. Later, nearing his own death, Sisyfos instructed his wife to throw his body into the public square. Once in the Underworld, he complained to Persephone about not receiving a proper burial, and asked to return to the mortal world to correct this, only to then refuse to return to the Underworld.
The gods, angered by his deceit and audacity, eventually forced him back to the Underworld where his eternal punishment awaited. This punishment was to endlessly push a massive boulder up a steep hill, only for it to roll back down each time it neared the top, forcing Sisyfos to start the laborious task anew. This unending, fruitless task, embodying the essence of futility and continuous struggle, is the origin of the term "Sisyphean", used to describe any task that is both laborious and futile. The myth of Sisyfos serves as a stark reminder of the potential consequences of defying the gods and a metaphor for the human condition's perpetual struggle for meaning and fulfilment.
