NOSTOS

Manu Gruber's work NOSTOS delves into the universal themes of loss, memory, and longing, inspired by the Greek myth of Orpheus.

The Greek word NOSTOS means ‘home’ or ‘return,’ and it is from this root that nostalgia—the yearning to look back on the past—also derives. In Greek mythology, Orpheus, the gifted musician whose lyre could charm not only humans but also animals, trees, and stones, was struck by an unbearable grief when his wife, Eurydice, was fatally bitten by a snake. In his sorrow, Orpheus descended into the underworld, determined to bring her back. His music, filled with anguish, moved even the coldest of hearts, and the gods of the underworld granted him a chance to reclaim her. But there was one condition: he must not look back at Eurydice until they had both reached the surface. Yet, at the final moment, unable to resist, Orpheus turned to look—and in doing so, lost her forever.

Like Orpheus, we often find ourselves revisiting our own underworld of memories, drawn to the past and questioning the ‘whys’ and ‘what ifs’ that shape our lives. NOSTOS uses associative images to explore these timeless themes of loss, memory, and the inescapable nature of what has been left behind—echoing Orpheus’s eternal longing, forever unable to return to what he once had.