The Museum of Cycladic Art || Exhibition: Ai Weiwei at Cycladic || from 20.5.2016 until 30.10.2016

The Museum of Cycladic Art (MCA) in Athens announces a major exhibition with Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei. Ai Weiwei at Cycladic (20 May – 30 Oct 2016) will be the artist’s first exhibition within an archeological museum and in the country of Greece. This exhibition will introduce audiences to his practice through many of his significant works, placing them within the museums renowned collection. Ai Weiwei will also unveil new works inspired by the permanent archeological collection of the museum.

The Museum of Cycladic Art is dedicated to the study and promotion of ancient cultures of the Aegean and Cyprus, with special emphasis on Cycladic Art of the 3rd millennium BC. Apart from archaeology, the MCA has an ongoing contemporary art exhibition programme aiming to introduce the public to important 21st century artists. The museum invited Ai Weiwei to exhibit a series of works that would explore his practice and the emphasis his work places on history and heritage, as well as his critical examination of current political and social issues.

The exhibition will explore his use of materials often associated with antiquity such as marble, as well as the craftsmanship and traditional techniques of wood. Through this he will create dialogue with ancient Cycladic art, giving poignancy to the display in an archeological museum. The 25 artworks on display will include celebrated works Grapes (2011), Divina Proportione (2012), Mask (2011), Cao (2014), as well as a new, unseen work inspired by the museum’s significant archeological collection.

Ai Weiwei’s collaboration with the MCA begun in 2015 and following the Museum’s invitation, the artist visited Athens as well as the island of Lesbos. He has since set up a studio on the island to create art that will draw attention to the refugee crisis in Greece. A number of new works will feature in Ai Weiwei at Cycladic, creating a true cross-cultural depiction of past, present and a universal hope for the future.

10% of all exhibition takings, merchandise sales and sponsorship funds will go directly to a number of hand selected NGOs working throughout Greece to help the refugee crisis.

Sandra Marinopoulos, President of the Museum of Cycladic Art says, “In the context of our contemporary art program we have long been keen on presenting Ai Weiwei’s work at the Museum of Cycladic Art. I am thrilled that we are able to host Ai Weiwei’s first ever exhibition in an archeological museum and introduce him to our Greek audience! His constant dialogue between the ancient and the new will be manifested through the creation of a new marble work inspired by our permanent collection.”

Michael Frahm, Exhibition Curator says, “Ai’s work often looks to the past for its inspiration and as an artist he has often worked with materials that have deep cultural associations. This is why the Museum of Cycladic Art is the ideal location for his first exhibition in Greece. Their historic and important collection speaks to his appreciation of the past and his hope for the future. We are also delighted to be working with the museum to directly benefit the people Ai has encountered during his time in Lesbos.”

#AiWeiwei

The Museum of Cycladic Art || Exhibition: Ai Weiwei at Cycladic || from 20.5.2016 until 30.10.2016

The Museum of Cycladic Art || Exhibition: Ai Weiwei at Cycladic || from 20.5.2016 until 30.10.2016

Source: Museum of Cycladic Art

RIP Panayiotis Tetsis

Panayiotis Tetsis was a Greek painter. Tetsis was a genuine exponent of the post-impressionistic seascape tradition.

Born in 1925 on the island of Hydra, where he spent his childhood and early teenage years, Tetsis moved to Piraeus in 1937 .

Legacy

Though the artist depicts marine themes that are familiar to him – mostly set against the backdrop of Hydra and Sifnos. “If I take a long voyage at sea, I get bored,” Tetsis says, “and I don’t agree with Cavafy that headed for Ithaca we ought to hope that the voyage lasts as long as possible.” And he adds: “I paint a large number of my seas from memory. I don’t need to paint them from life. And even if I do, I change them later in my studio, even changing them totally.”

Balancing discipline and emotion, Tetsis regards himself as a painter driven by the senses. His singularity, according to Koutsomallis, consists in his combination of “elegiac colour tones, compositional clarity and precision, thematic variety, a monumental character and freely, openly sketched contours”.

In 1949 Tetsis along with Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghikas, Yannis Moralis, Nikos Nikolaou, Nikos Engonopoulos and Yiannis Tsarouchis, established the “Armos” art group.

Wikipedia

 

 

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition: Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || until 31.07.2015

On Thursday, 28th of May 2015, the Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Centre presents the solo exhibition of Dimitris Andreadis entitled “Hemlock”. The show will run until the 31th of July 2015. The latest work of Dimitris Andreadis, who presents his fifth solo show at the gallery, is entitled Hemlock. His artistic production is limitless and continuous as he belongs to the few artists living in Greece and being active in large-scale painting. His persistence in large canvases leads to the creation of an explosive painting that reflects his personal views regarding painting as a medium as well as his answer to the current social circumstances. Hemlock or Poison is a highly poisonous perennial herbaceous flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to Europe and the Mediterranean region. His latin name is conium, borrowed from Greek κώνειον originating from verb κωνάω which means revolve. We could say that the works of Dimitris Andreadis revolve around a ”poisonous” painting that encourages the viewer to enter in a dynamic space. The paintings cover a wide range of the colour palette. Spectral analysis and gestures of a chaotic architecture come to join in groups of canvases that have left behind them the object of representation and turned themselves in vital objects in space which interact with each other. Throughout his artistic career the artist claims the point between the mere apposition of his paintings on a wall and a large-scale monumental installation. His work includes dynamic objects which are placed in the white space of the gallery in order to indicate the semiotic and not the functional role of art. Always flirting with the idea of deconstructing a ready-made object, he manages to capture the viewer’s imagination with his impressive aesthetic achievements. The unique feature of the artist lies on the fact that he confronts art as an introvert gesture and at the same time as a tendency of extroversion. He is not so much interested in the presentation of a perfect aesthetic result, as he is to the ruffling of the medium. In many cases he tears apart his own canvases and places there smaller paintings-fragments of a unique internal process. As a remnant of history or as a human defect that travels along towards the future, the act of painting is once again the absolute core of the artist’s work, provoking us to think about existence at a ruthless time. As a balance, a hollow sound penetrates his work, letting us know that painting is itself a political act, a way of life. This is evident by his artistic career and the way he works, always aiming at the progress of the medium and the transformation of his atelier into a space of constant contemplation. All these bring to mind the words of Gilles Deleuze “What is recognized is not only an object but also the values attached to the object (values play a crucial role in the distribution undertaken to make good sense).” Deleuze, Gilles. Différence et répétition. Presses Universitaires de France. 1968.

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition:  Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || from 28.05.2015 until 31.07.2015

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition: Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || from 28.05.2015 until 31.07.2015

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition:  Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || from 28.05.2015 until 31.07.2015

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition: Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || from 28.05.2015 until 31.07.2015

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition:  Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || from 28.05.2015 until 31.07.2015

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition: Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || from 28.05.2015 until 31.07.2015

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition:  Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || from 28.05.2015 until 31.07.2015

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition: Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || from 28.05.2015 until 31.07.2015

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition:  Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || from 28.05.2015 until 31.07.2015

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition: Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || from 28.05.2015 until 31.07.2015

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition:  Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || from 28.05.2015 until 31.07.2015

Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center, Athens || Exhibition: Dimitris Andreadis ~ Hemlock || from 28.05.2015 until 31.07.2015

Source: Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Center

Onassis Cultural Centre || Exhibition: Strange cities. Athens the project || until 28.06.2015

It’s hard, but try to imagine that you’ve never laid eyes on Athens. Now imagine an exhibition in which artists from around the world were invited to create their own images of our Athens; there was just one condition: that they’d never seen it!

That was the challenge laid down by “Strange Cities”, for which the OCC, in collaboration with the team of curators from London’s Double Decker, carefully chose a team of visual artists from around the world.

Providing just an ‘inspiration box’ by way of help—containing a recipe, a scent, a poem, a book and recordings of the sounds and music of the city—the show seeks to arouse the curiosity and activate the imagination of artists and visitors alike.

What did the words, sounds and tastes reveal? What routes did an unseen Athens lead the artists down? What seeds did this strange and unseen city with its unparalleled history and unique myths plant in their imaginations?

Participating artists:
Eva Roovers, Photographer (The Netherlands)
Adam Dix, Painter (UK)
Alexander Egger, Graphic Artist (Germany)
Amy Friend, Photographer (Canada)
Ekta / Daniel Götesson, Artist (Sweden)
Jesse Treece, Collage Artist (USA)
Kako, Illustration Artist (Brazil)
Michael Mann, Photographer (Germany)
Peter Judson, Illustration Artist (UK)
Thomas Robson, Graphic Artist (UK)
John Diebel, Collage Artist (USA)
Jarmila Mitríková & David Demjanovic, Fine Artists (Czech Republic)
Emma Löfström, Artist (Sweden)
Kit Miles, Print / Textile Artist (UK)
Angela Moore, Photographer (UK)
Seb Jarnot, Graphic & Illustration Artist (France)
Tom Radclyffe, Illustration & Graphic Artist (UK)
Craig Redman & Karl Maier, Graphic Artists (UK / USA)
Fernanda Rappa, Photographer & Installation Artist (Brazil)
Joris Vandecatseye, Photographer (Belgium)
Ryan Russo, Sculptor (USA)
Amana (Kazuhiro Hashimoto), Digital Artist Collective (Japan)
Eva Stenram, Photographer (Sweden)
 Onassis Cultural Centre || Exhibition: Strange cities. Athens the project || until 28.06.2015

Onassis Cultural Centre || Exhibition: Strange cities. Athens the project || until 28.06.2015

 Onassis Cultural Centre || Exhibition: Strange cities. Athens the project || until 28.06.2015

Onassis Cultural Centre || Exhibition: Strange cities. Athens the project || until 28.06.2015

 Onassis Cultural Centre || Exhibition: Strange cities. Athens the project || until 28.06.2015

Onassis Cultural Centre || Exhibition: Strange cities. Athens the project || until 28.06.2015

Frissiras Museum Athens || Exhibition: Simon Pasieka || until 28.06.2015

Frissiras Museum presents, from 4 March till 31 May 2015, at the building at 3 Monis Asteriou in Plaka, the exhibition of the German artist Simon Pasieka. Although at a first glance, Simon Pasieka’s visual universe is characterized by an extreme realism, a more careful analysis of his compositions brings us to a world of dream & illusion, where nothing is at it seems. On the contrary, the eerie essence of his images is transformed into a surrealist illusion, drenched in an underlying feeling of distress and a vague impression of an imminent threat. Thus his figures, are defined by a cold, almost artificial humanism and are engaged in situations reminiscent of a mimic, sterile reproduction of human activities, filtered through an intense cerebral process. It may be the reflection of the world of the unconscious or the manifestation of the imagination of an artist who has managed to combine the coldness of the German rationalism with the colors of the Fauves, resulting in a work of almost lyrical modernity, which expresses a convincing alternative suggestion for the visual expression of the future.

Frissiras Museum Athens || Exhibition: Simon Pasieka || until 31.05.2015

Frissiras Museum Athens || Exhibition: Simon Pasieka || until 31.05.2015

Frissiras Museum Athens || Exhibition: Simon Pasieka || until 31.05.2015

Frissiras Museum Athens || Exhibition: Simon Pasieka || until 31.05.2015

Source: Frissiras Museum Athens

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 17.05.2015

Cosmas Xenakis, one of the pioneers of post-war art in Greece, was an artist of multiple talents and interests, making his mark in painting, sculpture, architecture and urban planning. Combining painting and sculpture with theatre and dance, he created avant-garde performances that he called Polytechna. As an aficionado of folk creativity, he also collected utilitarian objects, ceramics and agricultural tools. This exhibition is the first major attempt at a comprehensive presentation of his work, to showcase his complex personality, the diversity of his work, and his critical contribution in the regeneration of Greek visual art. The exhibition includes paintings and sculptures, photographs of public art pieces, audiovisual clips, stills and artefacts from the Polytechna, and material relating to his life and his era, as well as pieces from his private collections.

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

The Benaki Museum || Exhibition: Cosmas Xenakis 1925-1984 || until 10.05.2015

Source: The Benaki Museum

Κόβουν την ανάσα οι ολόσωμες Καρυάτιδες της Αμφίπολης.

Δελτίο Τύπου Υπουργείου Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού

Συνεχίστηκαν οι ανασκαφικές εργασίες στον λόφο Καστά Αμφίπολης, από την ΚΗ Εφορεία Αρχαιοτήτων.
Σήμερα, αφαιρέθηκε ο πρώτος δόμος του τοίχου σφράγισης μπροστά από τις καρυάτιδες και αποκαλύφθηκε η συνέχεια των χειριδωτών χιτώνων των δύο γλυπτών. (φωτο 1)
Οι χιτώνες φέρουν εξαιρετικής τέχνης πτυχώσεις. (φωτο 2,3).
Οι καρυάτιδες, από την εξωτερική πλευρά, φαίνεται ότι ανασηκώνουν ελαφρά τον χιτώνα τους, με το αντίστοιχο χέρι τους.(φωτο 4). Τμήματα του προσώπου και της πόλου της ανατολικής καρυάτιδας, εντοπίστηκαν κατά την ανασκαφή και αποδόθηκαν στο γλυπτό. (φωτο 5).
Τα μέλη της διεπιστημονικής ομάδας διαπίστωσαν ότι οι εσωτερικοί βραχίονες των καρυάτιδων δεν στήριζαν το επιστύλιο, καθώς δεν παρατηρούνται σύνδεσμοι μολυβδοχόησης, ούτε επεξεργασία της κάτω επιφάνειας του επιστυλίου, ώστε να δικαιολογείται η άποψη της στήριξης.
Προχώρησαν οι εργασίες απομάκρυνσης των αμμωδών χωμάτων στον χώρο, μπροστά και πίσω από τον διαφραγματικό τοίχο με τις καρυάτιδες. Μέχρι την στάθμη της μαρμάρινης οροφής, οι δύο πλευρικοί τοίχοι του καλύπτονται από μαρμάρινους ορθοστάτες, οι οποίοι μιμούνται τον περίβολο.
Παράλληλα, προχώρησαν οι τεχνικές εργασίες για την αντιστήριξη και την υποστήλωση του μνημείου, στο χώρο πίσω από τις καρυάτιδες:
1.Ολοκληρώθηκε η αντιστήριξη της βόρειας πλευράς του δεύτερου διαφραγματικού τοίχου με τις καρυάτιδες και της νότιας πλευράς του τρίτου διαφραγματικού τοίχου.
2.Ολοκληρώθηκε, η αντιστήριξη- υποστήλωση της θόλου στον χώρο, πίσω από τις καρυάτιδες.
3. Ελήφθησαν πρόσθετα μέτρα προστασίας της δυτικής Καρυάτιδας, με τοποθέτηση κατακόρυφης υποστήλωσης εκατέρωθεν αυτής. Η απαίτηση για πρόσθετη υποστήλωση, οφείλεται στη διαπίστωση επιπλέον κατακόρυφης ρωγμής στην κεφαλή, που οφείλεται στο αυξημένο θλιπτικό φορτίο, το οποίο προέρχεται κυρίως από την στήριξη της μαρμάρινης πλάκας της οροφής και από το δυτικό τμήμα του επιστυλίου.
4. Ολοκληρώθηκε η ασφαλής υποστήλωση της μαρμάρινης πλάκας οροφής.
Συνεχίστηκε η τοπογραφική αποτύπωση του τμήματος του περιβόλου, που αποκαλύφθηκε φέτος, δεξιά και αριστερά της εισόδου του ταφικού μνημείου, με δορυφορικές και επίγειες γεωδαιτικές μεθόδους (τρισδιάστατη ψηφιακή σάρωση). Επιπλέον, ξεκίνησαν οι εργασίες τοπογραφικής τεκμηρίωσης του περιβάλλοντος χώρου του μνημειακού συγκροτήματος .
Τέλος για την προστασία του μνημείου και των εργαζομένων τοποθετήθηκε αλεξικέραυνο στην κορυφή του λόφου.

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece  Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece
Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece  Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece
Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece  Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece
Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece  Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece
Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece  Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece
Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis: Caryatids’ Full Body Revealed

The continued dig in the Amphipolis tomb has revealed that the Caryatids are much more than just busts.

Data coming to light about the tomb in Aphipolis continues to impress. Photos released by the Greek Ministry of Culture today show that the caryatid of the Amphipolis tomb are full-body sculptures.

The caryatids were simply “buried” in the soil that existed between the septal wall and the seal wall. The face of the eastern Caryatid was discovered inside the soil during the excavation and is being affixed on the statue by experts.

According to the announcement of the Greek Ministry of Culture, the first “Dome” of the sealing wall was removed today in front of the , revealing the full body stature of the Caryatids.

“The robes bear exceptional art folds”, stated the notice. The Caryatids are slighting lifting their robe from the outside with their corresponding hand. Parts of the face and the pole of the eastern Caryatid were discovered during today’s dig and were matched to the statue. The attachment of the parts is conducted within the site. The multidisciplinary team found that the inner arms of the Caryatids do not support the architrave since there are no signs to justify that view”.

Source: Crash Magazine Online

The pictures were taken from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece  Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece
Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece  Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece
Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece  Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece
Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece  Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece
Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece  Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Amphipolis Caryatids full body , Greece
Picture from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports

Celebrate the August Full Moon at the Acropolis Museum in Athens on Sunday 10 August 2014.

The Acropolis Museum celebrates August Full Moon on Sunday 10 August 2014 with opera classics, film music and famous Greek melodies, performed by the historic Hellenic Air Force Band, in the Museum’s entrance courtyard at 9:30 p.m.

The Hellenic Air Force Band consists of senior and junior officers – high-level musicians who studied at various conservatories of the country and were admitted into the ranks of the Air Force after passing certain examination. The Band takes part in worldwide musical ceremonies and leads the 5th Avenue parade in New York dedicated to March 25th celebrations of the Greek expatriates.

Lieutenant Alexandros Litsardopoulos is the Conductor of the Band.

On this occasion, the Museum will remain open from 8 a.m. to 12 midnight (free entry for all visitors from 9 p.m. onwards), giving visitors the opportunity to stroll through the galleries and enjoy the view of the Acropolis under the charming moonlight.

 

Source: The Acropolis Museum

 

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