THE BENAKI MUSEUM, in collaboration with the marble atelier on•entropy and the non-profit organisation Ingenious Loci, presents the exhibition-installation ‘A Future for the Past’, which opened its doors to the public on Tuesday 4 June and runs till June 30. This show is focused on supporting and promoting Tinian marble carving through contemporary design. The exhibition is part of a two-year programme of the same name, curated by Maria Cristina Didero, which explores the social dimension of marble craftsmanship in Tinos in its dialogue with contemporary culture and which hopes to show how this relationship can contribute to both social and economic sustainability.

The ancient art of marble craft on this Cycladic island has been included in UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, with the Preparatory and Vocational School of Fine Arts of Panormos Tinos being one of only three places globally where this art is still studied and practiced. As an art that has been continuously practiced for millennia and is inextricably linked to Greek cultural heritage, having produced internationally renowned craftsmen and sculptors, Tinian marble carving holds great historical significance. At the same time, it can also constitute a potential factor for social progress. The art of sculpting in marble and, in particular, the kinesthetic knowledge preserved across generations that underlies it contribute to the strengthening of societal bonds within the villages of Tinos. Now more than ever, during a period of intense tourist development and gentrification on the island, putting marble sculpture into a contemporary artistic context can help restore the sense ofcommunity and belonging. Through its beneficial effect on the collective identity of Tinians, it can improve their quality of life, both socially and economically.

In the words of a Tinian sculptor, “You used to hear children playing with the hammer; on the streets of Pyrgos, you used to hear water running, and bells ringing. The doors of the houses and the marble workshops stayed wide open all day. Today, the place is full of shops, and there is no trace of marble craftsmanship. There was a time when marble workshops and churches were central to our daily lives and work”. It’s precisely this artistic heritage that the project ‘A Future for the Past’ aims to highlight. The exhibition on the first floor of the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture features, as its central point, a table carved out of Dionysos marble, a product of collaboration between the on•entropy marble atelier and Tinian marble sculptors. Highlighting this work is part of a unique opportunity to open a creative dialogue between the marble items in the Museum’s collection of Modern Greek Culture and the contemporary creations by Tinian marble sculptors, which in turn can engage with this piece of contemporary design made from marble. The dialogue between the traditional and the contemporary continues on the ground floor of the Benaki Museum in the Byzantine wing, where recent ecclesiastical works by artists from Tinos and some contemporary marble lighting fixtures, inspired by chandeliers, frame the museum’s permanent collection of Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons, which are among the most famous and beloved objects in its collection.

The works of Tinian marble sculptors and craftsmen in the exhibition-installation were selected for their unique cultural significance. These pieces, inspired by ecclesiastical and folk art, adorn thefacades of homes and outdoor spaces in the village of Pyrgos on Tinos, which is renowned as an “open-air museum” of marble art.

The presentation of ‘’A Future for the Past’ at the Benaki Museum follows a successful showing at the 5VIE Design Week last year in Milan, which received more than 30 mentions in the international press (including in Wallpaper*, Design Miami, and La Repubblica) and a special mention at the Salone Sustainability Award 2023. A follow-up event featuring various activities and workshops, which will take place on Tinos, will be announced soon. This is an unprecedented synergy of local with international and traditional with contemporary in this particular field of craftsmanship, a synergy that aims to contribute to the future of both contemporary marble design and the marble-sculpting tradition, making Tinos an acknowledged centre of cultural richness.

As on•entropy put it,”Design is not exclusively about making a beautiful and comfortable chair, but about the generations of people and the extensive, in-depth knowledge required to create something. Their connection to the material and their interactions with one another are the true essence of craftsmanship. These aspects are often taken for granted or overlooked, yet they should be highlighted, especially in our rapidly changing era.”

• The exhibition ‘A Future for the Past’ runs till 30 June, 2024. For more info, visit the Benaki Museum’s site

• BENAKI MUSEUM OF GREEK CULTURE: 1, Koumbari Str, 106 74 Athens, tel: 210-325-1311. Opening Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday: 10:00-18:00,Sunday: 10:00-16:00, Thursday: 10:00-00:00, Tuesday: closed.