AT THE CENTRE of Greek culture, both ancient and modern, is the Greek sea, coupled with Greek light. From Odysseus’s seafaring adventures, to the naval battles for Greek independence, to the recent tragedies in the Aegean, the Greek seas have seen plenty of action, and have played a central role in shaping this country’s character. … Continue reading
Tag Archives: art
SNFCC’s handover and believing in Greek culture during the crisis
THE STAVROS Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC), has witnessed around 25,000 visitors per week since August. On February 23, the 620 million euro centre which was solely funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), was officially handed over to the Greek state. The SNFCC is the new home of the Greek National Opera (GNO) and … Continue reading
The Guerilla Girls in Athens
THE GUERILLA GIRLS are putting on their guerrilla masks, and coming to town. Their performances in museums, universities and elsewhere around the world have already taken the art world by storm. Now it’s our turn to witness their antics up close. They will be taking the central stage of the Onassis Cultural Centre on March … Continue reading
Kounellis: The poetry in poor materials
THE PIONEERING Greek artist Jannis Kounellis, internationally renowned for his avant-garde artistic ingenuity, and considered the father of Arte Povera, passed away in Rome, at the age of 80, on February 16. Rome had become his home since 1956, when he moved there and enrolled in the Accademia di Belle Arti, after not having passed … Continue reading
Mytaras’ focus on the timeless and mysterious
DIMITRIS MYTARAS passed away on Thursday, February 17, at the age of 83. He was one of the greatest contemporary Greek painters. When engrossed in the act of painting, he would use even his fingers to create his characteristic black marks and lines. His works took both from ancient Greek history and mythology, but also … Continue reading
Mylonas interview (part 2)
I RECENTLY interviewed one of Greece’s most well-known and definitely most contemporary of artists – Eleni Mylonas – for the Athens Insider Magazine . As is the case with interviews, a lot of material remains unpublished. I felt it was a shame to let this material get lost in time, and to never be shared, because … Continue reading
The ‘Abyss’ in Athens
NEON organisation’s contemporary art show ‘Flying Over the Abyss’, is another example of how Athens is both exceedingly ancient and totally avant-garde. Comprising 41 works, by 34 international and Greek artists, but also including the original manuscript of Nikos Kazantzakis’ ‘Ascesis: Saviours of the Gods’, the show presents the diversity of the contemporary art scene … Continue reading
The state of art today in Greece
IT’S Freize Art Fair in London at the moment. Sales are going well, the jet-set art lovers have flocked like groupies from around the world to check out one of the most prestigious fairs of its kind. But Londoners too from all walks of life will pay a visit in order to get a ‘zing’ … Continue reading
Benaki’s tasty performance of happiness
HAPPINESS is… How can it be defined these days? Take two very different countries for example, Greece and Denmark. Do they define happiness differently? And to what extent are their people happy? The performance-salon ‘Happiness Unlimited’ at the Benaki Pireos will help us analyze the meaning of this coveted feeling, concept and aim of life, … Continue reading
EMST: Athens’ answer to Tate Modern, sets ball rolling with events, shows
LIFE without art, would be like Greece without sun. The crisis has however cast its shadow over the Greek art scene. Nevertheless, there are plenty of exhibitions and events going on, especially in Athens. This capital with a population of around 665,000 in the city centre (or 3.75 million in the metropolitan area), has about … Continue reading