The celebrated Greek statesman Pericles is credited with ordering the design and construction of the Parthenon between 447 and 432 BC as a temple for Athena—the goddess of wisdom, arts and literature and war. Still dominating the modern city of Athens, the Parthenon is a magnificent testimony to the glory and renown the city enjoyed throughout antiquity. Pericles had made no idle boast then when he emphatically stated that ‘…we shall be the marvel of the present day and of ages yet to come.
VISUAL ARTS
A new outdoor exhibition for the 200-year anniversary of the Greek Revolution, showcases portraits of the heroes of the 1821 Revolution was inaugurated a few days ago, at Vasilissis Sophias street in Athens, right in front of the National Gardens.
Happy Valentine’s Day lovers! We all know that Greeks don’t need it to be Valentine’s Day to be a great lover, as we are great lovers every day. But did you know that the origins for the holiday and many of its symbols are have roots squarely planted in Ancient Greece?
Architectural compositions adorn the parks, squares and sidewalks of Athens, connecting the past to the present, through ancient art that converses with a modern urban landscape. Here are the 10 most beautiful sculptures that you can visit and see in Athens today.
Vasilis Ioannidis, from Polykastro, Kilkis has made a reputation for himself for the beautifully intricate guitars, bouzoukia, baglamadakia, mandolins and spinning tops that he hand carves from wood.
The Greek National Opera has announced its 2021 lineup, a tribute programme to the bicentennial of the Greek Revolution of 1821, which is made possible by a grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF).
Many people may not know that some of the most famous ceiling paintings, portraits of historical figures and murals within the Capitol, are painted by Greek-Italian artist Konstantinos Broumidis. Dubbed the “Michelangelo of the United States”, his extraordinary talent has been praised by art curators world-wide.
Tomasi has posted reconstructed faces of Ancient Greek and Roman philosophers, poets and politicians.
Dimitris Daskalopolous bought his first work of art whilst travelling through Thailand with his parents at the age of 17 – a statue that he carried with him under his arm for a week as it didn’t fit in his suitcase. Now, through his not-for-profit art foundation Neon, the Greek billionaire is converting a tobacco factory in Athens into a cultural centre as part of his mission to bring contemporary art to the people of Greece.
The works of Greek poet, painter, and 1979 Nobel Prize winner Odysseas Elytis have been analysed by art experts and curators all around the world, while his poems have been studied in Greek schools for decades. The Greek Ministry of Culture is creating a museum house in Plaka, Athens designed to look like Elytis’s real-life home to hold his paintings, poems, notebooks and personal belongings.
Don’t you love gazing up at the night sky and enjoying the beautiful light show…
His love for Greece, his passion for Greek mythology and the peculiarity of the Greek urban landscapes have inspired artist Max Grierson to create entire collections dedicated to Greece.
The Evzones guards are a true living attraction of the city and an eternal symbol of Greece, synonymous to valour and heroism. The Athens City Museum is dedicating its new exhibition to these elite soldiers, with portraits, sculptures, embroideries and works of contemporary Greek art, as well as souvenirs, rare photographs, archival material, unreleased historical relics and collectibles from public and private collections that aim to tell the story of Evzones throughout the years of the Greek revolution.
The movement to return the Parthenon marbles to their motherland was started in the 1980s. But it is not just the Elgin marbles that have been removed from Greece. Some of the most magnificent Greek sculptures ever created are in fact located in various museums around the world, proudly representing the country in which they were born.
As restrictions begin to ease in the Southern Hemisphere and retailers can again start to take joy in inspiring clientele to get dressed up with events resuming, Greek City Times asks Wotz Hot Clothing – fashion boutique of choice for the ‘who’s who’ – for their hot tips for Spring Racing Season 2020.
The British Museum may refuse to return the Parthenon sculptures and marbles to Athens, but the University of Sydney is donating an entire Lego Acropolis to the Acropolis Museum.
Renowned Greek Australian documentary photographer is to present her photographic exhibition Greek Australians: In Their Own Image, featuring select works that capture the depth and diversity of Australia’s Greek presence through moving individual migration stories that resonate.
Calling all photography lovers – both professional and amateurs! Wiki Loves Monuments is in Greece for the month of October 2020 with numerous prizes and awards to be won.
Made with love and guided by faith, the beautiful creations of Pisti are meaningful cultural gifts that are custom-made by inspiring 23 year old Greek-Australian artist Georgia Xirocostas.
The love for Greek cultural heritage and a desire to share it with the whole world led to the creation of Greek brand SOPHIA, now being sold worldwide including at the iconic Louvre and British Museums.