An exhibition inspired by an ancient god
Apollo and the different aspects of the deity is the subject of «Apollo’s Heritage,» a group art exhibition curated by Takis Mavrotas and currently on show at the European Cultural Center of Delphi on the occasion of a broad cultural program organized this summer. The program includes theater, dance and music performances and an intellectually high-profile conference, all spread throughout July. The artists whose works are included in the exhibition range from Giorgio de Chirico and Salvador Dali to Chryssa and Alekos Fasianos. With some exceptions – for example, Ioannis Tsarouchis and Nikos Hadzikyriakos-Ghika, who are both of the so-called Thirties Generation – there is no link between the artists other than the subject matter. In some cases the connection to Apollo is indirect; Fernando Botero’s statue of a female dancer is an example. De Chirico’s «Trovatore,» two bronze statuettes, are among the most striking works in the exhibition. It is a reminder of the artist’s frequent use of themes of Greek mythology in his work and it celebrates Apollo as the god of music. In «Alceste,» Euripides mentions that the music of Apollo charmed the gods, the wild beasts and even the stones. One of the god’s strongest aspects together with light and his prophecy, his connection with music comes up in most of the works. The painting «Orchestra» by Nikos Engonopoulos, Salvador Dali’s «Guitar,» Chyssa’s «Guitar,» a sculpture in bronze and plaster, and Arman’s «Composition of Violins» are among the most striking examples. Alekos Fasianos links antiquity with modern life and in «Apollo» he paints a man dressed in a suit and holding a lyre. In his collage-like images, Yiannis Psychopedis’s technique reproduces the images of statues of Apollo and hints at how cultural heritage becomes part of our history and collective unconscious. Psychopedis, Takis, Mytaras, Fasianos and Karavouzis have all made new works especially for the exhibition. «Apollo’s Heritage» at the Cultural Center of Delphi to July 30.
