A cheerful venue for a range of events
For Benaki Museum director Angelos Delivorrias, the new building on Pireos Street reflects the general decentralization policy that has fanned the foundation’s activities out across Athens from Kifissia to Faliron. «The difference is that large-scale exhibitions and events can now be held at the new Benaki Museum,» he said. «I insist that the new Benaki Museum is not simply a venue for art exhibitions. It is a venue open to discourse, poetry, books and conferences. There is a superb amphitheater which can be put to excellent use. «We also hope to attract younger people to the building. I envision a cheerful building, a place of joy.» The new museum received 75 percent of its funding from European programs, thanks – says Delivorrias – to a realistic proposal submitted in time by this relatively small foundation. «It is a measure of how culture can function properly,» he says.
