162 Posts in Culture

Hellenic Culture Minister Lina Mendoni led a ceremony Friday for the repatriation of three sculpture fragments — representing a horse and two male heads — from the Parthenon temple on the Acropolis which had been kept at the Vatican Museums. “Initiatives like these show the way, how the pieces of the Parthenon can be reunited, healing the wounds caused by barbaric hands so many years ago,” Mendoni said. “This takes us to the just and moral demand of the entire Greek people, and of this government and its prime minister, for the final return of all the sculptures of the Parthenon.” The fragments will be added to the collection at the Acropolis Museum, which opened in 2009 at the foot of the ancient site in the center of the Greek capital. Mendoni said Greece would be willing to lend the British museum ancient Greek artifacts for exhibition to “fill the gap” if the marbles were returned. “Greece cannot recognize possession and ownership by the British Museum because it considers the sculptures to be there as a product of theft,” she said. The Vatican called the return an ecumenical “donation” to Greece’s Orthodox Church, but the gesture added pressure on the London museum to reach a settlement with Greece following a campaign launched by Athens 40 years ago. “This act by Pope Francis is of historical significance and has a positive impact on all levels … We hope it sets an example for others,” the leader of Greece’s Orthodox Church, Archbishop Ieronymos II, said. Greece argues that the Parthenon sculptures are at the core of its ancient heritage, while supporters of the British Museum maintain that their return could undermine museum collections and cultural diversity globally. Carved in the 5th century BC, the sculptures from the Parthenon were taken in the early 19th century by British diplomat Lord Elgin before Greece won independence from the Ottoman Empire. Culture Ministry officials in Greece have played down remarks made last month by British Museum chair George Osborne that the U.K. and Greece were working on an arrangement to display the Parthenon Marbles in both London and Athens. Last year another marble sculptural fragment from the Parthenon temple — depicting a foot of the ancient Greek goddess Artemis — was returned to Athens from a museum in Palermo, Sicily. Bishop Brian Farrell, a Vatican secretary for promoting Christian unity, headed the visiting delegation to Athens and said the return of the three fragments from the Vatican had been discussed during a visit to Athens by Pope Francis in 2021. “The gifting of the fragments of the Parthenon which had been held in the Vatican Museums for more than two centuries, shows itself as cultural and social gesture of friendship and solidarity with the people of Greece,” Farrell said. “We assure you of our intimate joy at the realization of your legitimate wish to have the ... fragments at home in their place of origin,” he added.

The Hellenic War of Independence that liberated the country from the 400-year rule of the Ottoman Empire took place on the 25th of March in 1821, when Bishop Germanos of Patras raised the flag of revolution over the Monastery of Agia Lavra in the Peloponnese. The cry “Freedom or death” became the motto of the revolution. In Athens and all over the country, there are school and military parades to commemorate the day with Greek flags flying high over most houses. The National Holiday coincides with the celebration of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary by Archangel Gabriel who appeared before her and told her that she would bear the son of God. People attend church in the morning and afterward, they join the parades of flags and marching bands in the streets to revere in the day. A custom across the country on this day is the consumption of fried codfish with garlic sauce. Related: The History of the Bakaliaros (Codfish) The traditional dish with cod and "scordalia" (def. "garlic sauce") is the most well-known custom for the 25th of March National Anniversary. The Orthodox Church allowed Christians to eat fish only twice during the Great Lent - the first is at the Evangelismos celebration and on Palm Sunday. Cod was first shown as a commercial product, with its history deeply rooted along with the Vikings. In the cod trade, it was the Basques that played an immensely important role, who were the first to salt it in the Middle Ages. This fish arrived in Greece during the 15th Century and it became part of the Orthodox fastening dishes. Salted cod became the most popular dish amongst the country of Greece, not only on the islands – who already had fresh fish - but to the land dwellers as well, as it was cheap and very easy to cook. It was also Britain that exported this species to Greece, which they used to exchange for raisins. In related news, on Friday 24/3, the center of Athens was filled with youth and smiles during the student parade for the National Anniversary of March 25th. The student parade took place in the presence of representatives of the country's political leadership. Earlier, wreaths were laid by the mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, the regional governor, Giorgos Paotilis, as well as party representatives.   For more information regarding this holiday, visit our page: https://www.athens24.com/guide/holidays-in-greece.html

The three fragments include the part of the head of a youth, one of the two horses pulling the goddess Athena's chariot, and a male figure with a beard that belongs to a southern metope, where the Centauromachy is depicted. These fragments from the metopes, the frieze and the pediments of the Parthenon were gifted personally by Pope Francis to the Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece. The agreement to that effect was signed in Rome by Greek and Vatican officials on March 7, as the pieces were being kept at the Vatican Museums. Attending the event, Culture & Sports Minister Lina Mendoni said that "the Pontiff's gesture comes to the aid of the Greek people's fair and moral demand - but also to the diligent effort of the Greek government and personally of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis - for the definitive return and reunification of all the Parthenon Marbles in Athens," referring to marbles kept at the British Museum in London. Mendoni also relayed the Greek premier's warm thanks, who was scheduled to attend but was delayed due to the ongoing European Council meeting in Brussels. Pope Francis' gesture "is of historical significance and has very positive ramifications on multiple levels," noted Archbishop Hieronymos. Also welcoming the gift was Acropolis Museum Director Nicolas Stampolidis, who noted that the gift of the fragments, "which until the beginning of March were being exhibited in the Vatican for more than 200 years, carries both a substantial as well as a symbolic character." Vatican delegation Four members of a Catholic delegation from the Vatican who arrived in Athens on Thursday also attended. The delegation included its head, Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Under-Secretary Monsignor Andrea Palmieri, Director of the Vatican Museums Dr Barbara Jatta, and Archbishop Jan Romeo Pawłowski, Apostolic Nuncio to Greece. Bishop Farrell spoke about the importance of the Pope's gesture, an "ecclesiastical, cultural and social gesture of friendship and solidarity with the people of Greece", which he noted "confirms even more strongly the friendship and the spiritual closeness between our Churches."

The meeting will be held ahead of the ceremony on Friday to return the three marble fragments from the Parthenon to the Acropolis Museum. Kept at the Vatican Museums, the three pieces were gifted personally by Pope Francis to the archbishop, and an agreement to that effect was signed in Rome by Greek and Vatican officials on March 7. The reunification event will be held at at the Museum at 17:30 on Friday, in the presence of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Archdiocese said. The Catholic delegation is headed by Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, and includes Under-Secretary Monsignor Andrea Palmieri, Director of the Vatican Museums Dr Barbara Jatta, and Archbishop Jan Romeo Pawłowski, Apostolic Nuncio to Greece.

Sunak said there are no plans to amend the legislation, which states the museum can only dispose of objects within its collection in limited circumstances. However, the museum could still arrange a loan of the sculptures. Since independence in 1832, Greece has repeatedly called for the return of the sculptures – known in Britain as the Elgin Marbles – that British diplomat Lord Elgin removed from the Parthenon temple in Athens in the early 19th century, when Greece was under Ottoman rule. Sunak is unlikely to break with the stances of his two predecessors who were both against any kind of loan of the marbles to Greece.   “The UK has cared for the Elgin Marbles for generations. Our galleries and museums are funded by taxpayers because they are a huge asset to this country,” Sunak told reporters on his plane as he flew to the United States.           “We share their treasures with the world, and the world comes to the UK to see them. The collection of the British Museum is protected by law, and we have no plans to change it.” The former finance minister George Osborne, the chair of the British Museum, has been working on a new arrangement with Greece through which the sculptures could be seen both in London and in Athens. The Parthenon Project, which has been backed by British politicians from different political parties to settle the issue, said on Sunday the British Museum’s Parthenon collection could be returned to Greece under a long-term cultural partnership agreement.

An anthology of Greek poetry set to music, with Manolis Mitsias and Karyofyllia Karabeti. Joined by an ensemble of 8 musicians, the artists will present a program that includes Greek repertory gems from this genre. On the occasion of the World Poetry Day, Manolis Mitsias and Karyofyllia Karabeti travel around the magical world of Greek poetry, presenting at Megaron works of great Greek poets and lyricists, set to music by composers Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hadjidakis, Yannis Markopoulos,  Stavros Xarchakos, Dimos Moutsis, Ilias Andriopoulos, Thanos Mikroutsikos, Christos Leontis, Giannis Spanos and Nikos Xydakis. Manolis Mitsias will also perform songs from Manos Hadjidakis’ song cycles Tis Gis to Hrysafi (The Earth’s Gold), Athanasia (Immortality) and Heimoniatikos Ilios (Winter Sun). The lyrics of the songs to be performed  are from poems by: Dionysios Solomos, Kostis Palamas, Angelos Sikelianos, Konstantinos P. Kavafis, Kostas Varnalis, Napoleon Lapathiotis, Kostas Karyotakis, Yorgos  Seferi, Odysseas Elytis, Yiannis Ritsos, Myrtiotis, Tassos Livaditis, Manolis Anagnostakis, Nikos Kavvadias, Nikos Gatsos, Iakovos Kambanellis and others. Dates & Times Tuesday 21.03.2023, 20:30 Ticket Prices €9.00 students, young people, unemployed, persons with disabilities, families having many children, 65+ €12.00 €18.00 €26.00 €32.00 €38.00 €45.00   Address: Vas. Sofias & Kokkali 115 21 Athens Email: webmaster@megaron.gr Telephone: +30 210 7282000 Tickets: +30 210 7282333  

Hellenic American Union presents “Embracement”, a solo exhibition of works by Apostolos Koustas, an engraver and painter of international standing. The exhibition features a collection of engravings, paintings, portable frescos, sculptures and drawings—hallmarks of work he has done over the last 20 years. The Messolonghi-born artist has achieved worldwide recognition in his 35-year career, with solo exhibitions abroad and a prize-winning entry at the 1991 Triennale in Osaka. Like a true craftsman, Koutsas works on surfaces he makes himself, such as the hydraulic plasters he creates, and uses his hands at each stage in realizing the work. The material, together with the paper and coloring agents he uses, offers a broad range of different expressive possibilities, but each is inextricably tied to the artist’s inspiration: novel proportions that seem at times to reach for monumental effect, an austere, hieratic line, and a rich, dense chromatic texture.   Hours: Monday – Friday: 12:00 – 20:00, Saturday: 10:00 – 14:00, Sundays closed Tickets Admission is free Location Hellenic American Union Galleries Massalias 22, Athens

Contemporary cities such as Athens are constantly seeking out meeting points and creative hubs for renewing ties with their citizens. This need is most pressing when it comes to playgrounds, which are the beating heart of neighborhoods and communities – a place to let off steam, join together, and connect. For children, they are a place for play and free time spent within a safe environment. For adults, they are a place for community interaction.

In Thursday’s Meetings, Rivellis selects and presents contemporary Greek photographers - members of the "Photographic Circle", analyzes their artwork, and talks to them about their themes, approaches, and creative choices. The audience then asks questions and share thoughts on the photos shown. The third presentation of the year takes place on March 16th, at 19:00 and focuses on the work of photographers Spyros Polytarchou, Katerina Papoutsi and Yiannis Zisis. Platon Rivellis was born in Athens in 1945. He studied law in Athens, political science in Paris (1968-1970) and photography in the US (1983). He practiced law in Athens for twelve years (1971-1983). Since 1981 he has been delivering seminars and lectures in Greece and Cyprus on photography and cinema. He has organized the model photography classes for the Popular Education Organization (1985) and taught its instructors. He has organized television programs on photography for public television. He has exhibited his photographs in solo and group exhibitions and is a frequent contributor to a number of Greek newspapers and magazines. In 1988 he founded together with his students the Photography Circle and Photochoros Publications, which has published more than sixty books on photography, both theoretical works and albums.    The presentations will be delivered through Zoom with free participation for all with reservations: www.hau.gr/en-us/culture/events/2023/thursdays-meetings-march-2023    

Greece has asked for others to imitate the Vatican Museums after they agreed this month to return three 2,500-year-old pieces of the Parthenon. London and Athens are in talks over the Parthenon Sculptures held by the British Museum. The Parthenon, which is on the Acropolis in Athens, was completed in the fifth century BC as a temple to the goddess Athena, and its decorative friezes contain some of the greatest examples of ancient Greek sculpture. Greece has repeatedly called for the permanent return of the sculptures, which British diplomat Lord Elgin removed from the temple in the early 19th century when he was ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Greece's then-ruler. The Parthenon Project, which has been backed by British politicians from different parties, said the British Museum's Parthenon collection could be returned to Greece under a long-term cultural partnership agreement. They would be reunited with Greece's artefacts in the Acropolis Museum in Athens, "as a complete artistic work consistent with its creators’ vision," the campaign group said. The plans, which have been discussed with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and British Museum Chair George Osborne, would see a rotation of Greek masterpieces offered to the British Museum, including some that have never been seen outside Greece. The Parthenon Project said the agreement would be predicated on "the acceptance by both sides that this transformative cultural partnership is possible, despite the absence of a shared position on ownership of the Parthenon Collection." That would mean the arrangement sidesteps the requirement for a change in the law to allow the British Museum to dispose of its artefacts. Osborne has played down the prospect of a permanent return of the marbles, citing the potential legal hurdles, and instead suggested an arrangement where the marbles can be seen in both London and Athens.

The central exhibition narrative revolves around the unique ensemble of wall paintings that adorn the building of the Parliament in the historical Hall of Trophies and Adjutants (current “Eleftherios Venizelos” Hall). These monumental frescoes stand for “talking” testaments of the Exhibition, as the portrayed figures and events come to the fore and invite us to an empathetic survey of the struggle for Freedom. In “discourse” with the wall paintings, are presented many and unique portable exhibits (manuscript archives, books, newspapers, artworks, objects and weapons), coming from the special collections of the Library of the Parliament, as well as from certain private ones, mainly the philhellenic collection of Michalis and Dimitra Varkarakis.   VENUE MAIN LIBRARY OF HELLENIC PARLIAMENT FOUNDATION START TIME SUNDAY 12:00 TICKETS ENTRANCE IS FREE

He was one of the main representatives of the New Greek Cinema, but also a multifaceted creative person, who left his mark in various types of art and with different means of expression (cinema, television, literature, criticism, etc.). A multidimensional intellectual personality, Papastathis is considered one of the most important directors of his generation and at the same time one of the founders of the cultural documentary on Greek television, mainly through the show "Behind the scenes" which he created together with the director Takis Hatzopoulos in 1976. Until his last moments he maintained his dynamism and stubbornness, as well as his characteristic pride. He left as he lived: With absolute, non-negotiable dignity. Lakis Papastathis was born in Volos in 1943, finished high school in Mytilini and studied at the Cinema Studies Center (1963). From very early in his career he directed short and feature films, which received critical acclaim for their aesthetic excellence and depth of content, as well as numerous awards. He began his career in cinema with short films in 1963. In 1972 the film "Letters from America" won the award for best short film at the Thessaloniki Festival of that year. Lakis Papastathis was a subtle but tireless and original intellectual creator. His path in the field of cinema was decisively influenced by "Eudokia", the famous and groundbreaking film by Alexis Damianos. In "Eudokia" Papastathis performed the duties of assistant director and key contributor to the completion of the production. In retrospect, and pioneering for Greek data, Lakis Papastathis published (Patakis 2006) an extensive monograph under the title "When Damianos was filming Eudokia", specifically dedicated to the background of a milestone film in the history of new Greek cinema. Lakis Papastathis directed a total of four feature films: "The Time of the Greeks" (1981), "Theofilos" (1987), "The only life of a taxi" (2001), "Journey to Mytilene" (2010). His films won many film awards in Greece, including directorial and best film at the Thessaloniki Film Festival and the National Film Awards, while also participating in international festivals. For example, in 1980 "Theofilos" participated in the competition section of the Berlin Festival, while "The only life of a taxi", based on the short story of the same name by Georgios Vizyinos, was part of the official program at the Toronto Festival in 2001. The element that made the director's cinematic look completely unique and distinct was the close relationship between cinema and literature. One could say that Lakis Papastathis was a director of words and texts or, by absolute symmetry, a literary artist of the image. In the end, Lakis Papastathis was the creator of a completely unique cinematic idiom, combining cinematic shots with the texts and authors he loved. At the same time, perhaps the most important chapter of his artistic life was the cultural show "Backstage" which he created together with the director Takis Hatzopoulos and which began to be shown on ERT in 1976. Papastathis himself directed dozens of episodes of "Backstage", which immortalized great figures of the intellectual life of the country and are a major part of the historical archive of Greek television over time. Among many others, Lakis Papastathi's documentaries about the poet Manolis Anagnostakis, with whom he had a close friendship, stand out. By June 2013, when ERT closed and the show was discontinued, "Paraskenio" had exceeded nine hundred topics (eighteen minutes, half an hour or 52 minutes long). From time to time, about two hundred directors as well as important journalists, scholars and film technicians worked in the "Backstage". Lakis Papastathis also directed historical documentaries as part of the "Searching for the Lost Image" series, which relied exclusively on film documentaries. His swan song on the small screen was the directing of shows in the framework of ERT's "Postscript" series, until 2022. Once, in an interview he gave to Jason Triantafyllidis, Lakis Papastathis had confessed that "'Backstage' was a decisive event in my life. Every day we were thinking about the next show. I think, it affected me in two ways: first, in the delay in making cinema because it was in a way a replenishment, I had a daily occupation with creation. And, secondly, it covered my relationship with modern reality. 'Backstage' made my own cinema want a fog of the past, because I had had enough of the relationship with modern intellectual life. Maybe that's why I was drawn to the turn of the century, which is a time I love, that you can look at not as a historian, but poetically. During this period lived beasts of Greek spirituality" . This approach of Lakis Papastathis to art was, of course, not accidental. Besides, he himself, in addition to being a director, was also a writer, with a wide and original writing work. "I started by making cinema influenced by literature and now I write literary texts that have been determined by the way cinema tells," he said in an interview with "Vima" in 2011. In addition to the book on "Eudokia", he wrote four collections of short stories : "The bat flew" (published by Nefeli, 2002), "The Quiet and other short stories" (published by Nefeli, 2005), "The summer will play Clytemnestra" (published by Polis, 2011) and "The teacher loved the silent cinema" (published by Polis, 2014). A separate chapter of his life was also the close friendship and collaboration with Dionysis Savvopoulos. In December 1973, Lakis Papastathis collaborated for the first time with Savvopoulos, undertaking the film direction for the songwriter's musical spectacle entitled "Third of Shadows" at the "Kyttaro" boutique. Immediately after the dictatorship, Lakis Papastathis directed the show "I'm very happy Savvopoulos", the first appearance of Savvopoulos on Greek television. Their last collaboration took place in 1999 with the direction of the video clip of the song "First of Two Thousand" from the album "The Timekeeper". Finally, in the field of theater, Lakis Papastathis collaborated with the legendary group of the "Free Theater", directing short films which were included in the performances "A Gulf Life" (1974) and "The Last Tram" (1976). Lakis Papastathis was married to the actress Yvonne Maltezou. Together they had a son. The award-winning director, producer and writer Lakis Papastathis passed away early on Wednesday at the age of 79, after a long battle with cancer. He was one of the main representatives of the New Greek Cinema, but also a multifaceted creative person, who left his mark in various types of art and with different means of expression (cinema, television, literature, criticism, etc.). A multidimensional intellectual personality, Papastathis is considered one of the most important directors of his generation and at the same time one of the founders of the cultural documentary on Greek television, mainly through the show "Behind the scenes" which he created together with the director Takis Hatzopoulos in 1976. Until his last moments he maintained his dynamism and stubbornness, as well as his characteristic pride. He left as he lived: With absolute, non-negotiable dignity. Lakis Papastathis was born in Volos in 1943, finished high school in Mytilini and studied at the Cinema Studies Center (1963). From very early in his career he directed short and feature films, which received critical acclaim for their aesthetic excellence and depth of content, as well as numerous awards. He began his career in cinema with short films in 1963. In 1972 the film "Letters from America" won the award for best short film at the Thessaloniki Festival of that year. Lakis Papastathis was a subtle but tireless and original intellectual creator. His path in the field of cinema was decisively influenced by "Eudokia", the famous and groundbreaking film by Alexis Damianos. In "Eudokia" Papastathis performed the duties of assistant director and key contributor to the completion of the production. In retrospect, and pioneering for Greek data, Lakis Papastathis published (Patakis 2006) an extensive monograph under the title "When Damianos was filming Eudokia", specifically dedicated to the background of a milestone film in the history of new Greek cinema. Lakis Papastathis directed a total of four feature films: "The Time of the Greeks" (1981), "Theofilos" (1987), "The only life of a taxi" (2001), "Journey to Mytilene" (2010). His films won many film awards in Greece, including directorial and best film at the Thessaloniki Film Festival and the National Film Awards, while also participating in international festivals. For example, in 1980 "Theofilos" participated in the competition section of the Berlin Festival, while "The only life of a taxi", based on the short story of the same name by Georgios Vizyinos, was part of the official program at the Toronto Festival in 2001. The element that made the director's cinematic look completely unique and distinct was the close relationship between cinema and literature. One could say that Lakis Papastathis was a director of words and texts or, by absolute symmetry, a literary artist of the image. In the end, Lakis Papastathis was the creator of a completely unique cinematic idiom, combining cinematic shots with the texts and authors he loved. At the same time, perhaps the most important chapter of his artistic life was the cultural show "Backstage" which he created together with the director Takis Hatzopoulos and which began to be shown on ERT in 1976. Papastathis himself directed dozens of episodes of "Backstage", which immortalized great figures of the intellectual life of the country and are a major part of the historical archive of Greek television over time. Among many others, Lakis Papastathi's documentaries about the poet Manolis Anagnostakis, with whom he had a close friendship, stand out. By June 2013, when ERT closed and the show was discontinued, "Paraskenio" had exceeded nine hundred topics (eighteen minutes, half an hour or 52 minutes long). From time to time, about two hundred directors as well as important journalists, scholars and film technicians worked in the "Backstage". Lakis Papastathis also directed historical documentaries as part of the "Searching for the Lost Image" series, which relied exclusively on film documentaries. His swan song on the small screen was the directing of shows in the framework of ERT's "Postscript" series, until 2022. Once, in an interview he gave to Jason Triantafyllidis, Lakis Papastathis had confessed that "'Backstage' was a decisive event in my life. Every day we were thinking about the next show. I think, it affected me in two ways: first, in the delay in making cinema because it was in a way a replenishment, I had a daily occupation with creation. And, secondly, it covered my relationship with modern reality. 'Backstage' made my own cinema want a fog of the past, because I had had enough of the relationship with modern intellectual life. Maybe that's why I was drawn to the turn of the century, which is a time I love, that you can look at not as a historian, but poetically. During this period lived beasts of Greek spirituality" This approach of Lakis Papastathis to art was, of course, not accidental. Besides, he himself, in addition to being a director, was also a writer, with a wide and original writing work. "I started by making cinema influenced by literature and now I write literary texts that have been determined by the way cinema tells," he said in an interview with "Vima" in 2011. In addition to the book on "Eudokia", he wrote four collections of short stories : "The bat flew" (published by Nefeli, 2002), "The Quiet and other short stories" (published by Nefeli, 2005), "The summer will play Clytemnestra" (published by Polis, 2011) and "The teacher loved the silent cinema" (published by Polis, 2014). A separate chapter of his life was also the close friendship and collaboration with Dionysis Savvopoulos. In December 1973, Lakis Papastathis collaborated for the first time with Savvopoulos, undertaking the film direction for the songwriter's musical spectacle entitled "Third of Shadows" at the "Kyttaro" boutique. Immediately after the dictatorship, Lakis Papastathis directed the show "I'm very happy Savvopoulos", the first appearance of Savvopoulos on Greek television. Their last collaboration took place in 1999 with the direction of the video clip of the song "First of Two Thousand" from the album "The Timekeeper". Finally, in the field of theater, Lakis Papastathis collaborated with the legendary group of the "Free Theater", directing short films which were included in the performances "A Gulf Life" (1974) and "The Last Tram" (1976). Lakis Papastathis was married to the actress Yvonne Maltezou. Together they had a son.