THE CYCLADES FROM 17th TO 19th CENTURY

The decline and later the fall of the Byzantine Empire (1453) led to the surrender of the Cyclades to Venetian, Frankish and Turkish rule successively. The Greek population however, although living in difficult conditions, managed to preserve its national identity with the Greek language and the Orthodox faith serving as its linchpin. when Hellenism became acquainted with economic, spiritual and artistic renaissance from the mid-18th century, influenced by the changes in the political landscape and the new conditions that were taking shape in Europe, the Cyclades watched the developments and were affected by them. The artistic creations of the Benaki Museum’s Cycladic collection exhibit the prolific composition of different cultural currents, as influences from the aesthetics of East and West are equally interwoven in an admirable manner within the heritage of Byzantine tradition. The embroideries of Naxos constitute prominent examples of this and emit a European tone since the island, as well as the rest of the islands of the same cluster, came in direct contact with Italy and mostly with Venice.
Ceramics, wood-carvings and objects of marble sculpture and metalwork complete the spectrum of traditional handicraft, while the character of the island is registered by travellers who visited the Cyclades during that period. Exhibition curator: Mario Vazeos

Round table discussion with the participation of the following University Professors: Angelos Delivorrias, Stephanos Imelos and Vassilis Sfyroeras.

‘Sea idylls and castles’,
concert of traditional and contemporary music with the band of Christos Tsiamoulis.

D. Solomos, G. Vizyinos ‘Forever open, forever vigilant are the eyes of the soul’,
concert by Nikos Xidakis after midnight.

Recital by Savina Giannatou and Primavera en Salonico.

‘The city of the immortals…’ concert by the composer Mihalis Gregoriou with Savina Giannatou and Doros Dimosthenous.

“Ta mistika tou kipou” (‘The secrets of the garden’)
Nikos Kypourgos in concert for younger and older children.

‘The balland of Mauthauzen’, Maria Farantouri in concert.

Performance of the play ‘Gramma ston Oresti’ (‘Letter to Orestis’) by Iakovos Kambanellis.
Direction: Stelios Krasanakis.

Συζήτηση στρογγυλής τράπεζας, για το έργο του Ιάκωβου Καμπανέλλη, στην οποία συμμετέχουν, ο συγγραφέας, οι καθηγητές Τζίνα Πολίτη, Πλάτων Μαυρομούστακος Δημήτρης Τσατσούλης και ο σκηνοθέτης Γιώργος Μιχαηλίδης.

«Οι ακροβάτες του κήπου», πρώτη προβολή της ταινίας του Χρήστου Δήμα.

‘Tribute to Goergios Seferis’. Speaker:professor Panagiotis Roilos Harvard University. Recitation by Dimitris Katalifos.

Performance of the play “Eleni” by Giannis Ritsos with Vassilis Papavasiliou.