The work “The White Wall” by Lizi Kalliga is presented for 2 weeks at the apartment of the Akrithakis Archive, with the support of Skoufa Gallery. After a devastating fire completely destroys Lizi Kalliga’s ancestral mansion, along with all its belongings, heirlooms, and numerous artworks, she will stay at a psychological support center in Marathonas. In her room, she persistently, continuously, and inevitably confronts the white wall opposite her bed for three months. As the white wall begins to be written on, filled with her gaze and concentration, she starts photographing and videotaping it with her mobile phone. Like a prayer or meditation, this unceasing repetition of action, diving into oneself, penetrating the wall, takes on the role of utmost therapeutic function, a stage of mourning and healing, a revelatory act, realization, and acceptance of a continuous that is always transcribed into the present, leading to liberation.
The Institute of Greek Musical Heritage enters the Gkika Art Galley and presents an interactive exhibition dedicated to 11 great Greek composers. What do Stavros Xarhakos, Vamvakaris, Theodorakis, Konstantinidis, Mitrópoulos, Xenakis, Xenos G.A. Papaioannou, Sisilianos, Skalkotas, Tsitsanis, and Hadjidakis have in common? This question marks the beginning of the journey through the exhibition “I Think It’s Time to Listen…” inaugurated on April 25th at the Goulandris Museum of Contemporary Art, in the presence of Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni and in collaboration with the Institute of Greek Musical Heritage, the Qualco Group, and the Qualco Foundation. This is the first major exhibition of the Institute of Greek Musical Heritage, which converses with the museum’s permanent collection, curated by the museum’s director, Angelos Delivorrias.
Since its opening in October 2023, it has become the only museum in the world dedicated to the great opera diva. Through texts, objects, videos, and rare audio recordings, the thread of Maria Callas’s life and career unfolds. From her beginnings, years in Greece, international career, and major roles, to her glamorous life, personality, moments, and the people in her life, as well as the legacy she left behind.
Once again, Athens Music Week (AMW) returns from May 22nd to May 25th at the Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens and in central concert venues of the city for a celebratory four-day event full of discussions, presentations, educational workshops, interactive experiences, parties, and of course, many showcase concerts featuring both local and international acts.
On Saturday, May 18th, and Sunday, May 19th, Generations, the music festival that brings together different generations, returns for its fourth year at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), with a diverse program, establishing a meeting point for young and old alike. For two full days, the SNFCC will be filled with music and activities in all its spaces, with the core being the “Nest”: from Children’s Playgrounds and Water Fountains to the Mediterranean Garden, the Outdoor Sports Area, the Dome, and, of course, the Canal, offering a plethora of options for parents and children.
In 2010, a few months before his passing, the artist and collector Nikos Alexiou donated to the Benaki Museum a rich collection of contemporary art that he had meticulously gathered with particular dedication and patience, alongside his artistic work. This collection is a unique ensemble of works by Greek and foreign artists, comprising 236 pieces from 84 artists. It can also be understood as an “open work” that Alexiou constantly reconfigured in his living spaces, multiplying the connections and narratives.
The exhibition presents the entirety of the works that constitute this specific donation.
From April 6th to April 8th, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), in collaboration with the WOW Foundation, presents for the second year the WOW – Women of the World festival, the largest event in the world for women, femininities, and non-binary individuals. Since its inception in 2010 with the first festival in London, WOW has organized over 100 festivals and events, reaching more than five million people in 30 locations across six continents.
The architectural event that has become a tradition celebrates its 10th anniversary this year in the city of Athens. Open House Athens returns on Saturday, April 13th, and Sunday, April 14th, featuring over 70 buildings and a plethora of parallel activities. This annual event is aimed at the general public with the primary goal of understanding and promoting architecture. During Open House Athens, free architectural tours are conducted by volunteers in private as well as public spaces, which open their doors exclusively for this purpose.
The Olympia, Municipal Music Theatre “Maria Callas,” continues its programming for April with the following performances:
- “Cinderella” by Rossini with the Athens Symphony Orchestra & Choir
- Betty Harlafti with the Greek Music Workshop of the Municipality of Athens presents a concert dedicated to the songs of Lefteris Papadopoulos.
- Athens Big Band Flamenco Project concert featuring international saxophonist, composer, and orchestrator Bernard van Rossum.
- Internationally renowned soprano Julie Fuchs and conductor/pianist Alphonse Cemin take the stage at the Olympia Theatre as part of the “Fauré” series, presenting a rich repertoire.
- Finally, the Athens Symphony Orchestra and Choir, conducted by Yuval Zorn, perform within the framework of the “Fauré” series.
Georgia Mavragani presents the theatre play “Dream Play” by August Strindberg to the Main Stage of the National Theatre (Chiller Building), creating her own dreamlike universe. It features images from a childhood dream or from a paradoxical poetic fairytale filled with eerie stories narrated by an elderly person.
