DIARIO
VOL 1. ISSUE 17
Destination Art: The Unconventional Greece
Inspired by the mythological Chimera, this tour of Greece explores both its millenary tradition and its booming contemporary art scene.
A flag by Kiki Smith. © Lauren O’Neill-Butler via Art Forum
The world of Greek mythology is inhabited by hybrid creatures like satyrs, mermaids, and centaurs, often symbolizing the boundaries between the forbidden and the permitted, the known and the unknown, the living and the dead. One of the most powerful among them is the Chimera. Part lion, part goat, part dragon, this beast has become synonymous with the fantastic, representing imagination and illusion. The duality of this mythical creature is the inspiration behind our two-tone collection of the same name. Let Chimera be our guide to Greece, a place where ancient architecture, mythology, and philosophy coexist with modern art in a constant contrast. Among the masterpieces that have shaped Western culture, visible in the Parthenon and the Archaeological Museum of Athens, Greece offers a thriving contemporary art scene that creates a dialogue with its millenary traditions.
Chimère. Monstrorum historia d'Ulisse Androvandi, p. 336, 1642. Courtesy History of Science Collections, University of Oklahoma Libraries.
The power of this country’s complex identity triumphs in every frame of Paul Mazursky’s Tempest (1982), a visually rich and modern take on Shakespeare’s play that reminds us of the ageless, striking power that continues to make Greece so enchanting in modern times. The Peloponnese is the location of this visually rich and delightful movie written by Mazursky and Leon Capetanos, where instead of Prospero there is Phillip, a successful architect in a midlife crisis, played by John Cassavetes, who finds magic in a raw island that changes his life.
Molly Ringwald, Susan Sarandon, and John Cassavetes in Tempest (1982)
Raul Julia in Tempest (1982)
The opening night crowd at “Memory” by Kiki Smith. © Lauren O’Neill-Butler via Art Forum
On the island of Hydra, time seems to stand still, since no cars are allowed and all transport happens by foot, bicycle, or donkey. New York-based artist Kiki Smith, Ippolita’s good friend and fellow artist, chose this tranquil island for her site-specific exhibition “an offering to the Greek sea from New York,” as she defines it. This installation is organized by DESTE, a foundation that manages the island’s old slaughterhouse, whose rooms have now been converted into an esteemed gallery. Once again this land shows its ability to balance between ancient soul and contemporary artistic expression.
Not far from Hydra, the island of Delos was believed to be the birthplace of gods Apollo and Artemis. Its rocky rawness is the backdrop of one of the most important open-air archaeological sites in Greece. It is here that British sculptor Antony Gormley has conceived Sight, a mesmerizing installation of 29 life-size iron sculptures placed in various locations, that resonate among the hypnotic ruins of sanctuaries and statues. This is the first time a modern art exhibition has been held in this 5,000-year-old archaeological site. Walking on the island’s dusty paths these “bodyforms,” some cast from the artist’s body, can be seen in their eerie modernity.
Antony Gormley‘s sculptures on the sacred Island of Delos. © Anja Silling
"Sculpture is a threshold to another attitude to time; it provides the invitation to escape mechanised time as we know it."
Sir Antony Gormley
Antony Gormley, Vice II, 2015. Installation view, SIGHT, at the archaeological site of Delos Island, 2019. © Oak Taylor Smith, Courtesy NEON; Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades and the artist
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Ippolita