“If all the ways I have been along were marked on a map and joined up with a line, it might represent a minotaur.”.
Pablo Picasso
From June 20 to October 20, the Museum of Cycladic Art will host a unique exhibition of sixty-eight ceramics and drawings by Picasso, inspired by antiquity.
Unlike Picasso's famous paintings, these ceramics and drawings that derive from Greek mythology, are not so well-known to the broader public and may come as a surprise to visitors of the exhibition. In his career, Picasso was inspired by a variety of sources, including Ancient Greece. This fruitful “conversation” between Picasso and ancient Greek art, created another “Divine Dialogue”, curated by professor N. C. Stampolidis and Olivier Berggruen.
These works are mostly inspired by the Creto-Mycenaean, Greek, and ancient Mediterranean civilizations in general. Picasso’s great artworks titled “Picasso and Antiquity: Line and Clay” are based on antiquities that he likely saw in ancient Mediterranean cities, but also in European museums, in the books he read, or during his encounters with Christian Zervos and Jean Cocteau who were also fascinated by the ancient world.
The SNFestival is a multifaceted, international arts, sports, and education festival that returns again this year to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC), marking the beginning of summer in Athens!
From June 23rd to June 30th, the SNFestival will be presenting works by renowned artists, from the international music, dance, and art scene. The festival invites everyone to participate in a wide array of events, addressed to visitors of all age groups and interests.
So Percussion and Alkistis Protopsalti will inaugurate the festival with amazing music performances, while famous English musician Brian Eno will present his "77 Million Paintings" – a large-scale installation of music and light, an extension of his ambient music. Among the popular artists who will be participating in the festival are Nene Cherry and Rita Wilson. Accomplished dance ensembles including “Akram Khan Company” and “Boy Blue” from London, as well as “Vertigo Dance Company - One. One & One” from Israel, are expected to give exceptional performances, captivating our senses through meticulous choreographies that deal with modern day problems.
The audience will be able to watch and become part of various events, such as sporting and acrobatic activities and even mathematical events. The festival’s main goal is to provide a friendly creative platform where people can get together, express themselves, exchange ideas and have fun. An ultimately Athenian way to welcome the summer season!
According to the Greek National Opera, Norma is one of the first operas to have been successfully presented in the Greek capital of the newly formed state in 1837. This opera has always been popular in Greece with the title role being interpreted by renowned Greek singers such as Maria Callas who uniquely portrayed Norma at various international music venues including the theater of Ancient Epidaurus in 1960; as well as famous operatic soprano Elena Soulioti whose impactful voice always wowed the audience.
On June 5, 2019, this famous opera returns to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in a production by the Greek National Opera, directed by Carlus Padrissa, Co-Founder of La Fura dels Baus. This exceptional Catalan theatrical group was founded in 1979 and has since made diverse creative efforts and has been giving exceptional performances. In 1992, La Fura dels Baus produced the opening ceremony for the Barcelona Olympics.
The demanding role of Norma, the perjured High Priestess of the Druids who, along with her secret lover, are condemned to be burned, will be performed by the renowned Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio and by the American soprano Marjorie Owens in the second cast. The director’s intention is to highlight Norma’s fierce personality and unsubdued feelings and match the genuine alchemy of the time with the darker aspect of the Druids. Ferocious wars, betrayals, bravery, and extreme passion are perfectly portrayed and prove that in one respect we are still dominated by primitive instincts.
Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, composed by Dmitri Shostakovich, is one of the most expensive and long-awaited productions of the Greek National Opera. The opera, directed by Fanny Ardant, fascinates audiences with its great musical variety and dynamic storyline that speaks about the status of women in provincial pre-revolutionary Russia. The libretto, highly critical and deeply moving, starts a revolution, since the protagonist, Lady Macbeth, is a free, unconventional woman who refuses to follow any norms; she becomes enviable and desirable thanks to these characteristics.
Based on a novel by Nikolai Leskov, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk is a story about Katerina Izmailova, the wife of a wealthy merchant, who feels neglected and trapped in her marriage; she then finds a lover, and ends up murdering her father-in-law and her husband. On the way to Siberia, Katerina discovers that her lover found a new prospective mistress and during a fight with her, they both get swept away in the freezing waters of the river. Shostakovich, the opera’s composer, was considered to be a musical genius, and despite being deeply influenced by Igor Stravinsky and Gustav Mahler, he managed to shape his own personal and recognizable style.
Fanny Ardant’s direction is sharp and unconventional, turning the spotlight on issues such as boldness, individual freedom, incandescent limitations, and resistance. Lady Macbeth is about a frantic, violent pursuit of happiness and enjoyment, that knows no restrictions!
Performance Dates: 12, 15, 17, 19, 22 May 2019
