Page 77 - ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL 2023

ATHENS RIVIERA JOURNAL
culture

Despite the abstraction and simplicity
of these marble figurines, essential
characteristics have been preserved and
have become the greatest source of
inspiration for important Modernist artists.

enjoyed and studied. We are thrilled to celebrate
this important milestone in the historic partnership
with Greece that brings an important collection
of Cycladic antiquities into the public sphere
permanently and for the first time. This agreement
builds on years of a fruitful partnership between
the Greek government and The Met, and we are
delighted to be able to play a role in an arrangement
that will benefit visitors and scholars for generations
to come. We are deeply grateful to Leonard N. Stern
for dedicating funds to The Met for the study of these
exceptional works and related archival material—
which will allow us to thoroughly catalogue and
publish the collection—and we are excited to present
the entire group of 161 objects as a long-term loan
in 2024. The Met extends special thanks to Greece
and the Museum of Cycladic Art for our strong
THE CENTRAL As stated by the President and CEO of the Museum partnership and for authorizing this historic loan,
of Cycladic Art, Kassandra Marinopoulou: “An
and we look forward to continuing our ongoing
IDEA AND THE exceptional and largely unknown collection of conversations about future exchanges of scholarship
and expertise. We all benefit from the public display
Cycladic antiquities by the American collector
ARCHITECTURAL Leonard N. Stern, with rare and unique artefacts of art.”
progressively makes its way back home. This is a
The exhibition is accompanied by a bilingual scientific
DESIGN OF THE historic moment for our country, for the Museum catalogue, which includes an introductory text on the
EXHIBITION AT THE of Cycladic Art, but also for me personally, as we are Early Cycladic culture of the 3rd millennium BC, as
well as a detailed and documented presentation of
participating in an unprecedented collaboration with
NEOCLASSICAL the Greek State and The Metropolitan Museum of the 15 Early Cycladic antiquities, along with unique
photographs of the exhibits themselves and of the
Art in New York, contributing, thus, to the return
BUILDING OF of 161 Cycladic masterpieces and paving the way Cycladic landscape.
for the return of other antiquities in the future.
As part of the abovementioned agreement between
THE STATHATOS We strongly believe that collaborations between the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Hellenic
Republic, the Museum of Cycladic Art and the
museums is the only way forward. The dissemination
MANSION, HAS BEEN and promotion of Cycladic and ancient Greek Metropolitan Museum of Art, a Memorandum of
culture internationally has always been the mission
Understanding was signed on the 2nd of November
IMPLEMENTED BY of the Museum of Cycladic Art. I feel very proud 2022 with subject the advancement of the study and
KOIS ASSOCIATED because this mission is now being fulfilled to the research of Early Cycladic Culture. The MOU was
utmost, both with the present exhibition of the
signed in Athens, by the Minister of Culture and
ARCHITECTS. first 15 antiquities at the Museum of Cycladic Art Sports of the Hellenic Republic, Lina Mendoni, the
and with those that will follow the same path both
President and CEO of the Museum of Cycladic Art,
to Greece and the USA. The prospects for further Kassandra Marinopoulou and the Director of The
cooperation with the Greek Ministry of Culture Met, Mr. Max Hollein. As part of the memorandum,
and Sports and The Met at various levels, especially scholarships, publications, international symposia,
through the deeper study of the Cycladic culture, field word and the creation of a digital corpus of
scientific analyses and collaborations, will greatly Cycladic Artifacts which are in Museums worldwide,
contribute to the achievement of this goal.” have been agreed. The data base will belong to the
Furthermore, the Director of The Metropolitan Ministry, will be developed by both the Ministry
Museum of Art in New York, Max Hollein stated and the Museum of Cycladic Art and will be linked
that “the mission of The Met is to enable art to be to The Met. 

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