Britannia – Pallas: The Twilight of the Idols
CHANIA.- The Contemporary Art Museum of Chania – Olivepress presents the exhibition Britannia – Pallas: The Twilight of the Idols. The particular presentation is a continuation of the exhibition Prossalendi’s “Britannia” that the Corfu Heritage Foundation organised for the Corfu Festival 2018.
The exhibition’s title refers to the romantic tradition of neoclassicism that covers Prossalendi and the pairing of Athena Pallas and Britannia, two goddesses that are rather intertwined. The subtitle “The Twilight of the Idols” is ideally suited since Britannia in the late 20th and early 21st century is likely on its last legs.
The source of inspiration of the works of the exhibition is the sculptural group that was designed by Paolo Prossalendi (1784-1837) and crowned the façade of the Palace of St Michael and St George in Corfu during the period 1823-1864. The concept and coordination of the exhibition is by Dr Megakles Rogakos and its curation was extended to four research associates – Mr Ioannis N. Arhontakis, Ms Georgia Damianou, Ms Georgia Kourkounaki and Dr Constantinos V. Proimos. The Curators commissioned distinguished contemporary artists – Greek and foreign – to recreate their own version of Prossalendi’s Britannia through their personal visual idiom and vocabulary. So, the exhibition features 35 works by an equivalent number of artists, who are the following: Emmanouil Bitsakis, Lamprini Boviatsou, Thodoros Brouskomatis, Ricardo Cinalli, Dimosthenis Gallis, Milly Flamburiari, Nikos Giavropoulos, Ken Howard, Marion Inglessi, Yanna Kali, Stella Kapezanou, Aris Katsilakis, Harris Kondosphyris & Panagiotis Kyratsis, Alexandros Maganiotis, Georgia Matsamaki, Dimitris Merantzas, Alkistis Michaelidou, Ioannis Monogyios, Nicholas Moore, Konstantinos Pardalis, K. N. Patsios, Aglaia Perraki, Artemis Potamianou, Natassa Poulantza, Irene Pouliassi, Vagelis Robolas, Margot Roulleau-Gallais, Dimitris Skourogiannis, Anna-Maria Smyrnaki, Aris Stoidis, Shubha Taparia, Yorgos Taxiarchopoulos, Olga Tobreluts and Amikam Toren.
Britannia – Pallas will be presented at the Contemporary Art Museum of Chania – Olivepress between 25 July and 26 September 2021.
Accompanying Catalogue: A fully-illustrated 130-page catalogue, including an essay by Dr Rogakos on Prossalendi’s Britannia and comments on all the contemporary works by Mr Ioannis N. Arhontakis, Ms Georgia Damianou, Ms Georgia Kourkounaki and Dr Constantinos V. Proimos, is published by the Corfu Heritage Foundation (ISBN: 978-618-83770-0-4).
● Public Information
Title: Britannia – Pallas: The Twilight of the Idols
Coordination: Dr Megakles Rogakos
Curators: Ioannis N. Arhontakis, Georgia Damianou, Georgia Kourkounaki and Dr Constantinos V. Proimos.
Opening: Sunday, 25 July 2021, 11:00 – 19:00.
Duration: 25 July – 26 September 2021.
Venue: Contemporary Art Museum of Chania – Olivepress, Dromonero, 73002 Chania, Greece.
Opening Hours: every Sunday, 11:00 – 19:00 & daily upon arrangement.
Communication: Mr Ioannis Arhontakis, +30 6937 383 500, olivepress.artmuseum@gmail.com.
Visuals: www.corfuheritagefoundation.org/britannia-pallas
