In culture, Uranos shone on Friday night at Ancient Eleftherna, whose 8th birthday was celebrated at the Museum, in the presence of the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
The President of the Republic traveled to the mountain Eleftherna with dignitaries and cultural personalities for the opening of the exhibition with the works of Pablo Picasso and the concert held with the composer and performer Giorgos Dalaras.
The opening of the exhibition “The joy of life” where 62 works of the Spanish Artist Picasso are presented was held at the PtD with the archaeologist scientist who promoted Ancient Eleftherna and General Director of the Acropolis Museum, Professor Nikos Stampolidis, daughter of Picasso, Paloma Picasso, the General Director of the Vatican Museums Barbara Jatta while the former Queen of Spain Sofia, her sister Irene, Princess Olympia Torlonia, Aliki Goulandris, the wife of the Prime Minister Mareva Grabofksi- Mitsotaki, Maria Empirikou, Marie Daskalantonaki, the former PASOK. minister Nikos Sifunakis, Stavros Xarchakos and many cultural and artistic visitors from abroad.
There were also the Regional Governor of Crete Stavros Arnautakis, the deputy governor of the region Maria Lioni, the Mayor of Rethymno Giorgis Marinakis, the Metropolitan of Rethymno and Aulopotamos Prodromos, the Director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Rethymno Anastasia Tzigounaki and the president of Friends. at the Museum of Ancient Eleutherna Dimitris Kalaitzidakis.
The international cultural radiation is related to the celebration of an area, where this year closes 40 years of excavation research and with the support of the Region of Crete but also the embrace as pointed out by Professor Mr. Stampolidis of the Grecotel family, Ms. Daskalantonakis, Mr. Perantonakis and Mr. Kalaitzidakis. The 62 works of Pablo Picasso were “adopted” in the permanent exhibits of the Museum of Ancient Eleftherna, which emerged according to Picasso’s daughter, Paloma and Professor Stampolidis, the eternal and profound description of the Joy of Life.
Inaugurating and speaking at a greeting, PtD said: “It is a great pleasure for me to inaugurate here, in this beautiful, idyllic place, an exhibition that captures the special relationship that Picasso developed with the light, the spirit, the spiritual essence of Greece. An exhibition organized in such a way that the works speak to the ancient Greeks, revealing how deeply the austerity and purity of the Greek line influenced this great, no ceaseless creator, but also the philosophy of life of the ancients who define happiness as the highest good of human Life.
At the end of the Second World War, now living in the South of France with Françoise and their children, Claude and Paloma, Picasso left the distorted, twisted, terrible forms created by the war and entered that period depicted that “the Arcadian. joy of life”. The Minotaur, symbol of the darkest aspect of the human psyche and the greatness of war, gives way to Io who turns into a cow, Nemesis flees before the tender Amaryllis. Nymphs and satyrs, fauns and centaurs dance and twirl with ecstasy fueled by the awareness of the ephemeral, with an eroticism that speaks directly to the richness of the Mediterranean land. Athena’s glaucus and Aphrodite’s dove, Panas the broken hooves, goats and tame bulls from his brush. His impressive ceramics refer to the beauty of the lykyths and the Attic red vases. “More Greek than the Greeks”, as described by techno critic Frank Elgar, he now creates forms that seem to be taken from ancient artifacts and live in his dreams and fantasies. He is now, as is often said, “a Theocritus who has exchanged the flute for the brush”.
So let’s enjoy these amazing works along with things from our ancient past and listen to their conversation. After all, as Pablo Picasso said, “in art there is no past and no future”. A great work of art always lives in the present. To inspire the next generation to read it in their own light and incorporate it into their personal vision of the world. I heartily congratulate the contributors to the exhibition for the fine manner in which they have brought out this great truth.”
Speaking, Professor Nikos Stampolidis spoke about “the foundations of the soul and the calculations of the child Picasso, the power of youth and the love of the teenager and the maturity of Picasso, from all that constitutes the great creator and his work” as he announced, “Paloma and I have chosen from different materials and subjects the pieces where the natural environment, the livestock and the Mediterranean light dance in harmony with ancient Greek myth of creatures of two natures the minotaur, the arrow, the fauns. As a place of presentation we chose the museum of ancient Eleftherna in a magical archaeological site where the ancient wind still blows whispering secret to happiness in life”
For his part, Paloma Picasso refers to his father in collaboration with Mr. Stampolidis, the hospitable land of Crete and the recognition of Picasso’s creations.” My father Pablo Picasso was a charismatic man with creativity always creative and warm despite his fame, always generous and true , who has admirers and audiences even in the south of France where he lives or in his exhibitions. With this exhibition we want to share the urgency that characterizes him in his own life… 62 selected works speak to 24 members from the museum of ancient Eleftherna which emphasizes the deep influence of Greek mythology and antiquity of Picasso… we celebrate my brother Claude is not a simple tribute, we celebrate his creativity, the indelible that mark he left on those who knew him, we celebrate life … in all, exploring the exhibition hope that everyone feels the same joy and inspiration that we experienced with Claude growing up in a world where fantasy and reality dance in hand.”
The exhibition is dedicated to Paloma Picasso’s brother, Claude Picasso, who had a strong feeling for Crete but also for the Aegean where he asked to spread his ashes.
In memory of Claude Picasso, a book with the same title as the exhibition “The Joy of Life” was published, where the Museum exhibits 62 works of the Paloma Picasso collection, as well as moments of the Picasso family from their daily lives in an attempt to reveal the face of the father of the great Spanish Artist. On Sunday, July 7, Paloma Picasso will be at the Museum of Ancient Eleftherna, where she will sign copies of this book.
The general director of the Vatican Museums, Barbara Jatta, described the exhibition as an imprint of Love and Friendship, while praising the diligent and years-long efforts of Professor Stampolidis to save history, give the legacy to posterity and keep at the door of memory that is open. . Between the Acropolis Museum and the Vatican Museum there is already a collaboration and in the context of this relationship a year and a half ago three fragments from the Vatican were returned and reunited in the Acropolis Museum.
A crowd attended the concert of Giorgos Dalaras accompanied by Alexandros Tzouganakis and Aspasia Stratigou, with 1000 electronic tickets sold in a short time, with the deputy governor of Rethymno Maria Lioni speaking about the most important cultural activity with international influence. He even identified Archaeologist Professor Nikos Stampolidis as the famous Cretan who had Eleftherna and Rethymnon as his children.
The assistance to the cultural activity of Crete is also important from the side of KTEL SA which organizes free public transport as well as the provision of small buses for the transport of participating citizens from the parking lots of the village of Margarites and the Monastery of Arkadiou to the grounds of Archaia Eleftherna.