Marking the beginning of the celebrations for its 40th anniversary and embarking on the journey of its “Transformation”, the Museum of Cycladic Art organized a prestigious fundraising event, at the packed Odeon of Herodes Atticus, with all proceeds contributing exclusively to the creation of the new Museum of Cycladic Art.
The Museum of Cycladic Art breaks new ground by proposing a collaboration of historic significance with Dimitris Papaioannou for the creation of an iconic production — a landmark work in the career of the world-acclaimed artist. Dimitris Papaioannou responded to the commission by recomposing his favorite pieces and integrating fresh ideas into an original dramaturgy. Thirty dancers and actors bring to life his hybrid creatures, animating the space in the singular style that has made him one of the most influential theater makers of our time.
Over the past forty years, the Museum of Cycladic Art has made a significant contribution to the cultural life of the country, influencing generations of visitors. With this performance, it deepens its engagement with the cultural scene of Athens, starting a new chapter in its history: a “Transformation” that will renew its physical presence — creating a cultural milestone and an architectural landmark — and will redefine how a museum of the future should operate within the public sphere. In honor of its 40th anniversary, the Museum will change inside out, reimagining how it serves the public.
Thousands of spectators attended the fundraising event, and with their invaluable support — and as part of their ongoing educational mission, the Museum of Cycladic Art and Dimitris Papaioannou offered 2.000 free tickets to students of public schools of theatre, dance, cinema, and fine arts, as well as to dance students with disabilities, giving them the opportunity to experience this evening up close.
As part of the event, the Museum produced a 176-page collective edition, featuring photographs and texts about the performance and Early Cycladic art, as well as a rare conservation with Dimitris Papaioannou discussing his relationship with the Cyclades and Cycladic Culture. As of Monday the 6th of October, the conversation will be available at www.cycladic.gr.
A few words about the performance
Dimitris Papaioannou invokes images and hybrid chimera-like bodies from nearly four decades of his work, reassembling them with new elements of moving images, physical intensity, and sculptural installations, into a deeply personal composition. Bodies and materials explore themes of memory, excavation, fragility, eroticism, union, origin, and the joy of being alive—within the unique historical, geological, and artistic landscape of the Cyclades. This new creation, designed as a living dialogue between the ancient and the contemporary, is a synthesis / an assembly and a reimagining of (existing) material by an extraordinarily multidimensional artist, grounded in the discipline of his distinctive style, form, and media.
THIS THAT KEEPS ON – a personal archaeology –
Production: Museum of Cycladic Art
Conceived, visualized and directed by Dimitris Papaioannou
Photography Julian Mommert
Cover Photo THIS THAT KEEPS ON [2025]_by Dimitris Papaioannou_photo by Maria Petinaraki
