Students from the Department of Architecture, University of Ioannina, examine six tomb furnishings and one votive offering selected from the Benaki Museum collections and present thirteen new objects at the Benaki Museum of Pireos 138.

The exhibition is part of the Benaki Museum Shop cycle “Objects: A Visual Narrative”, a series of studies on the collections of the Benaki Museum.

What possible scenarios would unravel about humanity through Voyager Golden Record - the object that attempted to summarize the human presence on Earth - if the two robotic interstellar probes Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 launched from Cape Canaveral in 1977 will meet intelligent extraterrestrial life until they complete their mission?

The objects of the exhibition serve a paradox: They are unfamiliar, yet each of them functions as a means of familiarization with a distant life. Life in the ancient world. Traces of this life have been revealed to us through objects which are also unfamiliar.

In ancient societies, death signalled continuation. In this context - whether they were mere utensils or valuable artefacts - the small objects that accompanied the deceased in their afterlife, had a single purpose: To speak about their social and biological condition. To summarize their identity.

How was the identity of the subject defined and how is it defined in the modern world? To what extent is it dependent on the interpretive margins of the societies in which it develops?

These questions sparked the creation of the artefacts in this exhibition. At the same time, they are the point of connection with the stories told by seven artefacts from the Museum's collection. Through these new objects, students of the Department of Architecture of the University of Ioannina investigate how gender, power, and excellence trigger multiple readings on the identity of contemporary humans.

Participants: Nikos Bottis, Maria Georgantakou, Margarita Georgiadi, Eva Georgouli,, Eirini Karagianni, Eleni Karamitrou, Alexandra Karampatzaki, Anastasia Kourti, Dimitra Kouti, Ioanna-Niki Liakea, Nikoleta Manti, Despoina Marmagka, Despoina Mastromichali, Petros Nasiakos, Eleni Papaspyrou, Giannos Petrogiannis, Konstantina Pistofidi, Christina Ploumi, Elisavet Prevezanou, Maria Skeva, Evi Tarantili, Maria Thalassinou, Maria-Konstantina Tsigka, Evi Vardaka, Angelos Zigos

On the opening day, the choreographer Dora Zoumpa will coordinate a performative presentation of the works.

The exhibits and the curation of the exhibition were produced during the 4rth year courses Special Topics in Design 2: Object and Special Topics in Design 3: Exhibition Curation and Design of the Department of Architecture, University of Ioannina, under the supervision of assistant professor Katerina Kotzia.

The exhibition is part of the cycle Objects: A Visual Narrative. Series of studies on the collections of the Benaki Museum, curated by Κonstantia Manthou.

With the support of Archisearch, Design Ambassador and Zoinos Winery.

Opening: 13.05.2022, 19:30

Duration: 13.05.2022 - 05.06.2022

Pireos 138 | 138 Pireos & Andronikou St.