How can you tell the story of ancient Greek civilization today, especially to an audience of fun-seeking tourists? Architect Stelios Kois and lighting designer Eleftheria Deko responded to this challenge set by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades for an exhibition, with jewellery Stories from the Cyclades titled ‘Vanity’.
WORDS Rania Georgiadou
PHOTOGRAPHY Interior Views, Giorgos Sfakianakis | Jewels, Apostolis Koukousas
Tiaras, spiral hair rings and earrings, necklaces and amulets, clips and pins, rings and bracelets, made from oyster shells, bones and ivory, semi-precious stones, glass, faience and coral, but also copper, silver and old…each of the 230 pieces in the Vanity exhibition is a representative example from a historic line going ack seven thousand years!
Evidence of human vanity and narcissism, ‘les bijoux’ unveil the eternal human desire to embellish our bodies, hair and clothing so that we can charm, stand out, impose and attract positive powers or ward off evil. Based on the museum study designed by the scientific personnel of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, Stelios Kois and Eleftheria Deko approached this undertaking with enthusiasm and offered their work. “I only offer a gift when my soul desires it”, states Stelios Kois, and Eleftheria Deko fully agrees.
Reflections from the past to the present day in an exhibition going back seven millennia and including Cycladic masterpieces as well as modern Greek creations.
This exhibition is truly impressive and innovative in terms of archaeological exhibit design. “I find that one of the exhibition’s most avant-garde elements is that we have created so many connections. These references start with Cycladic civilization and lead to minimalism – after all, Cycladic art is one of the foundations of minimalism – and then on to contemporary art. We find common elements, such as clarity of volumes and lines and the support of a guiding, basic and simple design”, explains the architect. “We studied Olafur Eliasson, a leading contemporary artist, modernist architects such as Carlos Scarpa and Franko Albini and contemporary artists such as Donald Judd and Brancusi.” “When I saw the 3-D model for the exhibition, I was moved by Stelios’s sensitivity to the concept,” says Eleftheria Deko. “I liked the direction, but most of all I liked the fact that at some point you can see yourself. You enter the Vanity exhibition and mentally you can instantly enter into a dialogue with the concept!”
The exhibition includes 12 contemporary creations by leading Greek designers, made exclusively for Vanity. Timeless and utterly beguiling, Vanity is an extremely interesting, rich and cultural experience. Look out for the collectible edition Vanity, a real design jewellery piece!
Mykonos Archaeological Museum +30 22890-22325
