PlanetEye

During the full moon in mid-August, last Wednesday, about 35 of Greece's top archaeological sites remained open to the public past midnight to enable visitors to enjoy the full moon while walking among the ruins.  During the lunar festival every year, visitors are allowed free access to all grounds.  Among these sites are:  Acropolis, the ancient cemetery of Kerameikos and the temple of Poseidon in the Athens region; the citadel of Mycenae and the site of ancient Olympia in the Peloponesse.  All the sites stay open until 1:00 a.m. 

The Ministry of Culture said that the full moon and, in particular the one in August, has occupied a key position in Greek tradition since antiquity.  Ancient Greeks associated the full moon with the goddess Selene, sister to Helios, god of the sun. 

The festival had included musical performances in the past, but this year the Ministry was unable to provide a similar service. 

The Athens Festival presented Modest Musorgsky's (1839-1881) Boris Godunov in two sold-out performances by the Bolshoi Opera at the Athens Concert Hall, Megaron Mousikis.  The work was conducted by Alexander Vendernikov, music director of the Bolshoi Opera, in a welcome period-production by the renowned Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov.   It's a story of self-revulsion and mass-denial.  It is also Russia's pre-eminent 19th-century historical opera.  What makes the story heartbreaking is that Boris, criminal though he is, acts for his people and dies with the single hope that his curse will end with him.

Boris Godunov follows the historical genre of opera established by German composer Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864) during his dominion over Parisian musical culture in the mid-19th century, but it adds crucial twists: quite unlike Meyerbeer, Musorgsky was also trying to create a national opera.  They created something amazing by taking an unmistakably radical stance on nationalism in music, which put them at variance with their Russian contemporaries Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Anton Rubinstein.  In this, Musorgsky was undoubtedly the most extreme.  By chance he was also the most sensitive to the nature of spoken language.

Handmade dolls can be a very constructive way to unearth our inner selves and discover emotions, fantasies and desires.  The hidden meaning behind this art therapy is self-acceptance without limits and a self-respect which traces our concealed critic on ourselves.

The unique workshops are organized by Helen Peza, who is a psychology graduate.  They are a starting point for an outstanding personal journey.  To create your own doll is, in essence, exploring your inner self and aspirations.

Contact Helen Peza at 210 98 82 086 if you are interested in finding out the times and places of the future workshops.  

Greek Culture Minister Michalis Liapis was in Beijing to inaugurate the "Agon" exhibition.  The exhibition consists of 165 items from archaeological museums in Greece.  All of the antiquities on display feature themes related to the Olympic Games.  During the opening, Mr. Liapis said that the events in the context of the Greek Cultural Year in China had been highly successful and invited his Chinese counterpart to the opening ceremony of the new Acropolis Museum.
 
According to figures presented by Mr. Liapis, 14,280 people visited the exhibition organized by the Museum of Cycladic Art, 23,539 people saw costumes from the opening ceremony of the Athens 2004 Games and almost 9,500 people attended concerts by the Athens State Orchestra.  Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis arrived in Beijing Tuesday to attend the Olympic opening ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.  Mr. Kaklamanis is on an official visit to the Chinese capital following an invitation by Beijing Mayor Guo Jinlong.

Friends recently stayed in the Hilton hotel and their stay was very mediocre, to say it moderately.  They had a great view of the Acropolis and city from their bed and little balcony.  Due to the summer heat and humidity, they spent more time in their room than usual.  The bed was comfortable and the bathroom was spacious with a separate tub and shower.  However, the rain shower was not enjoyable due to needing a great deal of water pressure to activate it, causing it to be less relaxing than the regular shower head.  There were also problems with temperature regulation in the shower, scalding then cold...I wonder why this problem persists in most Greek households and hotels!?!  The water goes every where and all towels were used for each shower to stop the water from a very modest shower, flowing into the bedroom. The timber was showing signs that the bathroom drainage problems were not unique.  The air conditioning was welcome but on the whole the decor and service in this Hilton is very ordinary.  

The rooms have been renovated with timber floors and modern decor.  However, they are not high quality finishes and the bathroom was downright ‘grubby', regardless of it being spacious.  Soundproofing between rooms is also below standard and so they have a very detailed knowledge of the habits, interests and conversation of the people in the room next to their's as every word and activity could be heard.

The food is also very substandard and boring.  Although there is a so-called Greek restaurant - the Greek food in Sydney was far better and more authentic, in their opnion.  It had also been a long time since they had encountered such rude, misinformed and unhelpful staff.  A request for a cup of tea at the end of a meal was greeted with incredulity and not a bit of contempt in the main restaurant.  Also, if you are not fond of cigarette smoke and cigars beware as smoking was very much the norm in the foyer during their visit.

On the up side they do allow dogs. And the bar on the roof, was simply ‘fab'.  It is really worth a visit to watch the sun set over the Acropolis and savour the sounds, smells and atmosphere of Athens.  The bar has great outside terraces and in summer it is just lovely.  The bar seems to be a bit of a hot spot and by about 8.00 p.m. is filled with young things, big drinkers and loud music.

However, the hotel is without character to recommend or forgive it.  Their advice is to stop by for a late afternoon drink but stay somewhere with more comfort and a sensible approach to service in the shadow of the Acropolis.

Marina Karella is an artist whose paintings are concerned with the human presence or the human definitive absence.  Her pieces may not be filled with human figures, but the viewer can easily imagine the people that could be populating the empty rooms in her paintings.  Her recent exhibition at the Zoumboulaki Gallery was a success.  She divides her time between New York, Athens, and Paris, while married to a man who shares her passion and creativity. 

The first person who believed in Marina Karella's talent was the iconic Greek artist Yannis Tsarouchis who saw some of her first sketches when she was just 16 years old.  He then encouraged her to create theater sets and she was his assistant for the legendary performance of the opera Norma in 1960, when Maria Kallas was the soprano.  Her first exhibition followed in 1966 at the Festival of Two Worlds, in Italy.  In the 1970s, she exhibited her work ‘The White Series' at Gallery Iolas, which some believe to be the most famous examples of her work.  She then devoted herself to imprinting folds of fabric in the form of ancient Greek sculptures on plaster, marble and metal.  She still paints today with the same passion indoor spaces and human figures. 

The Antikythera Mechanism research project and the Ionian Study Center have organized an exhibition celebrating this famous scientific archaeological find, which has attracted worldwide interest.

A ship that sank off the coast of the island of Antikythera, in the middle of the 1st century BC, left behind within the ship’s cargo, artworks and other valuable items. These items were found 2000 years later by sponge divers. The Greek state ensured the retrieval, restoration and exhibition of the statues and other objects found in the ship’s wreck. Scholars were intrigued by the Antikythera Mechanism, which is an object made up of cogs and inscriptions, and which researchers classified as an astronomical instrument. Some thought it was a calendar, others an astrolabe, while others believed it to be a navigation instrument. In the last three years, scientists have been able to reveal aspects of the mechanism not visible to the human eye. Visitors will have the opportunity to view the mechanism through modern instruments and learn previously unknown details concerning its use for measuring the position of the sun and the moon.

The exhibition is taking place at the Ionian Center, on 11 Lysiou Street in Plaka. It’s open on weekends from 10.00 a.m. – 3.00 p.m. and on weekdays from 10.00 a.m. – 2.00 p.m. and from 6.00 p.m. – 8.30 p.m. For further details, call 210 – 32 46 614.