Greece marks International Museum Day on Tuesday by offering free admission to all museums and archaeological sites throughout the country, according to greekreporter.com.
International Museum Day is marked every year on May 18th and is coordinated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).
The day was established in 1977 to raise public awareness of the role of museums in the development of society, and it has been steadily gaining momentum ever since.
“This year’s celebration of International Museum Day coincides with the reopening of Culture and the opening of museums throughout the country from May 14. Last year we were forced to celebrate International Day only digitally. This year, the big celebration of museums has a special meaning,” said Greece’s Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni.
“It is an opportunity to get to know again the treasures of the Greek museums, but also for the museums themselves, to welcome the visitors, who have been missing since last November, due to the pandemic. Museum spaces are spaces of interaction. They need physical contact, spectator and exhibit communication. By observing all the protection measures for visitors and employees, this communication is now restored,” she added.
The future of museums on international day
On the occasion, museums across Greece are offering free admission on Tuesday, May 18.
This year’s theme “The Future of Museums: Recover and Reimagine” invites museums, their professionals, and communities to create, imagine and share new practices of (co-)creation of value, new business models for cultural institutions, and innovative solutions for the social, economic and environmental challenges of the present.
Today, more than ever, the creative power of museums can be a driver for recovery and innovation during the post-COVID era.
On the occasion of the bicentenary of the Greek Revolution (1821), the Greek branch of ICOM elected the National Historical Museum as the honored museum for 2021.
The Museum’s collections, as well as its anniversary activities, are an occasion for reflection of the country’s history with a view to the future.
Its anniversary program entitled “ΕΠΑΝΑCYΣΤΑΣΗ ‘21” (Revolution ‘21 Reframed) seeks to highlight the ideas, causes, persons, events, and results of the Greek War of Independence, as they were formed through conflicts and compositions of different interests and traditions.
It includes three pillars: the main exhibition in Athens, exhibitions in ten cities of the region in collaboration with local agencies and institutions, and a floating exhibition that will travel to 23 Aegean islands.
The program also includes the cutting of the commemorative medal for the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence. This multifaceted project is under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and is supported by significant bodies and institutions.
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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Antonis Giakoumakis
