Greek culture and history is highlighted by permanent and travelling exhibits at the Athens International Airport, including 80-plus events since it began operations 18 years ago, Public Relations and Culture department chief Chara Mitsotaki told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA).
Permament exhibits at the “Eleftherios Venizelos” airport include one with 172 artefacts dating from Early Neolithic to the Post-Byzantine eras found during the construction of the airport. Situated at Entrance 3 of the Departures Level, the exhibit is open Monday through Sunday, 06:00 – 23:00.
An open area at the same level and area includes a cluster of copies of antiquities from the Acropolis Museum. The copies of outstanding samples of ancient Greek art, including the west pediment of the Parthenon and an archaic kore, are set up in an area designed by an award-winning architect and provide a glimpse into what a visitor to the actual museum in Athens could expect to see.
In terms of modern history, the permanent exhibit on the same level honors statesman Eleftherios Venizelos (1864-1936), who founded the first Air Force Ministry in Greece and promoted the growth of civil aviation.
Travellers through the airport will also find copies of modern Greek literature in Greek or in English-language translation placed next to the seats in waiting lounges, an initiative (“Athens as a Book”) in collaboration with the Athens Municipality’s “Athens 2018, International Book Capital”. A total of 187 novels or poems are included.
At the urban railway terminal, across from the main airport building, the photo exhibit “Airportraits” showcases 52 individuals working at the airport complex and their stories. These were collected and written up for the show early in 2018 by writers Thodoris Georgakopoulos and Stella Kasdagli, along with photographer Efstathia Kosti.
In addition to these, the Athens Airport currently has two temporary exhibitions on show:
- – “Destinations” (running to July 14, 2019), a collaboration with the National Theater. Photographs and costumes belonging to the Theater are on show at the Departures Level, Entrance 3.
- – “Stories of Athens” (to July 30, 2019), a collaboration with the Children’s Art Museum. It showcases objects made by Greek children and a 20-minute video showing 90 art pieces that narrate life in Athens through the eyes of children aged 4 to 14.
An ongoing program, “Fly Me to the Moon,” is a collaboration with ελculture, a cultural online platform. The initiative began six years ago and runs every year at the airport. It includes music, theatre performances, gastronomy and cultural events to promote Greek culture.
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Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Rakoon
