A Nike who won the battle with time but forfeited her wings. A Gorgon who has kept through the centuries indissoluble the mystery that her smile conceals. And an entire world fashioned from fine-grained marble, which emerged from the depths of Paros and became the foundation for great masterpieces of ancient Greek sculpture, welcomes in its home, at the Archaeological Museum of Paros, the exhibition “Beating on the Wings of The Mind and Art”, featuring works by sculptor Venia Dimitrakopoulou.

The exhibition, organized by the Friends of Paros and Antiparos and realized with the kind support of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, is curated by Eleni Varopoulou.

Four new sculptural works—’Resting Nike’, ‘Wing of Myth’, ‘Perpetual Flight’, and ‘The Message of Dawn’—by VeniaDimitrakopoulou engage in dialogue with ancient artifacts like Nike – the emblematic Parian trophy- and the archaic Gorgoneion, as well as with the Cycladic landscape.

“Two lines define the natural landscape of the Cycladic space. One is the straight line. The other, the curve. A straight line is the horizon, that of the sea. Curves are the countless rounded angles in the rocks, the mountains, the characteristic buildings of the Cycladic islands. A relentless, dazzling, cathartic light calls for folds in fabrics, fluting on columns, and gives birth to the unimaginable play of light and shadow in sculpture,” notes VeniaDimitrakopoulou.

Alongside her new marble works, the artist presents Lines of Thought—delicate ink drawings on handmade paper. The exhibition extends beyond the museum’s galleries into the courtyard, where visitors can experience the full scope of Dimitrakopoulou’s work through six sculpted heads carved from volcanic stone, offering glimpses into her evolving artistic journey.

“In Parikia, within the halls of the Archaeological Museum, as visitors move among archaic korai and kouroi, they encounter Nike—the trophy erected in remembrance of the Parian victory over the Athenians. They also study the priestly, mysterious Gorgon with wings folded backward. Amidst these, they encounter Venia Dimitrakopoulou’s contemporary sculptures: wings in motion for an ethereal journey upwards, and a wing spread horizontally in repose,” writes curator Eleni Varopoulou.

The experience is further enriched by a specially commissioned musical composition by Panagiotis Kalantzopoulos, designed to complement the visual narrative. For the composer, sculpture transcends the visual realm: “Sculpture should not only be seen—it must be heard. The sound of the works is the wind, the insects, the footsteps, the light. It’s a song without words, where the lyre takes the place of the human voice.” Visitors can access this orchestral piece through QR codes positioned throughout the exhibition.

A beautifully illustrated bilingual catalogue in Greek and English accompanies the exhibition, offering deeper insights into the works and their historical context.

INFO

EXHIBITION DETAILS

Venia Dimitrakopoulou | Beating on the Wings of The Mind and Art

Curator: Eleni Varopoulou

Organized by: Friends of Paros and Antiparos, with the kind support of the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades

Sponsor: Evangelos Pistiolis Foundation

📍 Location: Archaeological Museum of Paros, Parikia

🗓 Dates: July 20 – August 19, 2025

🕘Hours: Wednesday–Monday: 8:30 – 15:30 | Tuesday: Closed

🎟Admission: Included with museum ticket