In 1926, the critic Christian Zervos founded the magazine Cahiers d’Art in Paris. By featuring archaeology, ethnography, and modern art in its issues—transcending geographical and temporal boundaries—it fostered a dialogue between works of art from ancient civilizations and works by artists such as Constantin Brancusi, Pablo Picasso, Le Corbusier, and Sigfried Giedion. Through the texts and black-and-white photographs on the magazine’s pages, the general public was introduced to a new perspective on modern art—one that transcends time and place.

To mark the 100th anniversary of the iconic magazine’s launch this year, the publishing house is organizing an international tribute featuring exhibitions, publications, and a variety of events at major museums in Europe and the United States.

The Benaki Museum is participating in the tribute by organizing the exhibition CAHIERS D’ART – 100 YEARS: From the Collections of the Benaki Museum. The magazine and the Museum, Zervos and Benakis, approached ancient, traditional, and contemporary art in the same way, bringing them into dialogue within the pages or display cases. This practice is highlighted in the exhibition through a selection of objects—the same or similar ones—that were published in *Cahiers d’art* from 1926 to 1960. The exhibition brings together ancient works of art, functional folk art objects, Islamic ceramics, Fayum portraits, and Byzantine icons, displayed alongside the corresponding pages from the magazine’s issues.

In the center of the exhibition space stands Natalia Papadopoulou’s contemporary work, Afterimages: A Small Archaeology of Possibilities. A “living” work of art that interacts with the viewer and the exhibits. Pages, covers, and images from the magazine are reflected on the sculpture’s moving surfaces, creating a constantly changing installation.

The exhibition is accompanied by a bilingual catalog featuring photographs of the works on display and their publication in the magazine Cahiers D’Art, as well as texts by the curators.

Curated By

Polyna Kosmadaki, Vasiliki Daniil