The NEON organization is making its second donation of a contemporary art work to an archaeological site. The work in question is Α Transfer by Maria Loizidou, which will be on permanent display at the restored archaeological site of Kerameikos.

The work is a donation from NEON, in response to an invitation from the Ministry of Culture, with the shared goal of further promoting and fostering interaction between contemporary artistic creation and iconic monuments and archaeological sites of international renown.

The work Α Transfer was part of the exhibition A Transfer, which took place at the Kerameikos archaeological site and museum from September to October 2015. The exhibition was a new commission by NEON as part of the “Project in the City” program, in collaboration with the Athens Archaeological Service.

The work is a sculptural installation made of hand-woven stainless steel wire. Maria Loizidou’s installation, taking as its starting point a visual and intellectual exploration of the history and monuments of ancient Athens’ most significant cemetery, engages creatively with the memory of the site and the traces of ancient Greek art, highlighting aspects of women’s artistic labor—craftsmanship linked to weaving, collective work, the relationship with time, and the visual expression of the female psyche through the loom. Maria Loizidou weaves a seemingly unwieldy and inflexible material, such as stainless steel wire, and gives form to works of exceptional craftsmanship, transcending the old and outdated distinction between art and craft.

NEON has already proceeded with the donation of Antony Gormley’s work RULE II to the outdoor area of the Archaeological Museum of Delos in 2025. These donations follow the exhibitions that NEON has organized at archaeological sites, and the intention is for them to remain as points of reference for the dialogue between classical and contemporary culture.