The official opening of the exhibition “Garment of Soul” a took place with great success at the Acropolis Museum yesterday by the president of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, with emblematic works by the photographer Vangelis Kyris and the exponent of embroidery art Anatoly Georgiev, with the kind support of the Marianna B Foundation. Vardinoyannis.

The 70 unique works of the exhibition, which for the first time are presented in their entirety, impressed the public, as they constitute a unique dialogue between the arts of photography and embroidery, which give photographic works a three-dimensional form and a new breath in Greek history and tradition.

“Art is a superior complex structure, which holds within itself the writing and the dream of history, interwoven by the Cosmo vision of the creators each time and in each generation in different ways and tools that weave threads-expressive meanings,” said the General Director of the Acropolis Museum, Professor Nikos Stambolidis.

And he continued: “in this exhibition are presented uniforms of men and women, uniforms that distinguished each place and costumes worn by historical persons, clothing – poems of the hands of people of weaving art, authentic and pure, which in the works at the Acropolis Museum converse with the bodies of persons of today, who wore them to be photographed and were imprinted in a magical way by the hand of the artist photographer who pressed the button, the click of the magic box of his machine not at, giving immortality not only to the derivatives of the weaving art of the 19th century but immortalizing them with the soul of the persons who “clothed themselves with power” and were captured for eternity”.

The president of the historical and Ethnological Society Professor Fanny Mallouchou-Tufano spoke about the extraordinary originality of the way traditional costumes are presented in the Folklore Collection of the National Historical Museum. The combination of photographs of the costumes, worn by modern Greeks and Greek women with a special – compatible with the character of the garment-physiognomical imprint, with embossed embroidery animates the costumes and highlights three-dimensionally and from a new point of view their richness, their imaginative variety, the masterly of their details, their manufacturing skill.

“The Marianna B. Vardinoyannis Foundation with great honor and pride supported the initiative of the exhibition, as well as the publication “garment of the soul”, in the context of his actions for the protection and promotion of the material and intangible cultural heritage. These works speak to our soul causing admiration, awe and deep emotion. Because the traditional costumes of each people are part of its identity and witness its timeless course and the influences it has received through the centuries, ” said Unesco Goodwill Ambassador and President of the Marianna B. Vardinoyannis Foundation , Mrs. Marianna Vardinoyannis.

In her address, the Minister of Culture and Sports, Mrs. Lina Mendoni, said: “the history of the garment over time, presumes in the best way the historical, cultural, aesthetic, economic development of our societies. It proves the influence or inspiration of one age on another. It testifies very beautifully and very embossed the art and technique of each era in a direct, familiar, everyday way. For this important project, which pays tribute to the Greek traditional garment and justifies the choices and expectations of those who inspired and implemented it, I would like to express my warm thanks and sincere congratulations to all contributors”.

The president of the Republic, Mrs. Katerina Sakellaropoulou, said, among other things, in her greeting: “it is with great pleasure that I inaugurate today the exhibition “garment of the Soul”, the so creative rapprochement of our national costume thanks to the inspiration of photographer Vangelis Kyris and needle artist Anatoly Georgiev. I am very pleased that this exhibition finds the space in the Acropolis Museum to fully develop thanks to the initiative of the Marianna II Foundation. Vardinoyannis, with the collaboration of the National Historical Museum and the Historical Museum of Crete. I would also like to congratulate the General Director of the Acropolis Museum, Nikos Stambolidis, who enthusiastically responded to the idea of hosting these exquisite creations in the Temporary Exhibition Hall of the museum, supplemented by two separate works that refer to antiquity. This choice emphasizes the timeless need of man to decorate the garment based on its symbolic function, personal taste, aesthetic perceptions and socio-economic conditions of the time and bridges the Philokalia of the ancients with the elegance of folk tradition”.

Immediately afterwards, Mrs. Vardinoyannis, along with Mr. Stambolidis, handed over to the president of the Republic The Collector’s volume with the works of the exhibition. The cover of the volume handed over to the president of the Republic is the costume of the brave Kolokotronis, son of Theodoros Kolokotronis, masterfully embroidered with silver thread.

After the end of the speeches, a guided tour of the exhibition area was followed by the artists Vangelis Kyris and Anatoly Georgiev themselves, who spoke in detail about their work and inspiration.

The event was honored with the presence of important personalities, among them the Minister of Tourism Mr. Vassilis Kikilias, the Minister of Merchant Shipping Mr. Ioannis Plakiotakis, the MP of New Democracy Mrs. Olga Kefalogianni, the regional governor of Attica Mr. George Patoulis, the General Secretary of Culture Mr. George Didaskalou, and Fr. Dean Mrs. Helen Arveler.

The exhibition is under the auspices of A.E. the president of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

The excellent lighting of the exhibition was curated by the award-winning Eleftheria Deko.

The exhibition “Soul garment” is open to the public, with free admission, during the opening hours of the museum (Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm, Friday 9am-10pm, Saturday-Sunday 9am-8pm). Visitors will be able to learn about the exhibition and the work of the artists, daily from 12 noon to 3 m.m.

Exhibition duration: 20/12/2022 to 26/3/2023

From January 10, 2023, organized guided tours of the exhibition will begin by appointment, at 6944347573 and at the e – mail address [email protected].