By Venia Pastaka

Art Historian

Beneath the glass roof of the National Library of Greece, an interesting convergence is taking place. It is “Synastry,” a concept and initiative by Lefteris Moisidis, curated by Kostas Prapoglou, which brings together the visual arts with poetry and historical artifacts.

The idea stems from humanity’s innate need to look up at the sky and the primordial questions that arise from observing it. From there on, however, things become more complex. Twenty visual artists, fourteen poets, rare books, and manuscripts from the NLG’s collections come together in an exhibition that uses the sky as a starting point to explore relationships, memory, and the tension between the known and the unknown.

The title of the exhibition refers to astrology and the way in which the positions of celestial bodies are interconnected. In Synastry, however, the concept is broadened. It serves as a starting point for examining different forms of relationships: between humans and the heavens, between scientific knowledge and imagination, and between different artistic voices. The connection between two or more points—even when they initially seem unrelated—lies at the heart of the exhibition. In this context, the National Library’s space takes on special significance. Its collections contain a significant historical foundation for humanity’s relationship with the sky. Rare books and manuscripts related to astronomy, cosmography, and astrology are displayed alongside works by contemporary artists. After all, humanity’s need to document and interpret the heavens is nothing new. We have mapped it, sought to explain it, and given it names and stories. Older books document this endeavor in their own way. Today, artists are returning to this same field, armed with different knowledge but often asking similar questions.

This point is of particular interest to the exhibition curator, who explores the idea on two levels. On the one hand, there are human relationships, and on the other, humanity’s relationship with the unknown. The tour, therefore, does not follow a single path, as visitors discover connections between the visual artworks and not only the poetry but also the display cases containing artifacts from the National Library. The ways in which the artists approach the theme are also of interest. At times the reference is direct; at other times, it is filtered through mythology, science fiction, or personal memory. The coexistence of different generations and artistic paths creates a fairly broad scope, within which the idea of the celestial is not limited to a literal depiction of stars and planets. At the same time, poetry serves as a second thread of the exhibition, coexisting with the visual artworks and the Library’s historical treasures. Among the fourteen participating poets, Titos Patrikios deserves special mention, as he created a poem exclusively for the exhibition. Thus, the connection to the sky is also conveyed through language, offering the exhibition a different way of approaching the same theme.

At Synastry, the past and the present coexist through different forms of art and knowledge. The books and manuscripts of the National Library of Greece come together with artists’ works and poems, creating new perspectives on the same theme. From astronomy and the recording of the sky to personal memory and imagination, the exhibition demonstrates just how diverse the ways in which humans attempt to understand what lies beyond themselves can be.

Artists:
Anna Ambariotou, Lydia Andrioti, Christos Antonaropoulos, Stathis Vatanidis, Kostas Varotsos, Rosa Zeidan, Anita Kalimeri, Sofia Kalogeropoulou, Vasilis Karakatsanis, Micha Cattaui, Iason Megoulas (Cacao Rocks), Konstantinos Xenakis, Konstantinos Papamichalopoulos, Kyriaki Patronaki-Charalambidou, Lia Petrou, Lina Pigadioti, Evi Savvaidi, Tolis Tatolas, Giorgos Tzinoudis, Kostas Tsoklis.

Poets:
Anna Griva, Myrsini Gkana, George Veis, Haris Vlavianos, Nikos Erinakis, Giannis Efstathiadis, Lena Kallergi, Maria Koulouri, Dimitra Kotoula, Maria Patakia, Maria Topali, Thanasis Hatzopoulos, Dimitra Christodoulou, Titos Patrikios.

Partner Organizations
National Library of Greece, National Observatory of Athens, Eugenides Foundation.