The Epigraphic Museum, in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of the City of Athens, presents the exhibition “Ostracism – Ostrakon II: From Ancient Athens to Contemporary Forms of Exclusion”, by the concept/curation of visual artist/curator Maira Stefou. The exhibition unfolds within the Museum’s permanent galleries, where works by forty contemporary artists enter into dialogue with ancient inscriptions and sherds (ostraca) used in the practice of ostracism, from the Ancient Agora of Athens and the Kerameikos.

The starting point of exhibition is the institution of ostracism in ancient Athens, a democratic measure introduced by Cleisthenes to safeguard political balance and protect the democratic constitution from the excessive concentration of power in the hands of a single individual.

In ancient Athens, a citizen’s excessive power or popularity could lead to his exile through ostracism, since the body of citizens might view him as a threat. In today’s digital landscape, a lack of popularity or “followers” can be perceived as a social shortcoming and a reason for marginalization. This shift points to a historical reversal that is quite ironic: whereas excessive power and visibility once led to exclusion and the resulting marginalization, the same outcome can now result from a lack of “visibility.”

The practice of ostracism in the digital era manifests itself through multiple, often intangible forms: “social media bans”, “cancelling”, “cyberbullying”, “ghosting”, “blocking”. These are forms of social exclusion that leave no physical traces, yet are deeply inscribed to individual’s experience, affecting one’s identity, visibility, and participation in the public sphere.

The exhibition features authentic ostraka from ancient ostracism procedures, bearing inscribed names of prominent political figures of ancient Athens, such as Themistocles, Aristides, Cimon, Nicias, and Alcibiades. These archaeological artefacts enter into dialogue with works by forty contemporary artists who employ a contemporary visual language to comment on these shifting forms of exclusion.

The exhibition does not seek to equate the two eras; it rather aims to illuminate their tensions and analogies, encouraging critical reflection on the relationship between power, community, and exclusion.

Through this encounter between past and present, ostracism emerges not merely as a historical phenomenon but as an enduring mechanism that redefines itself according to contemporary social and technological contexts.

Visitors are invited to reflect on their own position within these networks of inclusion and exclusion and to reconsider what it means today to belong or to be “ostracized.”

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Aggelos Antonopoulos, Kostis Velonis, Babis Venetopoulos, Andreas Vousouras, Vasilis Gerodimos, Vaggelis Gokas, Giorgos Gyparakis, Charalampos Dermatis, Sofia Zarari, Anestis Ioannou, Giorgos Kazazis, Nikos Kanoglou, Jason Karaindros, Leonidas Karampinis, Aris Katsilakis, Panagiotis Kefalas, Aggeliki Loi, Dimitris Mastoropoulos, Ioannis Melanitis, Manolis Merabeliotis, Maro Michalakakos, Stavroula Michalopoulou, Kyriakos Mortarakos, Panagiotis Nezis, Aggelos Papadimitriou, Nikos Papadimitriou, Spyridoula Politi, Artemis Potamianou, Tasos Sargentis, Nikos Sepetzoglou, Panagiotis Siagris, Matina Stavropoulou, Maira Stefou, Maritasa Tsimplaki, Kostas Tsolis, Margarita Tsouloucha, Dimitris Fragakis, Nikos Charalampidis, Kostas Christopoulos, Dionisis Christofilogiannis.

Information: Exhibition: Ostracism – Ostrakon II: From Ancient Athens to Contemporary Forms of Exclusion Location: Epigraphic Museum, 1 Tositsa St., 10682 Athens, Greece Concept/Curation: Maira Stefou Opening Reception: 24 September 2026 Duration: 24 September – 31 December 2026