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At the «Hellenic Cosmos» Cultural Centre of the Foundation of the Hellenic World, the original thematic group exhibition titled "MELISSA, ADORNING THE MYTH" is inaugurated, featuring the participation of more than sixty distinguished jewelry designers and visual artists. Unique artifacts made from precious or other imaginative materials are presented in an organic dialogue with visual artworks, conversing about the Bee and its hive — its image, form, and symbolism.
From June 12, 2023, to September 15, 2023, an exhibition will be presented in Athens honoring the preciousness and multifaceted symbolism of the bee, as depicted with remarkable plasticity in the faces of precious and rare artifacts of Greek numismatic art, as well as in the precious forms and appearances of jewelry from Minoan and Mycenaean Antiquity, later antiquity, Byzantine art, and Greek folk tradition. The exhibition was designed to propose a creative artistic dialogue inspired by the Bee. It is an initiative by jewelry journalist and researcher Jenny Fragouli, curated by archaeologist and art historian Iris Kritikou.
MELISSA
Daughter, Sting, Hive, Swarm, Wax, Honey
The mythology and significance of the Bee in ancient Greece and throughout the world are nearly inexhaustible. Equally exceptional in beauty and depth are its depictions in art and craftsmanship—most notably, as a brilliant symbol of worship in Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. In every case, the bee—an emblem of cities and adornment on many coins from various sacred and powerful centers of antiquity—was also connected to the generative forces of nature and held an emblematic role in religious customs, something that humanity recognized, deified, and protected very early on. The dialogue with the unique world of beekeepers, the primary form of the hive, the function of the swarm, the honey, the beeswax, and their symbolism serve as sources of inspiration in this artistic conversation.
In memory and honor of the “Queen Bee,” the golden jewel from Eleutherna, Crete, 2,700 years old—a unique depiction of the bee as a goddess—and the “Jewelry of the Bees,” a golden masterpiece from the palace of Malia (2100–1700 B.C.), Archaeological Museum of Heraklion.
The organic connection of the Bee with all the above, and the significance of its timeless symbolism, form the main axes of reference and inspiration for the participating designers and visual artists. Through the use of traditional techniques, handcrafted processes, and the deployment of precious or ephemeral materials, we anticipate the creation of microcosms of beauty and historical reference, alongside the presentation of larger-scale autonomous artworks and installations.
The exhibition is accompanied by parallel activities such as guided tours and educational workshops for adults and children, as well as a scientific symposium.
As part of the exhibition, a catalog bearing the same title is being designed and will be published, while plans are already underway for its presentation in other parts of Greece and abroad.
The exhibition is held under the auspices of the Region of Attica, the Municipality of Athens, and the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Participants:
Ioanna Angelidou, Christina Athanasoula-Mantzavinou, Mari Aoyama, Anna Achilleos, Kostis Velonis, Vassilis Vlastaras, Giota Vogli, Maro Voulgari, Marios Voutsinas, Mary Galani-Kritikou, Group work from the Gypsum and Bronze Casting Workshop of the Athens School of Fine Arts: Ioanna Angelidou, Juliana Vasilakou, Dimitra Grigoriou, Persephone Zygomala, Lorina Karatza, Panos De Pinto, George Papadomanolakis, Alexia Taliadorou-Charalambidi (Workshop Supervisor: Markos Georgilakis), Maria Gkizi, Akis Goumas, Georgia Gkremouti, Teresa Damianidou, Panagiotis Daramaras, Eleni Daskalaki, Martha Dimitropoulou & Apostolos Karakatsanis, Maria Diakodimitriou, Polina Ellis, Katerina Ioannidou, Stavroula Kaziale, Despina Kalliga, Konstantinos Kalogeropoulos, Vasso Kaloudioti, Anastasia Kandarakis, Tina Karageorgi, Voula Karampatzaki, Panos Kardasis, Maria Kaprili, Maro Kornilaki, Angelos Konstantakatos, Rodi Konstantoglou, Sofia Lampropoulou, Konstantinos Maros, Minas Mavrikakis, Anthia Mega-Chavre, Chariton Bekiaris, Christina Morali, Georgia Mpliatsou, Lambrini Boviatou, Ismini Bonatsou, Nicofilimon, Dimitris Nikolaidis, Ioli Xifara, George Papadomanolakis, Nikos-Georgios Papoutsidis, Sofia Paschou, Despina Pantazopoulou, Joanna Peters, Vangelis Polyzos, Klara Poulantza, Titika Salla, Roumbina Sarelakou, Iphigenia Sdoukou, Zoe Sekleizioti, Eleni Siousti, Christina Soumpli, Marios Spiliopoulos, Paraskevi Spyrou, Aliki Stroubouli, Ioanna Terlidou, Dina Tzavidopoulou, Zafeiria Triviza, Vasso Trigka, Lina Fanouraki, Maria Haniou, Alekos Fassianos, Jenny Fragouli, House of ZOLOTAS.
Contributors:
Exhibition Organization: Jenny Fragouli
Exhibition Curation: Iris Kritikou
