The Municipality of Platanias, the Regional Unit of Chania and the Contemporary Art Museum of Chania Olivepress,  honoring the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maria Callas (1923) organize and present the group exhibition of contemporary art “La Divina”, at the Voukolies Cultural Center of the Municipality of Platanias.

The opening of the exhibition will take place on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at 8:30 p.m., as a reference of memory and honor to the anniversary of the death of Maria Callas (16.9.1977), at the Voukolies Cultural Center of the Municipality of Platanias.

The exhibition is curated by Doctor of Art History,  Mr. Konstantinos V. Proimos and the Director of the Contemporary Art Museum of Chania – Olivepress ,  Mr. Ioannis N. Archontakis.

The artists participating in the exhibition are: Christos Alatsakis, Pelagia Androulakis, Yiannis Gavalas, Nikos Giavropoulos, Fanis Goulis, Maria Kelaidi, Hara Kolaiti (Anna Goula), Filippos Koutrikos, Marina Krontira, Andreas Laskaris, George Leonidopoulos, Kosmas Lilikakis, Chrysanthi Lymberaou, Mattheos Makaronas, Yiannis P. Markantonakis, Erietta Markantonatou, Ioannis Monogyios, Evi Baloo, Nikos Basias, Alexandra Benaki, Lamprini Boviatsou, Cleo Bolieraki, Konstantina Bolieraki, Rena Braudaki, George Petrakis, Panagiota Pitsiri, Chrysoula Skepetzi, Angelos Skourtis, Costas Spanakis , Gregory Stamou, Antonis Triantaphyllou, Irini Tsiraki, Apostolis Filippou, Antonis Franzeskakis, Loes Huis In’t Velt, and Kyriakos Hatzimichailidis.

On the opening night, the musician Giorgos Kaloutsis will talk about the high vocal art of Maria Callas and Kostas Kokologiannakis will sing arias from the operas that Callas loved, accompanied on the piano by Grigoris Vitsilakis.

Maria Callas was, by all accounts, the most influential lyric theater artist of the twentieth century. Even today, so many years after her early release, her voice and interpretation are appreciated in one wide range of opera works. Her musical and dramatic talent earned her the nickname “La Divina” (The Divine) and the designations of diva and prima donna. The interplay that she demanded, projected and experienced between art and life made her an idol both for the public and for many visual artists who were inspired by her path and path that was completely dedicated to art and love, as if she sought to live in real life, the roles he was called to play in the opera. Having deservedly won recognition as the shining star of the lyric theater for the performance of versatile operatic roles, Maria Callas was appreciated for her dramatic talent, her commanding stage presence and her impeccable musical consistency and technique.

Curator Dr. Konstantinos V. Proimos notes: “What was truly wonderful about Callas was her lyrical personality that gave her performance a unique and moving sense of truth and honesty in emotion. Although lyricism as a quality and value originates in music, it also had a career in the visual arts. According to Robert Reiff the lyric is that which is related to the lyre and by extension to the voice and means an intense connection with feeling that results in a form that is incomplete, subtle and suggestive, that is understood over time and is moving but without its influence being immediate and instantaneous. To the extent that visual artists also seek to communicate emotional states, the adjective lyrical applies to them as well.”

The exhibition “La Divina” is presented at the Voukolies Cultural Center, produced by the Municipality of Platanias, the Region of Crete – Regional Unity of Chania and the Contemporary Art Museum of Chania Olivepress, it is co-organized by the Match More Art Gallery, the Zeuxis Art Studio and participates in the art program HANIaRT 2023 .

The exhibition presents works of design, painting, sculpture, engraving, ceramics, photography, constructions and installations and will be open to the public at the Voukolies Cultural Center every Wednesday and Saturday 17:00-20:00 and every Sunday 10:00-13:00 until 15.10.2023 with Free Entry.

The exhibition is extended until October 31, 2023 with new hours specially designed for school visits: Open from Monday to Friday 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with free entry.

During the exhibition, in the morning hours, there will be special guided tours and educational programs for primary and secondary school children. The students’ visits will take place after prior consultation with the teachers .

( Telephones : 6977607580 & 6937383500 )

Source : Municipality of Platanias