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An Englishman in Delos
Sir Antony Gormley is the first artist to exhibit in
Delos since the sacred island was inhabited by humans
over 5,000 years ago. Ο σερ Antony Gormley είναι ο
πρώτος καλλιτέχνης που εκθέτει στη Δήλο απ’ όταν
πρωτοκατοικήθηκε το ιερό νησί πριν από 5.000 χρόνια.
by Ira Sinigalia

Delos, the sacred island of Apollo, World Heritage Centre. Thus it took 18 a connection with our collective
in the middle of Aegean, was in the months for the Ephorate of Antiquities memory, and as the sculptor suggests,
ancient Greek world a utopia taking into of the Cyclades to formulate a plan for “maybe we can connect with
account that utopias were societies that are installing the sculptures in a way that would something vital we’ve lost.”
supposed to be in equilibrium because they not cause damage to the archaeology and Antony Gormley, Britain’s highest
were capable of perpetuating themselves preserve the safety of the monuments. One profile sculptor, is the product of
indefinitely as Plato described in his Politeia. sculpture, for instance, was mounted on a formidable artistic training. He
For almost four centuries Delos was a a replica of an ancient column. Artificial attended a Benedictine boarding
place of worship and the treasury of Delian stone was added to rocks that now support school in Yorkshire before reading
League founded by Athens in 478 BC. By Gormley’s sculptures, because “in Delos archaeology, anthropology and
around 167 BC, it was the largest trade even the rocks are considered sacred,” Elina history of art at Trinity College,
centre in the world and a purificated land as Kountouri, the installation’s co-curator and Cambridge. After spending three
the Athenians removed all the tombs; birth director of Neon, told to Helena Smith, in years in India he returned to London
and death were prohibited until the sacking her interview for Guardian. and continued studying art at
of Delos by Mithridates in 88 and 69 BC. The work brings the physical presence Goldsmiths College, then the Slade
Usually inhabited by just a handful of of modern man into an ancient place. School of Art. His work has been
archaeologists and scientific researchers, Gormley reinterprets the function and exhibited across the world and he
and accessible only by boat, Delos offers purpose of sculpture, transforming the has had major solo exhibitions at the
perspective. It emerges in front of our eyes traditional statues and totems of the ancient Whitechapel, Tate and the Hayward.
in the middle of the Aegean Sea to remind world that once adorned public squares, Η Δήλος, το ιερό νησί του
us the ephemeral of life and things. But this temples and private dwellings into sites of Απόλλωνα, στο μέσον του Αιγαίου,
year remarks, after a millennia, a new era empathy and imaginative projection. The ήταν στον αρχαιοελληνικό κόσμο
for the sacred island, as an unprecedented first connection between visitors and the μια ουτοπία, λαμβάνοντας υπόψη
exhibition on the archaeological site and work is established before they even set ότι οι ουτοπίες ήταν κοινωνίες
the Museum of Delos binds together the foot on Delos. Approaching the rugged που έπρεπε να βρίσκονται σε
history and the art, featuring a dialogue northwest coast, they catch sight of a silent ισορροπία, διότι ήταν ικανές να
through the installation of British artist and still figure (from Gormley’s series διαιωνίζουν τους εαυτούς τους
Antony Gormley. Its name is Sight, which “Another Time,” 1999–2013), standing επ’ άπειρον, όπως περιέγραψε
not at all by chance, vividly expresses sentinel on a rocky promontory at the ο Πλάτων στην «Πολιτεία» του.
the artistic work of Gormley who is an water’s edge. Two more works from the Για περίπου τέσσερις αιώνες, η
explorer of the human body. A fruit of the same series stand on Plakes Peak and on Δήλος ήταν τόπος λατρείας και το
collaboration between the Ephorate of Mount Kynthos. Further sculptures are θησαυροφυλάκιο της Δηλιακής
Antiquities of the Cyclades and the Cultural integrated with archaeological sites across Συμμαχίας που ιδρύθηκε στην
and Development non profit Organization the island, from the Stadium to the Theatre Αθήνα το 478 π.Χ. Γύρω στο
NEON, Sight features 29 iron “bodyforms” district and from the merchant stores to 167 π.Χ. ήταν το μεγαλύτερο
of Gormley made during the last 20 years - the Museum site. Antony Gormley spent οικονομικό κέντρο του κόσμου
five of them were commissioned specifically months in Delos studying the temples και εξαγνισμένη γη, καθώς οι
for the Delos installation. The project was and the sacred enclosures, the horizon Αθηναίοι είχαν μεταφέρει όλους
challenging in the sense of the significance and the topography created by the wind τους τάφους· η ζωή και ο θάνατος
of the archaeological site, a UNESCO and the salt. His bodyforms establishing στο νησί απαγορεύονταν μέχρι

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