Tuesday, 23 May 2023

A series of guided tours around UNBOXING CALLAS: From Callas to Medea, installation in three acts

UNBOXING CALLAS: From Callas to Medea, installation in three acts

Guided tours on 30 May & 2, 6, 7, 9 June 2023

Greek National Opera Foyer – SNFCC

This installation will be open to the public through until 9 June 2023.

Opening hours: 11.00 to 22.00 daily

This installation will be closed on 27 & 28 May.

The Greek National Opera is organising a series of guided tours around UNBOXING CALLAS: From Callas to Medea, installation in three acts. These free public tours last around an hour and are to be given –in the Greek language– by installation team members.

Taking the intersection of contemporary art practice with historical and archival materials as their point of departure, these guided tours seek to explore the Medea myth anew, but also the persona –and the legend that surrounds– the greatest opera artist of all time. Furthermore, they aim to spotlight aspects of the creative collaboration between Alexis Minotis, Yannis Tsarouchis, and Maria Callas, and to showcase this historic partnership through their production of Medea –tracing it from Dallas (1958) and London (1959) through to Epidaurus (1960) and Milan (1962)– as an eminently global art event.

The UNBOXING CALLAS programme, which launched on 4 May 2023, proposes an artistic and interdisciplinary means of approaching, exploring, and reading the legend that surrounds Maria Callas.

As part of this first programme phase, which runs until 9 June inside the GNO Foyer, the commissioned artist Panos Profitis focuses on Luigi Cherubini’s Medea lead role to create a sculptural installation that –as a scenic fragment– is inspired by Maria Callas’ facial profile and leads to a chronicle of Medea’s character. He also joins forces with Vera Zouka and Yorgos Athanasiou to create the projection titled Act III (2023), which offers a new, nigh-on surreal retelling of the myth that closely references celebrated physical movements made by Callas.

Additionally, up on the fifth floor is an expansive exhibition of historical materials –correspondence, photographs, director’s notes and set designs, sketches, and newspaper clippings– drawn from the Greek National Opera Archive, the Katina Paxinou & Alexis Minotis Archive (part of the Hellenic Literary and Historical Archive of the National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation), and the Yannis Tsarouchis Foundation, items that relate to this Medea production as it was presented at the Dallas Opera, at the Royal Opera in London, at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus by the Greek National Opera, and at La Scala in Milan, directed by Alexis Minotis, with sets and costumes by Yannis Tsarouchis, and starring Maria Callas.

Multi-format art installation

UNBOXING CALLAS:

From Callas to Medea, installation in three acts

Until 9 June 2023 (excluding 27 & 28 May)

11.00-22.00 daily

Greek National Opera Foyer – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center

Act III screening times: 11.15-11.45, 13.15-13.45, 15.15-15.45, 18.15-18.45 daily

Free entry

Guided tours for groups of 15 lasting around an hour are to be given –in the Greek language– by installation team members, on these days and at these times:

Tuesday, 30 May at 11.00, with Sophia Kompotiati and Steffi Stouri
Friday, 2 June at 18.00, with Vassilis Zidianakis and Sophia Kompotiati
Tuesday, 6 June at 11.00, with Sophia Kompotiati and Steffi Stouri
Wednesday, 7 June at 18.00, with Vassilis Zidianakis, Panos Profitis, and Steffi Stouri
Friday, 9 June at 19.00, with Vassilis Zidianakis, Steffi Stouri, Panos Profitis, Chrysanthi Koumianaki, and Sophia Kompotiati

Guided tours are free but require an entry ticket, available to book from Wednesday, 24 May at 12.00, exclusively via www.ticketservices.gr

Callas Centennial tribute programme curator Giorgos Koumendakis
Unboxing Callas curator Vassilis Zidianakis
Artistic concept, execution Panos Profitis
Curatorial associate Steffi Stouri
Scientific advisor Sophia Kompotiati
Printed matter, an ongoing work-in-progress by Chrysanthi Koumianaki
Act ΙΙΙ filmed by Yorgos Athanasiou
Acts Ι & ΙΙΙ feature the dancer Vera Zouka
Display case design José Ballerzosa
Production co-ordination Sophia Theodoraki
In partnership with ATOPOS cvc