Which is the relation between Madonna and Odysseys? She is a superstar and he is a legendary hero but they both have flaws like common mortals. This is Redzin Soultz’s claim who is the trustee of the “Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece” exhibition.
The exhibition opens in early October at the Onassis Cultural Center in New York. It has already travelled to San Diego, California and Nashville, Tennessee. The idea was born in Baltimore by Walters’ Museum Of Art.
The exhibition’s starting point was the question where the first heroes came from their relation with modern heroes. “The idea of the Hero is always present in our lives…We have heroes in media, in war, in music and in sports. That is why we wanted to examine where the idea of the hero came from and how it was developed in ancient Greece, in epics but also in daily life” stated Soutlz.
The exhibition studies the life of four great heroes including Odysseys, Achilles, Heracles and Helen of Troy. More than two years passed before the almost 115 objects were collected. The object come from European and American collections. Additionally six objects from The Archeological Museum of Athens are featured.
The exhibition trustee is not only interested in the human dimension of ancient heroes but in modern idols too. “Our goal is people to learn not only about ancient Greece and its spectacular civilization…but also to give the visitors the ability to combine the ancients’ ideas with their personal believes and modern times they live in” stated Soultz.
Many educational programs concerning mainly children try to do the same. Giving a human dimension to modern idols and stars of our times and presenting the complexity of human nature. “Heroes in ancient Greece had a good and a bad side like, for example, Hercules, who was drinking a lot” Miss Soultz claims.
On the exhibition’s web page there is a personality test in order for the test taker to find the hero who is closer to his or her personality.
This exhibition is dedicated in memory of Christine Dunbar Sarbanes. Sarbanes is the wife of former Maryland Senator Paul Sarbanes and the mother of member George Sarbanes. Christine Sarbanes lived in Baltimore where the Walter’s Museum of Art exists. She has made enormous contributions promoting Greek civilization.
The exhibition will be present at The Onassis Cultural Center in New York until January 3rd, 2011.
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