Atossa, what are you dreaming of?
Critic's commentary:
Atossa, what are you dreaming of? resists the safe distance of myth, pulling Aeschylus into the raw immediacy of today's conflicts. The exhibition exposes war's aftershocks —hubris, loss, displacement— as a continuum rather than a relic. Instead of mourning from afar, it confronts us with the unsettling truth: tragedy remains unfinished business. The exhibition succeeds in raising timely questions, even if its impact occasionally feels restrained. The selection of artworks required greater attention.
PRESS RELEASE
Group Visual Arts Exhibition
with works inspired by Aeschylus' tragedy The Persians
At the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, 12–25 September 2025
Part of the program Ancient Drama: Interdisciplinary – Interartistic Approaches
The anti-war tragedy The Persians by Aeschylus, the oldest surviving theatrical work in the world, serves as the source of inspiration for the 28 visual artists participating in the exhibition Atossa, What Do You Dream Of?, organized by the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation from 12 to 25 September 2025, within the framework of the program Ancient Drama: Interdisciplinary – Interartistic Approaches.
The universal fate of war, the suffering that follows and haunts both victors and the defeated, humanity's responsibility for its actions toward community and nature, representations of defeat and mourning, the arrogance and imbalance embedded in authoritarian and imperial power, and hubris as its consequence—these are some of the themes explored in the tragedy. The participating artists attempt to translate these concerns into their works, reflecting on contemporary crises, in line with the program's theme Ancient Tragedy in the Age of the Anthropocene, Ancient Drama and Contemporary Global Drama.
Artists:
Rena Avagianou, Katerina Aslanidou, Iakovos Vais, Chrysa Valsamaki, Giannis Galeos, Elli Griva, Leonidas Giannakopoulos, Thalassini Douma, Markos Evlogimenos, Katerina Kalantzidou, Georgia Kalogeropoulou, Vasiliki Koskiniotou, Afroditi Krontiri, Matina Mavronikola, Dimitris Miliotis, Lamprini Boviatsou, Ismini Bonatsou, Kostas Ntaflos, Kalli Dolcetti, Afroditi Papadouli, Marios Pelonis, Eleni Pechlivanis, Angeliki Svoronou, Phoivos Sofikitis, Fotini Stefanidi, Martha Tsiara, Voula Ferentinou, Sofia Houliara.
Curator:
Ciallope Liadi
Catalogue Texts:
Athina Exarhou
Duration: 12 – September 25, 2025
Visiting hours: 18:00–22:00
Where: Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, Address: 206, Piraeus Str. (near Chamosternas Str.) Tavros, Athens 177 78. Tel.: +30 210 341 8550. E-mail: info@mcf.gr