Kykladitisses exhibition travels to Santorini
ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF THERA
UNTIL OCTOBER 31, 2025
THE EXHIBITION
The islands of the Cyclades, known for their beauty and rich history, have been the cradle of a culture that has celebrated women like few others in the world.
The exhibition is the first joint action of the Museum of Cycladic Art and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades, in implementation of the Memorandum of Cooperation signed on May 17, 2024 by the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, and the President and CEO of the Museum of Cycladic Art, Sandra Marinopoulou, with the aim of studying, highlighting and promoting the Cycladic culture in Greece and abroad. It is a unique initiative, as it is the first time an exhibition is co-organized by a state and a private museum in Greece.
The exhibition “Kykladitisses: Untold Stories of Women in the Cyclades”, presents history through the eyes of the women of the Cyclades, from antiquity to the 19th century. It brings together 180 unique masterpieces from almost all the islands of the Cyclades: Amorgos, Andros, Delos, Thera, Ios, Kea, Kythnos, Melos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Seriphos, Sikinos, Siphnos, Syros, Tenos and Pholegandros. The exhibits date from early prehistory to the birth of the Greek state. Unique works, most of which have never travelled either outside the Cyclades or outside the Museum of Cycladic Art; some have never before been presented to the public. Alongside the marble Cycladic figurines of the Early Cycladic period from the Museum of Cycladic Art, 135 exhibits from the collections of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades and artefacts from the Canellopoulos Museum, the Epigraphic Museum of Athens, the Ephorate of Paleoanthropology and Speleology and important private collections are on display.
The exhibition aims to examine the roles of women and their positions in insular societies, through smaller or larger “untold” stories that are told by the women themselves, either through their words or through their material remains, though almost always through the eyes of the men of their time. The exhibition thus brings to light unknown roles of women over time and how these roles were influenced by their insularity. Deities and mothers, priestesses, courtesans, merchants, fighters, intellectuals, mourners, witches, immigrants all take – all star in the show. The visitor will come to know the Cycladic women both in the public and private spheres, in social, political, religious, and family life.
INFO
Dates
Venue
Santorini
Opening hours
Tuesday-Friday, Sunday: 08:30-15:30
Saturday: 09:00-21:00
Tickets
Statuettes and large-sized sculptures, vases, jewellery, coins, funerary stelae, inscriptions with legal texts, frescoes, mosaics, engravings, manuscripts and icons – ranging from prehistoric to post-Byzantine times – compose the exhibition. From these exhibits, many of which could stand as individual objects of exhibition on their own, three works stand out due to their uniqueness and size: the colossal Kore of Thera (2.48 meters in height), one of the few nearly complete archaic statues; the emblematic fresco from Akrotiri on Santorini depicting the “Women in the Sanctuary,” a unique and monumental work (nearly 4 meters in length); and the Hellenistic statue of the Stag-hunting Artemis from Delos, which is being exhibited outside the island for the first time.
In the Santorini exhibition, the curators added to the eroticism section a statue of Aphrodite adjusting her sandal from the Archaeological Museum of Thera, while the burial monument of Parthenika from Thera has been placed in such a way that the installation and its grave goods are in direct visual contact with the original monument displayed in the museum’s atrium.
THE INSTALLATION
AUDIO GUIDE
For the exhibition in Santorini, as well as for that in Athens, the Museum of Cycladic Art created a complete bilingual audio guide, with narratives of the stories of the women of the Cyclades and the general line of the exhibition.
In addition, selected artefacts are accompanied by a QR-code through which the visitor can read extensive and detailed information about the objects on the Cycladic Museum’s mobile application.
For an optimal experience, please follow the order of the exhibits as they appear on the app screen.
The audio guide tour is available in Greek and English.
You will need to use your headphones for the audio guide.
Women and the multiple roles they played in ancient Greece have long been a subject of study. Ancient Greek women were largely marginalized; their lives were confined to the domestic sphere and their social contribution was diminished compared to that of men. While women were indeed subject to legal and social frameworks that sought to limit their autonomy, at the same time they held substantial positions in religious, economic and family spheres that allowed for the expression of some power and authority.
If one takes a closer look at the “Kykladitisses”, one will see that the roles of women in the insular society were largely shaped by the location of the place, the local traditions, and the wider cultural and political influences that dominated the region. While the women in the Cyclades, like their counterparts on the mainland, were restricted by the general patriarchal structures, the specific religious, social and economic contexts of the islands provided opportunities for female activity in the domestic, economic, and ritual sectors.
The main goal of the exhibition is to recover the narratives and stories of women who have contributed over time to the Cycladic community in various fields. By focusing on ‘unknown stories’, the exhibition seeks to challenge dominant gender stereotypes. In addition, the exhibition aims to promote an appreciation of the diverse experiences of women in the Cyclades, highlighting their contributions to family life, local economies, cultural traditions, and political life. This objective is in line with the demands of our times.
The importance of the “Kykladitisses” exhibition extends beyond the mere presentation of important artefacts, masterpieces or rare sources; it is a crucial effort to recognize the contribution of women to the social structure and cultural heritage of the Cyclades. Moreover, by highlighting these stories, a more comprehensive and inclusive understanding of the history of the islands is put forward, a history that does not ignore the crucial contribution of women.
Organization
Museum of Cycladic Art
Co-Organization
Curated by
Prof. Panagiotis P. Iossif, Academic Director of the Museum of Cycladic Art, Professor of Ancient and Medieval Numismatics, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
Assistant Prof. Ioannis D. Fappas, Academic Director of the Museum of Cycladic Art, Assistant Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Exhibition Design
Architectural Concept: Katerina Apostolou – AKA Apostolou Colakis architects
Lighting Design
Visual Identity
PARTICIPATING MUSEUM & INSTITUTIONS
Archaeological Collection of Amorgos, Archaeological Collection of Seriphos, Archaeological Collection of Sikinos, Archaeological Museum of Andros, Archaeological Museum of Delos, Archaeological Museum of Ios, Archaeological Museum of Kea, Archaeological Museum of Kythnos, Archaeological Museum of Melos, Archaeological Museum of Mykonos, Archaeological Museum of Naxos, Archaeological Museum of Paros, Archaeological Museum of Siphnos, Archaeological Museum of Syros, Archaeological Museum of Tenos, Archaeological Museum of Thera, Museum of Prehistoric Thera, Museum of Cycladic Art, Ephorate of Paleoanthropology-Speleology, Holy Metropolis of Paronaxia, Holy church of Panagia Eleousa, Chora, Naxos, Holy Metropolis of Syros-Tenos-Andros-Kea-Mykonos-Melos-Siphnos-Seriphos-Kimolos-Kythnos-Folegandros-Sikinos, Church of the Holy Trinity, Adamas, Melos, Holy church of Panagia Korfiatissa (Nativity of the Virgin Mary), Plaka, Melos, Church of the Holy Trinity, Megalo Chorio, Seriphos, Holy Metropolis of Thera, Amorgos, and Nisoi, Monastery of Panagia Chozoviotissa, Amorgos, Catholic Archbishopric of Naxos-Tenos-Andros-Mykonos, Metropolitan Catholic Cathedral of the Presentation of the Christ in the Temple, Naxos, Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, Benaki Museum, Epigraphic Museum, General State Archives, National Library of Greece, Paul and Alexandra Canellopoulos Museum, Private collection (Ε.Κ.)
