Although everyone is familiar with the larger-than-life museums that dot Museum Mile on the Upper East Side, there are plenty of additional culture institutions worth visiting all over town. One such place is the Onassis Cultural Center NY. Located in Midtown East, the center is devoted to Hellenic culture, from antiquity to today. Through an extensive array programs and exhibitions, visitors can learn more about a wide variety of subjects—from visual arts, dance and film to literature, theater, music and the humanities.
Those who always wanted to know more about the Greek gods are in luck, Gods and Mortals at Olympus: Ancient Dion, City of Zeus opens today at the center. On view thru June 18, 2016, this comprehensive exhibit explores the relationship between daily life in a city built on the slopes of Mount Olympus and the mythological abode of the gods at the peak. Within an immersive setting, visitors can view more than 90 artworks and artifacts never before seen in America, including mosaics, sculptures, jewelry, ceramics, coins, glass and implements. These rare objects date from the tenth century BC to the fourth century AD.
Accompanying the exhibition are educational programs for students, children and families; weekly tours for the public by archaeologists; special tours by Museum Hack; and philosophical discussions with Simon Critchley and special guests as part of the Onassis Cultural Center NY’s new program Let’s Walk. A specially commissioned video game, Secrets of the Past — Excavating the City of Zeus, gives kids age 10 to 12 the opportunity to understand the process of archaeological excavations, as well as the preservation and display of antiquities.
While the exhibition is on view, visitors can also see My Half of the Sky, My Half of the Earth. This new video project by artist Maria Zervos was shot on location in the landscape of Mount Olympus. Presenting a poem by Zervos into dialogue with an ancient Greek text by the Hellenistic poet Telesilla, the piece explores how people in contemporary society wrestle with ancient ideals of perfection and immortality. Specially commissioned sound pieces by the Greek artist Kostas Ioannides are also featured during the exhibition.
Gods and Mortals at Olympus is open to the public free of charge as the inaugural exhibition in the newly renovated galleries of the Onassis Cultural Center NY in Midtown.