Date：2022-07-19 - 2022-10-09
Location：No. 3 Exhibition Hall, 4F
"Thalassa", the goddess of the sea in ancient Greek mythology, is also the embodiment of the sea in Greek culture. Located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa, Greece has a long coastline along the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Ionian Sea. To some extent, the civilization and art of ancient Greece and Rome were nurtured from these unique coastlines, and this blue marine civilization became the foundation and cradle of Western civilization. Greek ancestors carved out a sea route, thus forming maritime alliances and developing trade. Throughout history, ancient Greek civilization and Chinese civilization echoed each other. As an important partner in today's "Belt and Road Initiative", China is conducting a dialogue with Greece across mountains and seas. In 2016, under the guidance of the national initiative, COSCO Shipping Corporation bought the majority stakes and took over the management of the Piraeus in Greece, making the Port of Piraeus a shining pearl on the "the Belt and Road" blueprint. This project symbolized the cultural reintegration and people-to-people bonds of the Maritime Silk Road Economic Belt.
The exhibition, jointly organized by the Shanghai Museum and the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, has been made possible with support from the Consulate General of the Hellenic Republic in Shanghai and generous sponsorship from COSCO Shipping. 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Greece diplomatic relations, thus making this exhibition an important cultural event. Also, it has been included in the framework of the "Year of China-Greece Culture and Tourism". The exhibition originally included 12 ancient Greek cultural relics. However, due to the restrictions of COVID-19 pandemic, the virtual presentation method of hologram projection was used instead to present the story of ancient Greece art in this project. While the real objects could not come on site, images of the 12 cultural relics are included in the exhibition catalogue. Meanwhile, 34 groups of modern and contemporary artworks (36 in the catalogue，2 artworks could not make it to Shanghai due to the same restrictions) will comprehensively show the culture, art, and history of the Greek nation which has been wandering in the marine civilization for nearly a century. In these works, one can appreciate how the sea, a liquid element surrounding the continental islands, has influenced the existence, identity, and historical trend of the Greeks, so as to feel the dependence, perception, awe, and empathy toward nature under different cultures.
In order to expand the museum's narrative ability and deepen the combination of exhibition and education, Shanghai Museum will launch the exhibition "The Making of China: The Civilizations of the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties" at the same time to conduct mutual learning and comparison between the perspective of River Civilization and Marine Civilization. It is hoped that this new attempt can respond to the expectation of Mrs. Lina Mendoni, Minister of Culture and Sports of the Hellenic Republic, for this exhibition, is to reflect a cultural "deep and genuine essence for a long time".
Finally, we would like to express our profound gratitude to the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, the Consulate General of the Hellenic Republic in Shanghai, and colleagues from various institutions for their contributions to make this project into a reality during the pandemic. We shall march forward hand in hand and continue to promote the exchange and integration of fascinating human cultures in the city of Shanghai with confidence, courage, and action.
