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[wylies99]

http://www.museum.go.kr/eng/Special.do?cmd=1001&gc_no=571

Gods, Heroes and Mortals: art and life in ancient Greece
2010.05.01 ~ 2010.08.29
Special Exhibition Gallery

ㅇTitle : Gods, Heroes and Mortals: art and life in ancient Greece
ㅇTitle : Gods, Heroes and Mortals: art and life in ancient Greece
ㅇPeriod : 2010. 5. 1 ~ 2010. 8. 29
ㅇVenue : Special Exhibition Gallery, National Museum of Korea


The National Museum of Korea is holding its fourth exhibition on the world�s great civilizations - Gods, Heroes and Mortals: art and life in ancient Greece, co-organized with the Chosunilbo. This exhibition will be on view from May 1 through August 29, 2010, with the opening ceremony to be held at 16:00 on April 30, 2010.

Since moving to a new museum building in Yongsan, the National Museum of Korea has been holding a series of special exhibitions that explore ancient world civilizations. Continuing from the exhibition Glory of Persia in 2008, Egypt, the Great Civilization and The Great Myth and Mystery of Peruvian Civilization, INCA in 2009, we will exhibit Gods, Heroes and Mortals: art and life in ancient Greece in 2010, which will focus on Greek civilization. This exhibition was initiated in order to highlight the humanism of ancient Greece through the human form illustrated in ancient Greek art.

This exhibition will consist of 4 sections. Section 1 <Gods, Heroes and Outsiders> introduces Greek gods and myths. In Greek myth, the gods were depicted as beings having human features and emotions. Immortal beings with supernatural powers, deities such as Zeus, Hera, and others on Mount Olympus tell us how the Greeks thought about and envisioned their gods. Through the harsh and troubled journey of �Superman� Herakles, who was born a human but became a god, we learn about the ancient Greek idea that emphasized physical training and exercise, as well as the contrast between the human-like gods of Olympos and the weird monsters of Greek myth. These strange, supernatural outsiders, who were the opposite of civilized Greek society, also tell us about the worldview of the ancient Greeks.

Section 2 <The Human Form> highlights the physical features of the Greeks and their notions of the ideal human body. In Greek art, athletic males are shown naked, but modest females are shown clothed. This reveals that ancient Greece was a male-dominated society, in which the lives of men were active and those of women more circumscribed. In the story of Greek sculpture, the human body was depicted in abstract and simple forms until the sixth century BC, but it was transformed in the fifth century BC into an idealized, naturalistic figure. Through the human form illustrated in Greek sculpture and paintings on pottery, we can come to appreciate Greek art, which emphasized balance, rhythm, and proportion.

Section 3 <Olympia and Athletics> shows a model of Olympia, which was the home of the Olympic Games, sporting contests, and athletics at that time. The 1:200 scale model helps the visitor imagine the time around 100 BC in Olympia, where the Olympic festivals were held. Every sporting game in ancient Greece was not only a type of physical training for war but also a primary social duty of male citizens. Representative sporting games seen on sculpture and pottery allow the audience to learn about the Greek idea that a sound mind should be pursued through a strong body.

Section 4 <Daily Life>, illustrates the life journey of the Greeks through birth, maturity, marriage, war, and death. To be considered grown up, children had to become a member of society: women were to get married and bear children, while men were to become soldier/citizens and fight in wars. These aspects of the Greeks were vividly depicted in illustrations on vases, gold accessories, armor and helmets, gravestone reliefs, and so on. While early Greek art stylized the human form and mainly symbolized the ruling class, later Greek art portrayed figures with various characteristics. This tells us that the Greek world had expanded beyond polis walls to encompass a global village as a result of the multinational conquests and expeditions of Alexander the Great.

As representative works of this show, �Discus thrower (Diskobolos),� �Bronze statuette of Zeus,� �Gold diadem,� �Helmet and armors,� �Black-figured amphora with Herakles and the Nemean Lion,� �Marble Sphinx,� �Statue of Aphrodite,� �Panathenaic amphora with runners,� �Terracotta group of two women plying knucklebones,� and so forth will be exhibited. The 136 artifacts featured in this exhibition were carefully selected from the collection of the British Museum to include various forms and materials.

The National Museum of Korea will heighten public understanding of ancient Greek civilization by offering a variety of educational programs related to this special exhibition. In addition, a wide range of activities, such as lectures and performances, as well as special merchandising will be featured.

[AustSaint]

great info, thanks

[wylies99]

No problem

[morrisonhotel]

[pangaea]

Nice. I've never been to the museum and was planning to go this summer after I get back.

[wylies99]