At the National Museum of Contemporary Art on Tuesday morning (10/6), a discussion took place between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Amit Sood, Director of Google‘s cultural institute. The discussion was part of the “Greek Art Now” event, which included the presentation of the related new platform and took place in the presence of Google Southeast Europe General Manager Peggy Antonakou and Culture Minister Lina Mendoni.
Mitsotakis at “Greek Art Now” Event: Greece Has Not Only a Great Past, But Present and Future
Prime Minister Mitsotakis spoke about the Greek Art Now platform, which integrates with Google and will provide access for Greeks and international visitors to view exhibits in our country. As he initially stated: “When someone thinks of Greece, they usually bring to mind the Acropolis, the Parthenon, classical culture which is certainly the foundation of modern civilization and the way we understand contemporary Western culture. They don’t immediately think of contemporary art, modern art. Those who visit this application will realize that Greece has a very vibrant, contemporary cultural heritage, which you have highlighted through the work you have done. So here we want to ensure that there will be attention to modern Greek art”.
He continued by adding: “First of course, because it took us twenty years to build this museum, which truly focuses on the contemporary vibrant artistic community and creation. We truly have artists and visitors from around the world who exhibit their works, and of course we have managed to attract significant donations from contemporary collectors and art patrons. Some are truly top-tier according to global standards. They come here to strengthen the country. The National Gallery of course, which was completed in terms of renovation, is magnificent and its collection is also magnificent, and we all worked very hard to ensure it would be an exceptional museum”.
Finally, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis did not fail to mention that: “We must therefore convince people here that Greece does not only have a great, brilliant past, but also has a present and future. This was therefore an important priority of our cultural policy. A second aspect has to do precisely with this point where art and technology intersect. This tool we have at our disposal today is truly impressive. Everyone emphasized how important it is in terms of accessibility, whether you are in Greece or abroad, in terms of education, in terms of work, regarding curators, exhibitions and artworks. So we see all these artworks through this application. How can you have the viewing of an artwork through the lens of technology? This is something completely new, distinctive”.
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