The Exhibition
Purpose


In collaboration with the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation (PFF) the Cultural Olympiad is organising the exhibition: "PTYCHOSEIS. Folds and Pleats: Drapery from Ancient Greek Dress to 21st Century Fashion". The exhibition aims to create an international landmark in the field of costume study. The project is supported by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and, in particular, by the General Directorate of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage (the Directorate of Modern Cultural Heritage and the Directorate of Museums, Exhibitions and Cultural Programmes) and by the National Archaelogical Museum.

The exhibition will be held at the Benaki Museum - 138, Pireos Street (Athens), from 22nd June - 17th October, 2004.

The exhibition aims to explore the aesthetic qualities of the plasticity of drapery through selected works of art from the classical period of ancient Greece, regional clothing from around the world as well as high fashion and ready-to-wear creations by contemporary designers. Within this last category the PFF intends to include garments by Mariano Fortuny, Madeleine Vionnet, Issey Miyake, Rei Kawakubo, Alexander McQueen and Martin Margiela to be displayed alongside Maasai robes and authentic ancient Greek sculptures.

The main aims of the exhibition are: a) to discuss and show ancient Greek costume belonging to the draped and wrapped convention, one of the oldest forms of dress to be found simultaneously in different cultures; b) to present the journey of "one piece of cloth" and also the pleat's tradition through history, by going beyond cultural and geographical boundaries and looking from a modern perspective and c) to examine contemporary fashion up to the recent creations of world-renowned and subversive Japanese and Belgian designers.