Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, and the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
The exhibition Heaven and Earth: Art of Byzantium from Greek Collections was organised by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Benaki Museum. 172 art objects, in 5 thematic sections, outline the development of Byzantine culture over the course of 1000 years. All exhibits were drawn from Greek public museums and collections. More than half of them had never before been exhibited outside Greece. The exhibition was initially hosted with great success by two prominent American museums, the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. A shorter selection from it was presented at the Art Institute of Chicago (27 September 2014 – 15 February 2015). 300,000 visitors and enthusiastic reviews from the press and the academic community marked this great cultural event. Heaven and Earth was accompanied by a richly illustrated two-volume publication with texts compiled by distinguished researchers, as well as by lectures and two international symposia. The A. G. Leventis Foundation, supported this important Greek initiative for the promotion of Hellenic culture abroad.
Grant given:
2014
