03 Νοεμβρίου, 2026
by Hellenic National Archaeological Museum, Athens
30 October 2026 – 24 January 2027
The solo exhibition of international contemporary artist William Kentridge, Imitate the Sleep of Stones, which opened on October 29, 2026 at the National Archaeological Museum and is hosted in the halls of the Museum’s permanent collection, brings the artist’s works into dialogue with selected antiquities from the Museum’s collection and one loan from the Acropolis Museum.
The exhibition connects to the opera L’Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi, directed by William Kentridge, by the Greek National Opera, in the Stavros Niarchos Hall at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC). Drawing inspiration from the myth of Orpheus’ descent into the Underworld to bring his beloved Eurydice back to life, the exhibition brings together works created by the artist in the context of the production of the opera, as well as others from his broader artistic oeuvre.
Among the strict, rigid forms of Daedalic art and the archaic statues of kouroi and korai, as well as in funerary reliefs crowned by Sphinxes, rust-painted steel figures, paper silhouettes of trees appear along with other objects such as clothing, tools, a loudspeaker and a haversack, leading the visitor to the central hall. There is the core of the exhibition, with a diorama, which utilizes the 19th century theater visual technique known as “Pepper’s Ghost”, introducing reflected moving images into a material model. The projected figures appear in the constructed space as ephemeral presences, uniting design, performance, cinema and theatrical illusion in a single work. The diorama forms a passage between visibility and disappearance, echoing Orpheus’ journey. Along the way, paper tree silhouettes refer to Rainer Maria Rilke’s interpretation of the myth, according to which Eurydice has now become part of the earth. They are presented next to ancient finds, connecting her transformation with stone, earth and excavation.
The artist’s works are connected to the Museum’s antiquities through music, love and the concepts of death and transformation, and encounter different aspects of the myth, but also of the artist’s broader artistic practice. They convey memories of the themes that have long preoccupied the artist’s work, such as movement, displacement and collective history.
Curator: Burcu Fikretoğlu
Assistant Curator: Dora Vasilakou
Exhibition Design: Sabine Theunissen
Architectural Design: Despina Tsafou
Opening hours until 15 November:
Wednesday to Monday: 08:00 – 20:00 / last entry: 19:30
Tuesday: 13:00 – 20:00 / last entry: 19:30
Opening hours from 16 November:
Wednesday to Monday: 08:00 – 15:30 / last entry: 15:00
Tuesday: 13:00 – 20:00 / last entry: 19:30
For further information: https://www.namuseum.gr/en/temporary_exhibition/imitate-the-sleep-of-stones/
