The Embassy of Greece in Rome and The Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies of Venice, in cooperation with the Honorary Consulate of Greece in Venice and the Greek Orthodox Community of Venice, and with the support of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy present Hellenic Heads: George Petrides, A Personal Exploration of Greek History and Culture Over 2,500 Years. The exhibition will take place in the courtyard of the Church of St. George of the Greeks (San Giorgio dei Greci) adjoining the Hellenic Institute, a short walk from the Arsenale and the Piazza San Marco, from 15 April to 28 April and from 8 May to 24 November 2024 from 9:00 to 17:00 every day. 

Sculptor George Petrides said: “I am honored that the Hellenic Heads continue to circle the globe, sharing our Greek history and culture with tens of thousands of visitors. In this fifth stop, in Venice, I am humbled that my works are a few steps away from some of the treasures of Greek culture which are exhibited in the Museum of icons and include a collection of important Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons, manuscripts and liturgical and other objects, and the Church of St. George of the Greeks, whose construction was started by Greeks in 1548, while Michelangelo was alive, and continues to serve the Greek Community — the oldest non-Italian community in Venice.

I am grateful to Ambassador of Greece in Rome Eleni Sourani, Hellenic Institute President Vasileios Koukousas, Honorary Consul General of Greece in Venice Bruno Bernardi, President of the Greek Orthodox Community in Venice Dimitrios Zafeiropoulos, Archbishop of Italy Polykarpos and Cultural Manager Eleftheria Gkoufa for their generous support.”

The Hellenic Heads are six oversized busts standing over two meters tall on their bases, each inspired by a period of Greek history ranging from Classical Greece, the Byzantine Empire, the Greek War of Independence, the Burning of Smyrna, the Nazi Occupation and the Holocaust, to present day. For each period, Petrides studied masterpieces by sculptors such as Michelangelo and Rodin, as well as archeological artifacts, academic sources and historical photographs. Then, he asked a family member to pose for each piece — some live and some from photographs and memory. 

Timelessness is further emphasized by the perennial themes addressed by each work, such as the mirroring of female military leaders in the Greek War of Independence with the role of female leadership today; a head honoring Greek Jews murdered by Nazis, shockingly relevant as antisemitism is on the rise; the head referring to the plight of the refugee fleeing the burning Smyrna 100 years ago and those fleeing violence today. 

Hellenic Heads is a traveling exhibition, with Venice being its fifth stop. There will follow three more venues, in Europe and Asia, for a total of eight around the world. It debuted at the Embassy of Greece to the USA in Washington, D.C. for Europe Day 2022, then traveled to the National Hellenic Museum in Chicago, Illinois (installation photos may be seen here). In parallel, an extensive catalog has been produced which combines presentations of the historical periods with Petrides' sculptures (it may be accessed  here).

The Greek Embassy in Rome is the center of Hellenism in Italy (see Πρεσβεία της Ελλάδος στη Ρώμη - Ελληνική Δημοκρατία - Η Ελλάδα στην Ιταλία και Ambasciata di Grecia a Roma - Πρεσβεία της Ελλάδος στη Ρώμη | Rome). The Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies of Venice, Greece's only scientific and research institution abroad, has one of the most important collections of Byzantine and post-Byzantine art icons in Italy (more information, including opening hours for the public, on its website).The historic Greek Orthodox Community of Venice has been active continuously since the Middle Ages to the present day. (see Comunità dei Greci Ortodossi in Venezia - Ελληνική Κοινότητα Βενετίας). The Archdiocese of Italy was founded in 1991 and under its jurisdiction are Greek and other Orthodox communities of the country (for the activity of the Metropolitan of Italy see Μητρόπολη - Sacra Arcidiocesi Ortodossa d'Italia). Next to the Hellenic Institute is the Orthodox Church of St. George (San Giorgio dei Greci), which can be visited at the same time as the exhibition.