Cycladic Figurines: In Conversation with Contemporary Art
Cycladic Figurines: In Conversation with Contemporary Art
IDSVA
With their mystical heritage surrounded by misconceptions, Cycladic figurines still present a unique intersection of aesthetics, art, and cultural and socioeconomic traditions. Their story offers input into the changing notion of perception and the power of poetic language. During our residency in Athens, we had a chance to visit the Museum of Cycladic Art, which is one of the most fascinating museums in the region. The museum holds one of the most comprehensive private collections of Cycladic marble figurines from the fourth millennium BC.
Contemporary viewers are intrigued by the elegance, simplicity, and myths that follow the figures. It was not, however, always the case. When the figurines were first discovered and examined by the archaeological community, they were categorized within the framework of “primitive art” and labeled with derogatory descriptions such as “small monsters,” “grotesque,” “barbaric,” and “repulsively ugly” (Wright). Such a reaction reflects the institutional and aesthetic prejudices of classical Western society, and one can also argue, that such a response contributes to the justification of colonial heritage and biases.
