CONSTANTINOPLE – George Petrides’ Hellenic Heads exhibition opened in Constantinople, the sixth stop on its international tour. Ambassador Konstantinos Koutras announced the presentation of the works by internationally distinguished Greek-American sculptor Petrides. The Hellenic Heads exhibition is touring the world with stops in a total of 12 cities over a period of six years. It consists of six larger-than-life heads— each approximately two meters high with its base— inspired by six important periods of Greek history, for which the artist used members of his family as models. In total, it will be seen by tens of thousands of viewers, bringing them into contact with Greek history and Greek culture.
The exhibition began its journey three years ago, in May 2022, at the Greek Embassy in Washington. From there, it traveled to three other venues in the US and then to Venice where it stayed for eight months in 2024 and is estimated to have been visited by up to 39,000 people.
The exhibition is now open at the Sismanogleio Mansion through April 17 and will open on April 19 in the courtyard of Holy Trinity (Agia Triada) Cathedral, which was erected in 1880 and is considered the largest Greek Orthodox shrine in Constantinople today. Holy Trinity was the first domed Christian church that was allowed to be built in the city after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Petrides creates a diverse range of sculpture, including both figurative and abstract pieces, ranging in size from handheld to large public works. Born in Athens in 1964 and raised there and in New York, he is steeped in ancient Greek sculpture and the later works that were influenced by it.
More information is available online: https://www.hellenicheads.gr/.
