The Museum of Cycladic Art

Today, in the galleries of the MCA the visitor can approach three major subjects:

the Cycladic Culture of the Early Bronze Age ( 3200 - 2000 BC)

the Ancient Greek Art, from the Bronze Age to Late Roman times (2nd millenium BC - 4th century AD)

the Cypriot Culture from the Chalcolithic Age to the Early Christian period (4th millenium BC - 6th century AD)

The N.P. Goulandris Collection

Nicholas and Dolly Goulandris started collecting archaeological objects at the beginning of the ‘60s, after being granted official permission by the Greek state. The collection soon became renowned among scholars because of its exquisite and rare Cycladic objects (marble figurines and vessels), which were published by Prof. Christos Doumas in 1968.

The collection was first presented at the Benaki Museum in 1978. Between 1979 and 1983 it traveled to major museums and galleries around the globe: the National Gallery of Washington in 1979, the Museum of Western Art at Tokyo and Kyoto in 1980, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts in 1981, the Musees Royaux d’Art et d’Histoire and the Palais des Beaux Arts at at Brussels in 1982, the British Museum at London in 1983 and the Grand Palais at Paris in 1983. In recent years, Cycladic objects from the N.P. Goulandris Collection have been presented at the Museo Nacional – Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid (1999), the Musei Capitolini in Rome (2006) and the Beijing Art Museum, Imperial City in the Chinese capital (2008).

The MCA was inaugurated on 26 January 1986. Following the death of Nicholas Goulandris in 1983, Dolly Goulandris donated the entire N.P. Goulandris Collection to the museum, where it has been on exhibition ever since. A few months earlier, in 1985, the N.P. Goulandris Foundation had been instituted, whose stated mission is “the study of Aegean civilization, research on prehistoric, Classical and modern Greek art, as well as its dissemination and promotion”. These goals are being fulfilled through the effective maintenance, presentation and continuous enlargement of the collection, the temporary exhibitions, the publication of monographs and catalogues, the provision of scholarships for research purposes and the participation in international research projects.

Since 1986 the MCA has enlarged its collections with new acquisitions, purchases from other private collections in Greece, donations and long-term loans. In some cases donators, both individuals and institutions, have offered the entirety – or a large part – of their collections to the MCA. These collections (C. Politis Collection, Athens Academy Collection, Commercial Bank Collection) have been incorporated into the major thematic units of the museum. In 2002, the Cypriot collector Thanos N. Zintilis donated to the MCA one of the largest collections of Cypriot antiquities in the world.

Temporary exhibitions
Temporary exhibitions constitute one of the most fruitful activities of the MCA, constantly renewing the museum's interaction with the public. The numerous archaeological exhibitions are meant to introduce the public to important aspects of ancient Greek art as well as of other Mediterranean cultures, with loans from other Greek and foreign museums.

MCA and modern art
Apart from archaeology, the temporary exhibitions of the MCA frequently focus on modern and contemporary art, aiming to introduce the public to important 20th century artists (Dali, Picasso, etc.) and explore the links between ancient cultures and modern artistic creation.

MCA and kids
The MCA is particularly interested in children and education. The educational programmes have been an integral part of the museum life since its inauguration. They are specially designed to address a varied audience, cover a wide range of subjects and are structured in an informative and imaginative way that turns learning into an exciting and creative process.

Educational programmes are available both for schools and for parents who wish to visit the museum with their kids.

Source: http://www.cycladic.gr/