Built in 1962-63 on Serifos, the decommissioned building, known as the ‘Perseus’, is a work by the architect Philip Vokos,. A typical example of modern architecture in the Xenia chain of the municipal guesthouses, it has been partially handed over by the Municipality of Serifos to the Ephorate of Antiquities of the Cyclades, and is being revived. The fabric of the historic guesthouse with its holiday accommodation is being stripped away, to be replaced by that of the museum.
The project is being implemented gradually, beginning in July 2021 when it was inaugurated. Apart from the change in the purpose of the structure, the metaphor of ‘undressing’/‘dressing’ also refers to the architectural transformation that the renovation entails, undertaken so as to bring out and make visible the synthetic principles and elements of the historic building in the light of its new use.
The ‘Perseus’ is gradually regaining its former glory, now as a museum, and is designed to be in harmony with the art objects it hosts. The myth of Perseus acts as the thread of the museological narrative – providing a back-story to a tour of the place and a connecting link between the building and the different exhibitions it hosts. These last consist of the antiquities of the Archaeological Collection of Serifos, accompanied by temporary presentations. Such may be works by contemporary artists like that entitled ‘Perseus – From Serifos to the Stars’ by CheapArt, or they may involve historical photographs such as those of Robert Mc Cabe with views of Serifos from the 1950s and 1960s or even a multimedia exhibition with archival material and photographs as that from Mega Livadi telling the story of the modern mining heritage of Serifos. The Atrium of ‘Perseus’ also is able to host lectures, concerts and theatrical performances, mainly in the summer months.
The Archaeological Collection of Serifos is thus presented to the public once more, in its new home. It comprises mainly fragments of marble sculptures, statues and statues as well as relief tombstones dating from the late Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods. Retrieved as scattered finds from Chora – the ancient city or asty of Serifos, they describe tales from the long past of the island. Another separate group of objects is made up of finds from the restoration project of Aspropyrgos in Mavra Voladia (ESPA project 2007-2013), today a visitable archaeological site. Vases are also on display, mainly pithoi of the late Classical period and amphorae of Aegean workshops (Thassos and Crete) recovered from a depository of Late Antiquity (4th-7th centuries AD) found next to the tower.
Livadi, Serifos
Avlomonas Beach
