In the autumn months of September and October 2008 the art of the world-wide famous Czech visual artist Adolf Born was presented in Greece. Exhibitions of Born´s graphic works entitled “Satyrs, Naiads and Other Animals” took place in the municipal cultural centre “Melina” in Athens from 26 September to 5 October and then, between 11 October and 2 November, the exhibition was held in the cultural centre of the Foundation of Nikolaos and Eleni Porphyrogenis in Agria-Volos. The exhibition in the cultural centre “Melina” in Athens was organised in co-operation of the Cultural organisation of the City of Athens, the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Greece and the Foundation of Nikolaos and Eleni Porphyrogenis. The exhibition in Agria-Volos was organised in co-operation of the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Greece and the Foundation of Nikolaos and Eleni Porphyrogenis.

The exhibition “Satyrs, Naiads and Other Animals” consisted of 42 graphic works inspired by Adolf Born’s travels in many countries (e.g. Norway, the Netherlands and Italy), but mostly in Greece, a country he has a great admiration for and which he and his spouse Ema visit annually. Visitors had the opportunity to see works such as “Conversation with a Satyr”, “The Greek Spy above the Turkish Citadel in Methoni”, “Courtship of Satyrs and Naiads”, and “Drizzle in the Peloponnese” among others.

The opening of the exhibition in the cultural centre “Melina” in Athens took place on 25 September 2008. Present were Mr. Adolf Born and his wife. At the beginning of the evening City Council Member and Deputy Chairman of the City of Athens Cultural Organisation Mrs. Katerina Katsabe-Marneri, a representative of the Foundation of Nikolaos and Eleni Porphyrogenis Mrs. Katerina Porphyrogenis and the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Greece Mrs. Hana Mottlová, respectively, welcomed the present guests and briefly introduced the exhibition and the author. Finally, Mr. Adolf Born greeted the visitors and officially opened the exhibition. During the opening a selection of short films animated by A. Born was screened.

The opening of the exhibition in the Foundation of Nikolaos and Eleni Porphyrogenis in Agria-Volos took place on 10 October 2008, in the presence of the Ambassador Hana Mottlová.

The exhibitions in Athens and in Agria-Volos were very successful. The visitors appreciated the author´s famous sense for detail and humour and to a great extent also his warm relation towards Greece, obvious from his works with Greek motives. An encounter of the Czech and the Greek cultures through the art of a Czech author depicting in a characteristic way the Greek reality along with the friendly reaction of the Greek and Czech visitors were a perfect example of rapprochement of worlds and cultures.

Foto 1:   City of Athens Cultural Center „Melina“
Foto 2:   From the exhibition
Foto 3:   Opening on 25 September 2008 – Adolf Born and his wife