The exhibition titled “Owls and the Athenian Democracy. From Ancient Numismatics to Contemporary Sculpture”, held at the Iliou Melathron “Manto Economidou” hall in cooperation with acclaimed sculptor Aphrodite Liti, professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts, was organized on the occasion of the nationwide celebration of Green Cultural Routes, an initiative actively supported by the Numismatic Museum of Athens for the past six years. The exhibition is one of the innovative projects the Numismatic Museum has undertaken to foster cross-cultural communication and familiarize a broader audience with Greece’s cultural heritage, as reflected in ancient artifacts and contemporary works of art. As part of these efforts, which have established it as a consistent and important point of reference in the cultural life of Athens, the Numismatic Museum continues an interesting discourse with contemporary art, which it initiated in 2012 with the exhibition entitled “Cultural Deposits: From Ancient Seal-Stones to Contemporary Printmaking” in cooperation with engraver and Athens School of Fine Arts professor Vicky Tsalamata, and sustained in 2014 with the “Spiral. Primordial Engravings - Contemporary Approaches” show, featuring works by artist Takis Stefanou. By choosing a not purely numismatic theme but rather an up-to-date and forward-looking one, the Museum draws a selection of unique miniature masterpieces from its rich permanent collection, which engage in a dialogue with contemporary sculpture through a sparse yet inspired museological and museographic approach. This dialogue is carried out between ancient examples of miniature art and contemporary artistic expression, as reflected in sculptural works of high aesthetic value by the internationally acclaimed artist.

Seventeen mixed-media works are on display, inspired mainly by ancient coins and other miniature carvings, accompanied by silver and bronze coins and treasure troves. The artist’s representations of the owl, sacred symbol of Athena, the goddess of wisdom and patron of the city of Athens, and the leaves of the olive tree, which the Athenians chose as a symbol of their city over Poseidon’s horse, seem to derive from the coinage of mighty Athens during the archaic and classical eras.

Tracing these “cultural deposits” with heightened sensitivity, the artist Aphrodite Liti is inspired by them, breaks the old forms and, without dissolving them, invests them with new life, using contemporary techniques to create inventive sculptural works of art.

Scheduled to run for three months, this exhibition aims to boost the museum’s foot traffic and promote its outward- looking vision by reaching a broader audience.



Exhibition coordinator

Dr. George Kakavas

Director of the Numismatic Museum



Senior curators

Prof. Aphrodite Liti

Dr. George Kakavas

Dr. Evangelia Apostolou, archaeologist



Museographic study and application

Prof. Aphrodite Liti



Work group

Anastasia Rammou, archaeologist

Eleni Naki, museologist

Antonia Nikolakopoulou, numismatist

Margarita Sorotou, fine art restorer

Rebecca Manta, fine art restorer

Apostolos Karastergiou, painter

Meni Binteri, graphic designer

Takis Dimopoulos, technician

Nikos Sougles, computer operator