Allspice | Michael Rakowitz & Ancient Cultures is the opening exhibition of the trilogy Michael Rakowitz & Ancient Cultures, a collaboration between the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, the Acropolis Museum and NEON Organization. It presents the multifaceted work of internationally acclaimed contemporary artist Michael Rakowitz interacting with ancient artifacts from the Middle East and southeastern Mediterranean.
Through intensely political works, the exhibition highlights the importance of cultural heritage, and explores themes of loss, restoration and restitution of antiquities, survival and forging new cultural identities.
Allspice | Michael Rakowitz & Ancient Cultures is a timely reminder of the fate of displaced people and cultural artifacts in the midst of war.
Curated by Professor Nikolaos Chr. Stampolidis, General Director of the Acropolis Museum and Elina Kountouri, Director, NEON
Save the Date | Public Programme
13 May, 6:30 pm | Lecture | Of Gods and Kings: The Material Legacy of Mesopotamia, Eternal Yet Fragile with Kiersten Neumann, PhD, Curator, Research Associate, Lecturer, Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures & Department of Art History, University of Chicago. Moderated by Rachel Donadio, Journalist & Public Programme Advisor | Acropolis Museum (auditorium "Dimitrios Pantermalis") | Free Entrance | Information: neon.org.gr
17 May, 6:30 pm | Allspice artist Michael Rakowitz in conversation with one of the two exhibition curators, Elina Kountouri, Director of NEON. Moderated by Rachel Donadio, Journalist & Public Programme Advisor | Acropolis Museum (auditorium "Dimitrios Pantermalis") | Free Entrance | Information: neon.org.gr
21 May, 9 pm | Film Screening | PERSEPOLIS, Marjane Satrapi | A collaboration between NEON, the Acropolis Museum and Cinobo | Cine Paris (Kydathinaion 22, Plaka, Athens) | Free Entrance. Pre-reservation required. Reservations open on 14 May at 17:00 at more.gr
EXHIBITION INFORMATION
DURATION
LOCATION
Temporary Exhibition Gallery, Museum's ground floor
TICKETS
Entrance to the exhibition is free. A free admission ticket is required from the Museum Ticket Desk.
Group bookings from 15 to 30 persons are made online at groupbookings
@theacropolismuseum.gr.
The use of headphones is recommended for the best quality of the guided tours. It is also recommended that the distribution of the headphones to the group members takes place before entering the exhibition.
LANGUAGES
Guided tours in Greek and in English from the Museum Archaeologists. More info below.
Greek and English signage.
IMAGES
VIDEO
EXHIBITION AREAS
GALLERY TALKS
Original ancient artifacts from Mesopotamia and the southeastern Mediterranean engage in dialogue with contemporary artworks by the internationally acclaimed Iraqi-American artist Michael Rakowitz, weaving together human relationships and stories of the past, present, and future. Join the Museum’s archaeologists on a guided tour in the Temporary Exhibitions Gallery and discover artistic creations that bear witness to painful historical events that led to the violent displacement and migration of people and cultural assets due to war and colonialism. At the same time, these works raise questions of cultural identity, loss, and survival through a conceptual and political lens.
USEFUL INFORMATION
Friday / Saturday, 18:00 pm
Exhibition opening
12 May 2025, 7 pm | Temporary Exhibition Gallery
Welcome speeches, 9 pm | Acropolis Museum Restaurant balcony.
The exhibition will be open from 7-10 pm (last entry to the exhibition: 9:45 pm) | Cocktail at the Acropolis Museum Restaurant balcony.
Public Programme
13 May, 6:30 pm | Lecture
Of Gods and Kings: The Material Legacy of Mesopotamia, Eternal Yet Fragile
Kiersten Neumann, PhD, Curator, Research Associate, Lecturer, Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures & Department of Art History, University of Chicago.
Moderated by Rachel Donadio, Journalist & Public Programme Advisor
Location | Acropolis Museum (auditorium "Dimitrios Pantermalis") | Free Entrance
The land between the two rivers, the cradle of civilization, the fertile crescent, the birthplace of great empires—Mesopotamia is known by many names. Yet these only begin to capture a land deeply inscribed with a rich tapestry of peoples, places, and enduring legacies. From the votive-filled mudbrick temples of the Early Dynastic period to the richly adorned monumental palaces of the Neo-Assyrian Empire, from portable stone statues to colossal guardian figures, from colonial-era excavations to modern exhibitions and ongoing preservation initiatives, Mesopotamian objects and their material worlds tell a story of cultural traditions, political power, economic networks, artistic ingenuity, and resilient identities layered across time.
This talk traces the intricate journey of these artifacts—from their creation and significance in antiquity to their modern rediscovery, from scholarly study and public display to widespread displacement, irreparable destruction, and the determined efforts to preserve them. In dialogue with the Allspice exhibition at the Museum of the Acropolis, it further reflects on the persistence of cultural memory and critical artistic engagements—among them The invisible enemy should not exist, the ongoing project of Iraqi-American artist Michael Rakowitz, that confronts erasure and reimagines Mesopotamia’s enduring presence in the modern world.
17 May, 6:30 pm | Conversation
Artist Michael Rakowitz in conversation with one of the two exhibition curators, Elina Kountouri, Director of NEON.
Moderated by Rachel Donadio, Journalist & Public Programme Advisor
Location | Acropolis Museum (auditorium "Dimitrios Pantermalis") | Free Entrance
As part of the exhibition Allspice, the Iraqi-American artist Michael Rakowitz will discuss with one of the exhibition’s two curators, Elina Kountouri, Director of NEON. The discussion will be moderated by Rachel Donadio, journalist and advisor to the exhibition’s public program.
The conversation will explore Rakowitz’s multifaceted practice, which engages in dialogue with antiquities from the Middle East and the southeastern Mediterranean. His work addresses themes of loss and restoration, as well as the formation of new cultural identities. Rakowitz’s deeply political practice spans the past three decades and encompasses a range of media, including sculpture, film, performative actions, and installations.
21 May, 9 pm | Film Screening
PERSEPOLIS, Marjane Satrapi | A collaboration between NEON, the Acropolis Museum and Cinobo
Location | Cine Paris (Kydathinaion 22, Plaka, Athens) | Free Entrance. Pre-reservation required. Reservations open on 14 May at 17:00 at more.gr
NEON, the Acropolis Museum and Cinobo present a special open-air screening of Persepolis (2007), the animated film adaptation of Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical comic book. The screening is part of the public program for the exhibition Allspice | Michael Rakowitz and Ancient Cultures, held at Cine Paris.
Using a distinctive black-and-white animation with personal storytelling, Persepolis portrays Satrapi’s youth in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and her later experiences in exile. The film explores themes of identity, resistance, and the impact of political unrest on personal freedom. It has received international recognition, including the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature.
