Heritage Management is a discipline which refers to those who are in fact madly infatuated with all cultural aspects of the past, present and future. It is very difficult to put in words what it is that a Heritage Manager does, however all of us who decided to “make heritage our business”, have something very specific in mind for our future endeavours.
Having practical experience on the matters which are taught during any course is of prime importance. Engaging in an activity is the only way of gaining real experience, and everyone knows that experience counts more than any theoretical background.
So that’s what we did, we put theory into practice in the form of an art exhibition. From finding the space to host the exhibition, contacting the artists, getting sponsors, creating educational activities, curating the show to managing all social media and press releases, we did it all. A small group of MA students managed to organise an exhibition.
Needless to say, we are really excited, but also scared at the same time, as this is for many of us, the first time we get to do something which we really love and believe in.
Hopefully the results will be rewarding and the experience will be a proper way to start our journey in the field of Heritage Management.

Hasmik Altunyan has studied Political Science and History at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences and is interested in the modern representations of historical heritage traits in European and Eastern societies.

The Heritage Management Organization’s mission supports the interests of professional development cultural institutions in Athens and abroad. The HMO hosted the Temporary Exhibitions workshop as part of its Executive Leadership series of workshops and seminars in November 2015 at the Benaki Museum in central Athens. Two of the MA students attended the workshop; here are some reflections.
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Looking for wedding dresses is not just an activity that only future brides can enjoy, at least not since the magnificent bridal exhibition has come to the Benaki Museum! This exhibition presents a large collection of wedding clothing from the 19th to the dawn of the 21st century and is organized by the Peloponnesian Folklore Foundation with the collaboration of the Benaki Museum.

Going around this exhibition, you can see the variety and change in traditional clothing: from the most traditional Greek wedding dress to the more widespread influence of European fashion. From the elegant and simple style of the 19th century to the most fascinating and eccentric wedding dresses of the 21st century, this exhibition shows how the style of wedding dresses is intrinsically linked and inspired by the latest trends in fashion.

The collection is rich with bridal artifacts and is accompanied by appropriate photographic material of the brides during their ceremonies. In these photographs, you can recognize the customs of a specific period of time and some of them show the groom’s fashion as well. Each dress is unique and has its own style; different shapes, textiles, colors, lengths, even the tiniest differences can indicate the background of the bride and the morals of the era. These dresses have been worn by actual brides and there are labels below each article clothing that identify the name of the bride along with the year and location of the wedding.

This exhibition is a big attraction, not only for “fashion lovers,” but for people that are interested in Greek tradition and history, as weddings are a telling indicator of culture!

Photo Credit: Villy Zafeiri

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Villy (Paraskevi) Zafeiri is a student of the MA in Heritage Management 2013. She has studied Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art and with a focus on stone conservation. She has worked in museum conservation laboratories, in the public sector and on excavations as well. Besides conservation of antiquities she is an ”art lover” mainly interested in modern art.

Recently, I attended the Antikythera Shipwreck exhibition at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. The exhibition is set up in such a way as to see the ceramic pots, bronze/marble sculpture, glassware, and gold jewelry represented in the context with which they were found. The walls of the gallery were painted a deep blue with the ceramics  displayed on sand that covered the ground against a backdrop of scuba divers. The light effects played against the walls like waves further adding to the visual illusion of an underwater landscape. Sculptures were shown only half preserved to better convey the state in which they were found: crystalized in centuries of coral, sand, and sea salt.The exhibition was open and easy to walk through. In the first gallery, a large flat screen television played footage of the underwater excavations. This was my favorite component of the exhibit.

As you reach the end of the collection, the famous Antikythera Mechanism is proudly on display with a three-dimensional digital replica rotating behind it. This enables the visitors to understand the individual components that were found to the Mechanism as well as their intricate functions. A documentary is screened also in 3D within the display room of the Mechanism, detailing its findings in the shipwreck and the methods used to uncover its highly advanced utility.
The exhibition was originally supposed to run from April 2012-December 2013 but has been extended through June 2014. Pictures are allowed to be taken without flash and with one other odd rule forbidding visitors from posing in any way that imitates the sculptures. Silly, but should not dissuade anyone from experiencing the one of a kind collection of this wreckage and its treasures.

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Sabrina Nieblas is currently a student of the innovative MA in Heritage Management 2013. During her undergraduate career, she studied museum practices and public relations. Sabrina seeks to utilize her skill set in the expanding field of sustainable tourism, specifically in the region of Mesoamerica.