The Art Gallery will be installed in the recently restored and appropriately rearranged areas of the former Museum of the Monastery, which were completed last year on occasion of the celebration for the 150 years from the Arkadic Self-Sacrifice of 1866. It is on the first floor of the building, at the ground floor of which the Museum Collection of the Sacred Monastery is exhibited.
The exhibits of the Art Gallery include works of past and more modern artists, inspired both by the ultimate sacrifice of the Holocaust of the Monastery and its general historic and spiritual course through time.
Among those stand out eight paintings by Popy Pavlakis, five of which were donated to the Sacred Monastery of Arkadi by the Municipality of Rethymno and the Museum of Modern Art of Crete, following a proposal of the artist’s doughter, Ms. Irene Ioannidis-Soetaert; the painting of artist Nikolaos Ferekeidis, published as of 1938 in the book of the well-known Metropolitan of Crete Timotheos Veneris “Arkadi through time”, which the Monastery recently obtained; three pieces of work that were already at the Monastery and draw their themes from it, by Rata, Kirmizakis and Kyriakou, two pieces by Mr. Leonidas Kaounis, which he courteously donated to the Monastery, a piece by the artist from Herakleion Ioannis Maravas, inspired by Theodoros Vryzakis’ 1867 painting about Arkadi as well as a painting by the contemporary artist from Rethymno Mr. Nikolaos Glynias, which he brought and offered himself at the opening ceremony, in view of having it included in the exhibits of the Gallery of Arkadi.
It is worth noting that the Gallery now also hosts the recently restored wood crafted frame in which the Historic Flag of Arkadi was kept for several decades at the previous Museum of the Monastery. It is a piece of work made by Moundrianakis factory upon care of the Bishop of Rethymnon and Avlopotamos of the time, Timotheos Veneris.
The event for the inauguration of the Art Gallery, coordinated by Mr Manos Pantelidakis, Secretary of the Sacred Monastery of Arkadi, took place in the yard of the Monastery. It started with the greeting of Mr. Georgios Marinakis, Mayor of Rethymno, who praised the spiritual and cultural progress and development of Arkadi that has marked the last years with the aid of our Local Church. Then followed Ms. Maria Maragou, Artistic Manager of the Museum of Modern Art of Crete, who referred to the donation of Popi Pavlakis’ pieces by the Museum to the Sacred Monastery and expressed her happiness to have the said pieces of work exhibited in their natural location, where they were actually inspired from and created by the famous painter.
Further on, the daughter of the late Popi Pavlakis, Ms. Irene Ioannidis-Soetaert, who came from Paris where she lives to attend the Inauguration of the Art Gallery made an emotional reference to her mother’s life and work and expressed her happiness to see the paintings related to Arkadi at the historic Monastery. Besides, Ms. Ioannidis was the first to express the idea of having her mother’s works donated to Arkadi. Finally, Mr. Emmaouil Gorgoraptis, theologist and Secretary of the Organization for the Administration of Monastery Property of the Region of Rethymno, made a detailed presentation of the works exhibited in the Gallery.
The Quintet of Brass Wind Instruments “Rithy Brass” of the Municipal Philharmonic of Rethymno played the music for the event, with a musical performance prepared by Mr. Antonios Mavrakis, Head of the Independent Department for Culture and Musical Education of the Municipality of Rethymno. Mr. Mavrakis was accompanied by the musicians Ms. Antigoni Arabatzoglou, Mr. Antonios Dakakis, Mr. Alexandros Skebi, Mr. Pantelis Sykakis and Mr. Antonios Zacharakis.
Closing the event, His Eminence the Metropolitan of Rethymno and Avlopotamos Mr. Evgenios warmly thanked those who contributed to the creation of the Art Gallery as well as those who came to honor the event. Expressing the satisfaction of our Local Church to the protagonists of this operation, he praised Mr. Georgios Marinakis, Ms Maria Maragou, Ms Irene Ioannidis-Soetaert, Mr. Leonidas Kaounis and Mr. Ioannis Maravas. In addition, he praised Mr. Antonios Mavrakis for the performance of the musical scheme under his direction.
Our Bishop stressed that the purpose of the Sacred Metropolis of Rethymno and Avlopotamos as well as of the Sacred Monastery of Arkadi is to constantly enrich the Gallery with works of art inspired by Arkadi and its trajectory through History, as well as to search for and bring back to the Sacred Monastery relics and art that are no longer here.
Finally, before cutting the ribbon for the Inauguration and the entrance of the attendants to the areas of the Art Gallery, a Holy Patriarchal Blessing Letter was read. It was written by His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch BARTHOLOMEW and read as follows:
“Your Excellency, Metropolitan of Rethymno and Avlopotamos, most honorable Exarch of Upper Crete and the Cretan Sea, much beloved brother in the Holy Spirit and co-worker of our Mediocrity, Mr. Eugenios, grace, mercy and peace by God Almighty accompanied your Holiness.
The Sacred Patriarchal and Stauropegic Monastery of Arkadi holds a special place in the heart of Mother Church. Beside its general historical and spiritual significance, the famous Arkadi holocaust is the ultimate act of heroism and sacrifice, a symbol of love for freedom, which even defeats death itself. This is why any event related to the history of the Sacred Monastery is for our Mediocrity a source of particular pleasure.
Having these feelings, our holy brother, it is with great pleasure that we received the news about the Inauguration of the Art Gallery of the Sacred Monastery of Arkadi, being well aware of the fact that the works exhibited therein are produced by excellent masters of art who were inspired either by the beauty of the Monastery or the dramatic and tragic event of the holocaust, that they speak, through color, to the heart of those seeing them and narrate days of peace and war, quietude and agony, glory and villainy, progress and disaster, all reminding of the total trajectory of the Great Island of Crete and of our Nation through history, following the path that leads, through the cross, to the glory of Resurrection and true freedom. Because we should all bear in mind that the only true freedom is abidance by God; besides, the Sacred Monastery of Arkadi has given this lesson to the people and to the whole world.
Whence, the exhibited artistic production of the painting talent of so many artists, both of the past and contemporary, will not only be for the visitors of this Sacred Monastery “pleasure for the eyes” but they will also trigger them to study the cultural tradition of the glorious historic past of the Monastery and by extension of your Holy Eparchy, always pervaded by the Orthodox spirit of our Mother Sacred Church of Christ.
Therefore, being overwhelmed by the diligence of your dear Holiness and of the brethren of the Sacred Monastery to collect the artistic wealth concerning the monastery, it is with warm congratulations that we grant the Patriarchal blessing of our Mediocrity to all contributors to this significant work, both clergy and the laic, donors and dedicators, artists and non-artists.
In addition, the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the century-long practice of the holy fathers of the Sacred Patriarchal and Stauropegic Monastery of Arkadi, are with your Holiness as well as with the fathers living in it and all pious pilgrims thereof.
July 1st 2017
Dear brother in Christ
† Bartholomew of Constantinople”
The inauguration of the Art Gallery of Arkadi has brought spiritual joy for the members of our Local Church and our Bishop. The opening of one more area of the Sacred Monastery of Arkadi to the numerous pilgrims and visitors arriving from all around the world, fills out a holy duty towards the cultural heritage of the Monastery, which will radiate in this way the message of spiritual freedom to the people.
