ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF THESSALONIKI: 60 YEARS | 60 MOMENTS

On 27 October 1962 the city inaugurates its new archaeological museum with great pomp. This year, 60 years later, we commemorate this important anniversary with an exhibition that highlights 60 emblematic moments in the history of the largest and oldest archaeological museum in northern Greece.

The exhibition narrative follows a timeline that starts from the beginning of this journey and through 60 stations reaches the present day. A complex web is woven over it, which, with projections and flashbacks in time, expands the frame each time and intertwines the past with the present in a dynamic way.

Emblematic exhibitions that left their indelible mark, important excavations that changed the archaeological map of Macedonia, accidental finds that made history, donations from collectors and citizens’ traditions that enriched the museum’s collections, exhibitions on tour and abroad, innovative tools in protection, conservation and archaeometric research, inclusive communication activities and educational programmes, experimental workshops, meetings of scientific dialogue, contemporary artistic explorations, diffusion experiences, and the development of new and innovative approaches to the museum’s collections.

More than 274 exhibits, mainly retrieved from the storerooms, together with visual and audio material and other evidence, tell short stories that link not only yesterday with today but also the city with the museum, reflecting the events and the climate of each era. The inspiring graphic design stands out, while the design of the exhibition titles is based on the font of an old museum stamp. Finally, some exhibition sections are developed in the logic of installations, transforming contemporary objects into exhibits and conveying the content with a contemporary visual perspective. The aim is for the exhibits, texts and visual material to complement each other and tell our many stories vividly.

A special area dedicated to children and their families was created within the exhibition, with suggestions for activities, and a board game inspired by the history of the museum and the 60th anniversary. In addition, a short film created especially for the exhibition will be shown and palm devices with interactive digital applications will be available to visitors.

Our aim is to create through the exhibition a map of living memory that will highlight the special identity of the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum, which has been actively shaped since its early years of operation, a museum with vision and extroversion.

The exhibition is presented in two halls of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki and will run from 27 October 2022 to 31 October 2023.