The Rhodes Association for Architectural and Cultural Heritage, as part of the parallel program of the 2026 Contemporary Ceramics Biennale, is organizing a hands-on workshop on Friday, October 9, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at the Archaeological Museum of Rhodes and the English House. The guest speaker is Dr. Marlen Mouliou, Assistant Professor of Museology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.
The workshop poses a series of questions about our relationship with museums and their exhibits: How can our gaze in a museum unexpectedly encounter objects that will stir our minds and souls? How can this connection be personal and poetic? How do we connect with the world of museums, and how do we connect with one another as visitors? How are creativity and curiosity linked to a love of life, and how do museums help us experience this? Through which senses can we experience the objects in museums? Do museums deserve our love, and can they have a healing effect on us?
The goal of the workshop is to spark new ideas and perspectives on the museum as a concept and as a place of culture and connection to our lives. The program includes:
- A brief presentation on the social and spiritual dimensions of museums
- Experiential exercises
- Creative discussion
The presenter, Dr. Marlen Mouliou is an Assistant Professor of Museology in the Department of History and Archaeology at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and a member of the Special Interdepartmental Committee of the Master’s Program in Museum Studies. She is responsible for Public Archaeology initiatives at the University Excavation at Plasi, Marathon, and serves as coordinator of the Open Workshops and initiatives fostering collaboration between the university and theCitizens’ Alliance within the framework of the CIVIS Alliance of European Universities. In 2023, she received a research fellowship from the Fulbright Foundation in Greece, and she is a member of the EPISY Research Group “KOSTAS STEFANIS” Research Group for the Cultural Prescription project. She has served as a judge for museum awards in Europe (European Museum of the Year Award), Vice President of the UNIVERSEUM European Heritage Network, and President of the International Committee on Collections and Activities of City Museums (ICOM-CAMOC). She worked for 16 years as an archaeologist and museologist at the Ministry of Culture, and in 2020 she founded the participatory initiative “The Museum Within Me.” More information about her work is available on the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA) website.
Participation in the workshop is free; however, registration via the ArtVolt app is required.
Host Sponsor: Barbair M.I.K.E. – Antonis Iliopoulos
Media Sponsors: Lychnari Radio, Lotus Magazine