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Bridging Cultures (Back)

Bridging Cultures, 370m²

Samos, Greece, 2025

Dr. Jan-Marc Henke
Visual Identity by BEND
Photography by Vasso Paraschi

The exhibition Bridging Cultures: 100 Years of Greek-German Archeology on Samos, was created in collaboration with the German Archeological Institute in Athens, as well as the Schwarz Foundation. The exhibition took place at the Art Space Pythagorion on the island of Samos.

The exhibition, taking place on the 100th anniversary of archaeological research conducted by the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) on Samos, sheds lights on the historical relationship the institute has shared with the island and its inhabitants. Visitors are walked through the many discoveries made on the island, as well as their impact on understanding the interconnected nature of Samos; a strategically positioned society within the ancient Mediterranean world, which fostered cultural exchange with nations ranging from Europe to the Levant.

Since the exhibition was of academic nature, primarily consisting of texts and photographs from the photo archive of the DAI, we focused the exhibition design on an interactive multi-layered approach for display.

In the main exhibition room, the texts, printed in blue on a white background, were displayed on large MDF wall panels. A long white metallic ‘ribbon’ structure was created as a display surface for photographs illustrating the text. The ribbon was designed as a modular system to facilitate reuse. It was composed of three types of units that were repeated sequentially and followed the asymmetrical walls of the space. The ribbon structure reappeared in other spaces in slightly different forms: as a bench in a projection room, and as a weather-proof display table in the exterior space by the harbor.

Large floor to ceiling banners displaying magnified line drawings from the DAI’s archive were also created, separating the different themes of the exhibition room. They were printed in white on a blue background, reminiscent of old architectural blueprints.

A secondary entrance, facing the harbor’s playground, served as an independently functional exterior exhibition space, providing passers-by with information on the ancient port. Three large decorative sails, adorned with small decorative nautical flags, were installed above the entrance, offering shade and movement to this space.

One of the art center’s exterior spaces was dedicated to referencing ancient temple rituals. An oversized blue metallic bowl was designed to contain a small mound of terracotta debris and three small ceramic church incense holders, which diffused a deep scent of myrrh that would seep into the interior exhibition spaces.