Αn arts programme inspired by the act of unboxing made popular by online communities - that is, a ritual process documenting first contact with an object. Taking the new production of Medea as its point of departure, this first part of the Unboxing Callas programme sees Vassilis Zidianakis invite the visual artist Panos Profitis to undertake a multi-format art experiment titled From Callas to Medea - An Installation in Three Acts, to be installed for the first time inside the foyer spaces of the Greek National Opera at the SNFCC. Core to the work is Callas’ striking, high-relief profile, through which the story of Medea unfolds in the sculptural installation created by Panos Profitis. Meanwhile, the fifth-floor Foyer of the GNO will host a presentation of archival materials relating to the production of Medea at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus that starred Maria Callas, alongside materials from performances of Medea given in Dallas, London, and Milan. Drawings and fragments of the costumes by Yannis Tsarouchis, as well as the notes and director’s books of Alexis Minotis enter into discourse with select sketches and sculptural elements (casts and moulds) by Panos Profitis in what is a diachronic exploration of artistic takes on the Medea myth, without ever losing sight of how these intertwine with the legend surrounding Callas.

The following three acts comprise the installation:

a sculptural installation, set on the ground and fifth floors of the Foyer

a video installation, running simultaneously on all the screens of the Foyer, across all its floors and

a performance that actuates the installation as a whole.