September, 2026
202625Sep(Sep 25)18:0015Nov(Nov 15)19:00
Event Details
HEIDI BUCHER CENTENNIAL EVENTS
A two-part exhibition program in Athens celebrates the centenary of Swiss artist Heidi Bucher
at
The American College of Greece in collaboration with Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art
Curated by Dr Ziba Ardalan
Athens, Greece | September 26 – November 15, 2026 | Admission Free and open to the public
Heidi Bucher: Oraío Spíti (Beautiful House)
ACG Plaka Building
17b Ipitou Street, Athens, GR 105 57
Opening reception: Friday September 25, 18:00-21:00
Bodyshells performance at 20:15
Opening hours in Plaka:
Wednesday-Friday: 12:00-19:00
Saturdays 12:00-17:00
The Frances Rich School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences of The American College of Greece and Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art, in collaboration with The Demos Center of The American College of Greece, present Heidi Bucher Centennial Events, a major two-part exhibition program marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Swiss artist Heidi Bucher (1926-1993). The program takes place across two ACG venues in Athens from September 26 to November 15, 2026. Together, the two exhibitions explore the lasting influence of Bucher’s time in Greece —a relatively underexplored chapter of her life— through the themes of transience and metamorphosis.
Titled “Heidi Bucher: Oraío Spíti”, the exhibition at The ACG Plaka Building hosts smaller works connected to Bucher’s time on Mykonos in the summers of 1960 and 1961 and explores the lasting influence of Cycladic architecture on her practice. While on Mykonos, Bucher often referred in her notebooks to the startlingly white, cube-shaped Cycladic houses as ‘Spiti Oreo’ [oraío spíti], Greek words which translate to ”beautiful house”. Having grown up in a patriarchal environment, Bucher became to see the house as a complex symbol of isolation, submission, and a reason for rebellion. As she explored the house as a site of transformation and metamorphosis, it developed into a recurring motif in her oeuvre. Her iconic sculptural work, Bodyshells, are among her most innovative interpretations of the house. With her family, Bucher wore these large enclosures on Venice Beach in Los Angeles to create a performance. Made of synthetic foam, Bodyshells may have been inspired by the moon-landings of the late sixties and were made to signal a home, a protective barrier between the body and its surroundings. Their iridescent mother-of-pearl coating further emphasized themes of transience and metamorphosis, which recur in Bucher’s work. At both exhibition previews, Bodyshells will be activated through performances by students of The American College of Greece.
Heidi Bucher: An Encounter with Maro Fasouli, Ismini Samanidou, Kleopatra Tsali and Paky Vlassopoulou
The ACG Art Gallery
6 Gravias Street, Aghia Paraskevi, GR 15342
Opening reception:
Saturday September 26, 11:00-15:00
Bodyshells performance at 12:00
Opening hours in Aghia Paraskevi:
Wednesday-Friday: 15:00-19:00
Saturdays: 12:00-16:00
Titled “Heidi Bucher: An Encounter with Maro Fasouli; Ismini Samanidou; Kleopatra Tsali and Paky Vlassopoulou”, the exhibition at The ACG Art Gallery presents larger works by Bucher, including Häutungen (skinnings), Bodyshells and their performance videos, alongside works by four contemporary Greek women artists responding to key themes in Bucher’s oeuvre. Drawing on lived traditions from the island of Tinos, Maro Fasouli brings together three textile works that explore dwelling and the memory of domestic space and anonymous custom art. Responding to Bucher’s exploration of the home as a temporal condition and a site of transformation, as well as to the color blue (indigo) prominent in her watercolors, Ismini Samanidou creates an installation across multiple media, informed by memories of childhood spent on various Cycladic islands. Kleopatra Tsali’s soft fabric structure, dyed by hand with Naxian emery, evoke Bucher’s skinnings, while her other works explore shelter, embodied forms of protection, and moments of transformation. Paky Vlassopoulou also employs her memories from the island of Tinos, in a magnetising minimalist Cycladic inverted figure, made of clay and straw, which references the female body as space, skin, nature and finally as home.
Participating artists: Maro Fasouli, Ismini Samanidou, Kleopatra Tsali,Paky Vlassopoulou
The ACG Αrt Collection & Gallery team: Ioanna Papapavlou, Dr. Ana S. González Rueda, Katerina Milesi
Performances: ACG students
Choreography: Dr. Daphne Mourelou (Program Coordinator, Dance Area, Deree – The American College of Greece)
Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art Team
Founding Director and Curator: Dr Ziba Ardalan
Assistant to the Director and PR Coordinator: Judith Lignières
Exhibition Assistant and Editorial Coordinator: Lynn Ha
Specialist Technician: Jonathan Kelly
Special thanks to Dean Helena Maragou, Ms. Niki Kladakis, Dr. Daphne Mourelou of the Dance Area. Thanks to Vivian Giannopoulou, Nicky Theodorou and Georgia Dassyra from the Events team, Marinos Klouras, Nasia Ntinopoulou, George Papastogiannoudis, Nikolas Fronimos, Nefeli Alexandraki for the Marketing and PR of the exhibition, Michalis Orontis and the security team, George Kyrodimos, Nassos Sopilis, John Fetalidis, Victor Zafeiropoulos and Christos Papadopoulos as well as Georgia, Fevranoglou, Rene Fragkou, Antonis Kontopoulos, Haris Gialelis, Stavros Theofilou, Dimitris Fakinos, Christos Matzios, Manolis Sideris, Stelios Teloniatis, Giannis Gerakellis, John Poulakis, Stavros Karadimitriou, Alekos Potamianos, Giannis Kontopoulos and Takis Moschidis for the technical assistance.
About The Frances Rich School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
The Frances Rich School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences offers a dynamic curriculum designed to cultivate the student’s critical mind and creative potential, while preparing them for success in the social and professional arenas. At a time of global unrest, marked by economic inequalities, the rise of artificial intelligence, and climate change, arts, humanities and social sciences education takes center stage in any higher education institution that caters to the present while looking to the future. In line with our vision and mission, our humanities and social sciences programs offer a broad as well as in-depth exposure to knowledge that fosters refined understanding, global consciousness, and ability to deploy creative synthesis, which is the foundation of critical, innovative thought. Our arts programs, run by distinguished academics and practitioners, offer a well-rounded arts education that blends theoretical knowledge with practical training and rich opportunities for creative self-expression.
About Demos Center
The Demos Center of The American College of Greece is a place where we strengthen democracy by encouraging active citizenship. This is reflected in its mission, partnerships and programing. Located in the heart of Plaka, the Center hosts exhibitions, debates, and cultural programs that strengthen democratic values and active citizenship. Through diverse programming and community partnerships, Demos creates space for cross-cultural exchange and civic participation. The Demos’s motto is “devote the rest of your life to making progress” and in that sentiment encourage the youth of Athens to come to The Demos Center to be inspired and energized.
About Parasol unit
Founded in 2004 by art historian and curator Dr Ziba Ardalan, Parasol unit foundation for contemporary art is a non-profit organisation that operates purely for the public benefit. Central to the Parasol unit philosophy is its pledge to support artists and their creative endeavours, an attitude which leads to lasting relationships between each exhibiting artist and the foundation.
