SIGHT
SIGHT | ANTONY GORMLEY, Archeological Site of Delos, 2019 © Oak Taylor Smith
As the warmth and long days synonymous of summer become increasingly but a distant memory, and as winter’s chill slowly creeps into our everyday, it is difficult not to reminisce of all those experiences amassed during the past months. One particular experience that has remained vivid in my mind, memories of it drifting into my thoughts with surprising regularity, is the exhibition Sight on the sacred (and ancient) island of Delos, in Greece. 
Delos is quite literally a granite rock in the middle of the Cycladic Islands spanning less than 5km long and 1.5km wide. Yet, this tiny island is home to what is perhaps the most important mythological, historical, and archeological sites in Greece. Delos is the land upon which Leto (Zeus’ mortal lover) found refuge from Hera’s wrath and birthed the twins Apollo (god of light) and Artemis (goddess of the hunt). Their birth ensured the island’s destiny of prosperity, making it a place of myth, ritual, politics, trade and multiculturalism: in its heyday, the island’s topography and geographical location made it a “singular cosmopolitan Hellenistic town”. From May to the end of October this year, Delos is also home to 29 sculptures by British artist Sir Antony Gormley. To put into perspective how significant this is, Gormley’s sculptures are the first artworks to be installed on Delos since it was last inhabited over 5000 years ago. Brought to life by NEON in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades, and curated by Whitechapel Gallery’s, Iwona Blazwick OBE, and NEON’s, Elina Kountouri, Sight offers an unprecedented, site specific installation that hopes to alter how people approach ancient monuments, by transforming the ancient sites that were once public squares, temples and homes, into sites of “empathy and imaginative projection”. 
Antony Gormley, 6 Times Left, 2009, Archeological Site of Delos, 2019
For the duration of the exhibition Sight, Delos is repopulated with Gormley’s ‘bodyforms’. The exhibition aims to restore a sense of human presence; to create a “journey of potential encounters”. The 29 sculptures (5 of which were commissioned by NEON specifically for the installation) are dotted amongst the archeological site, both in its periphery and integrated within the ruins themselves. The result is haunting, and in many ways, thought-provoking. As Delos is an archeological site, it serves as a portal into the past; a lesson in history and mythology. Gormley’s sculptures create a sense of presence in that they catapult the ancient ruins into the present - the sculptures are after all contemporary creations in relation to the ancient ruins that they, for a limited time, inhabit. In considering the art form of sculpture, realising that they are static entities is also important in engaging with the exhibition, for whilst they do create an unparalleled sense of presence, they are also by definition suspended in time. This creates an eerie sense of stillness, and shifts the focus entirely onto Gormley’s ability to use sculpture as a way of marking space and time.As visitors arrive to Delos (exclusively by boat from neighbouring islands such as Mykonos, Paros, and Naxos), they catch a glimpse of one of Gormley’s lone figures before even setting foot on the island. Upon landing on the island and entering to explore the ruins, visitors are given the opportunity to embark on a treasure hunt of sorts to find all the sculptures whilst simultaneously learning about and exploring the ancient ruins. The result is exciting to say the least. Perhaps one of the the most important accomplishments for the curatorial team bringing this exhibition to life was to create a balance between the archeological site itself and the sculptures. To display contemporary sculptures in a space so laden with cultural and spiritual significance, has to be done with a deep sense of reverence for the land and what it stands for; as to distract from the ancient ruins would have been criminal. The placement of the sculptures compliments the ruins, bringing them to life in a wholly new way, and invites visitors to consider what life may have been like for those that inhabited the island all these centuries ago. This continuous dialogue between the archaeological site and the sculptures is, arguably, what makes this exhibition so impactful.
SIGHT | ANTONY GORMLEY, Archeological Site of Delos, 2019 © Oak Taylor Smith
It is important to note that in many ways, Gormley’s sculptures are reminiscent of kouros, free standing Ancient Greek sculptures that represent male youths. Such a connection is fitting as kouroi served many functions, including the representation of Apollo, but also the commemoration of mortal man (and women, in the form of kore). Such a link makes the exhibition more poignant and fitting to the overarching setting. Additionally, amongst the sculptures, the majority of which are evidently representative of the human form, are also sculptures that deconstruct the idea of the human form. By placing a combination of these throughout the archeological site, a dialogue is created between sculpture and ruins that guides the visitor into considering notions of both humanity and the structures that humans build, how these are preserved, and what more we can learn from them moving forward.
Words by Arietta Chandris
