The Minotaur hangs out with Medusa and Scylla in “Greek Monsters” show at Onassis Cultural Center (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Onassis Cultural Center NY
Olympic Tower Atrium
641 Fifth Ave. between 51st & 52nd Sts.
Daily through August 24, free, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
www.onassisusa.org
www.beetroot.gr
Who let the monsters out? While the downstairs Onassis Cultural Center is undergoing renovation, the Olympic Tower Atrium in Midtown has been overrun with mythical creatures of all shapes and sizes. But there’s nothing scary about these adorably cute black, orange, and white symbolic figures that hail from Ancient Greek literature and evoke Athenian vase painting of the fourth to sixth centuries BCE. Created by the award-winning design firm Beetroot as a response to the European demonization of Greece because of its severe financial problems, the exhibition “The Greek Monsters” has been traveling for several years, including stops at the Alte Münze Berlin and the Benaki Museum in Athens. Consisting of big and small sculptures, bas-reliefs, and a stenciled mural, the show will remain on view in the atrium through Sunday, August 24. Polyphemus, the Cyclops who is the son of Poseidon and Thoosa, stands guard over the revolving doors of the south entrance, attended by three of his sheep, while man-eating Stymphalian birds, who battled Hercules, fly over the north doors. The giant Minotaur, one hand covering his right eye, the other on his left knee, seemingly hides in a corner (in front of Medusa and Scylla), not looking nearly as menacing as he probably did when he fought Theseus. Among the other “misunderstood monsters,” purposely humanized by Beetroot, are Cerberus, Pan, Chimera, and the Sirens. Poems and verse accompany many of the figures; the Lernaean Hydra is described with the couplet “Her breath reeked of fire and poison / But her middle head was immortal,” while the Cyclops declares, “I have one eye / Although it looks at everything / It captures only what I wish.” And as a whole, they proclaim in unison, “We are the monsters in your head / We are your monsters.” And we wouldn’t be the same without them.