Warhol's Icons Meet Byzantine Heritage in Athens Double Exhibition

A double exhibition in Athens explores the religious dimension of Andy Warhol's work, juxtaposing his celebrity portraits with Byzantine icons. Curated by Paul Moorhouse from Tate Modern, the show runs from October 7, 2009, to January 10, 2010, at two venues: the Byzantine and Christian Museum (featuring 30 portraits in a chronological and thematic layout) and the gallery Potnia Thiron – Bank of Attention (displaying about 100 Screen Tests). Moorhouse argues that Warhol's portraits function as modern icons, questioning the true price of fame and the new aura of celebrity, which the artist perceived in religious icons. The exhibition is structured in three acts: the 1960s focus on 'ready-made icons' like Jackie Kennedy and Troy Donahue; the 1970s show increased artificiality with subjects like Diana and Prince Charles; and the final room, dominated by 18 Multicoloured Marilyns (Reversal Series) and three 1986 self-portraits arranged as a Byzantine triptych, evokes a dark, funereal atmosphere where the figure merges with its pictorial trace. Visitors must first traverse the entire museum's collection of Byzantine icons to reach the Warhol galleries, creating a deliberate confrontation between pop imagery and sacred art. The exhibition was commissioned by Elisavet Lyra and curated by Paul Moorhouse, who previously worked on the Andy Warhol retrospective at the Grand Palais in Paris, where curator Alain Cueff highlighted the religious influence on Warhol's imagery.