The tiny Greek town of Eleusis has fascinated writers, mystics and adventurers of all nationalities and times. The cradle of Aeschylus maintains a poetic aura that is intermingled with a past marked by the Eleusinian mysteries, very important secret initiation rites in antiquity -revealing them entailed the death penalty-, in honor of the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone, whose relationship explains, according to mythology, the seasons of the year.
The mysteries of this city, designated European Capital of Culture in 2023, are collected by thinkers, politicians and philosophers of all ages. Marco Tulio Cicero wrote that the Eleusinian mysteries showed "not only the art of living pleasantly, but that of dying with hope", while Georg W. Hegel dedicated a poem to him in which he asks that "jump and open the doors of your sanctuary, oh Ceres who reigned in Eleusis! Friedrich Nietzsche, Albert Camus, Virginia Woolf and Henry Miller have also visited and theorized about a territory that undoubtedly promotes thought.
One of the phrases of this last author gives us clues, however, of the changes that the city has undergone in recent years: "Eleusis lives eternally in the midst of a world that is dying." And Miller was not wrong, since the savage years of industrialization filled the streets with factories that covered the archaeological sites in thick smoke.It is only recently, after the great abandonment of buildings as a result of the 2008 crisis, that Eleusis has begun to question this industrial past and promote a future sustainable.
It is precisely in this context that the designation of Eleusis as the European Capital of Culture in 2023 arises. This transnational project, curiously, has its origin in Greece, since Athens was the first cultural capital of the continent in 1985. And it has not been the only Greek territory to join the list, since Thessaloniki did so in 1997 and Patras in 2006. In addition, and due to the pandemic, Eleusis this year shares the capital with Veszprém, in Hungary, and with Timisoara, in Romania .
The anniversary will be celebrated in Greek lands through hundreds of events in different facilities, with some thirty artists from all over the world who will turn Eleusis into an open-air museum. The program of events, devised by Michail Marmarinos, is called Mysterios de la transition and proposes to link classical mysticism with contemporary art. One of the ways to do this is to convert abandoned industrial spaces, such as a paint and varnish factory, a railway station or an oil mill factory, into new art centers.
The concept "mystery", followed by a random number, will name most of the activities that will be held and that revolve around three thematic axes: people and society, work and the environment. During the opening ceremony, on February 4, the Mystery 99 - The Ark was presented, among others. Under this name, the Belgian collective TimeCircus crossed the three thousand kilometers between Antwerp and Eleusis for nine months with a boat-shaped vehicle moved by themselves, in an action reminiscent of the Sacred Way between Athens and Eleusis that, in the ancient Greece, had to be done on foot.
Among the current activities, Mystery 17 - Melina in the old mill factory stands out, an exhibition that reviews the life and influence of Melina Mercouri, Greek actress and politician who devised the concept of European Capital of Culture in the eighties; and also Mystery 177 - Visions of the underworld, which proposes parallels with the famous secret cult in a space that formerly housed a bowling alley. On the other hand, Mystery 44 - The Seven Columns by Heiner Goebbels is an interactive installation that transforms an old oil factory into a Telesterion, the initiation room to the Eleusinian mysteries.
In the coming months, in addition, more exhibitions and installations will be inaugurated throughout the town. This is the case of Mystery 84 - Panigíri, which will take advantage of the Sant Jordi festival, which is also celebrated in Greece, to organize a film festival in real time that will reflect on the working class in Europe. Starting in September, it will also be possible to visit the Mystery 11 - Ma, an experimental show devised by Romeo Castellucci that allows you to tour the most famous archaeological site in the area on foot. In fact, a visit to this site is a must, especially now that the new museum has been inaugurated and the clock tower has been rehabilitated.
While walking through the narrow contemporary streets, and very close to the promenade, it is easy for the walker to come across a large graffiti in the form of a phrase, which occupies the entire wall of a local house. In it, another famous character of philosophy gives his vision of that past world that the new capital makes resonate more than ever. We talk about Seneca and his invitation to his return: "Eleusis always keeps something to show those who come again." And the only thing he asks of us is to look, understand and change.
