Page 95 - ΝUMO 2025

FO L LOW NEON and the artist. The event was attended
Official unveiling of Antony Gormley’s RULE II
(2019) at the newly renovated Archaeological
Museum of Delos, a landmark donation by

THE LIVING Cyclades Dimitris Athanasoulis, NEON Founder
by Deputy Minister of Culture Jason Fotilas,
Director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of
Dimitris Daskalopoulos, NEON Director Elina
Kountouri, and the artist himself (opposite).
RULE II

Antony Gormley’s sculpture RULE II becomes
On the mythic island of De-
Greece’s only permanent contemporary artwork los, where gods are said to have been born
and ancient voices still echo through mar-
within an archaeological site—gifted by NEON ble ruins, a new figure now claims its place
among the sacred relics. RULE II, a minimal-
to the sacred island of Delos.
ist yet monumental sculpture by British art-
ist Antony Gormley, has been permanently
installed outside the Archaeological Museum
of Delos—marking the first time a contem-
porary artwork has been enshrined within a
Greek archaeological site. The work is a gift
from NEON, a forward-thinking Greek cul-
tural organization that brings contemporary
art into public spaces, and from the artist
himself, Antony Gormley—an internationally
acclaimed sculptor known for his meditative,
body-based forms that explore the human
condition in relation to space and time.
Originally conceived for SIGHT, a landmark
exhibition curated by NEON on Delos in 2019,
RULE II now returns to stay. The iron figure,
seated atop a classical capital, becomes ANTONY GORMLEY, 2020. PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN O’ROURKE. PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE EVENT ©MARIA MARAKI. OPPOSITE, ANTONY GORMLEY, RULE II, 2019. INSTALLATION VIEW, SIGHT,
a still point in a turning world—a sentinel AT THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF DELOS ISLAND, 2019. PHOTOGRAPH © NATALIA TSOUKALA | COURTESY NEON; EPHORATE OF ANTIQUITIES OF CYCLADES AND THE ARTIST.
that connects ancient mythology with mod-
ern presence. “I wanted the works to act as
acupuncture points,” Gormley explains, “in-
dicators of human presence in space, and
moments of captured human time.” His ap-
proach resonates profoundly on Delos, an
island he describes as “so full of history and
mystery… a rich and unique environment
to respond to.” The symbolism is powerful: a
contemporary sculpture placed not in oppo-
sition to the ruins, but in conversation with
them. Whether you are a devotee of clas-
sical history, a lover of modern art, or simply
a traveler drawn to the beauty of the Cy-
clades, RULE II offers a singular experience:
the stillness of form, vibrating with timeless
energy, in a place where myth, nature, and
memory converge. If you’re in Mykonos, De-
los is just a short boat ride away. Go—not
just for the ancient ruins—but to stand be-
fore Gormley’s silent figure and feel what it
means to be present, across time. •

N U MO N U MO
94 95