From 22 to 28 May, Athens hosted the weeklong celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative, as well as the Rolex Arts Festival. Comprising workshops, masterclasses, public talks, and performances that span theatre, literature, film, design, dance and visual arts, the programme featured some 80 Rolex mentors and arts fellows from the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative.
The opening ceremony featured performances by Rolex mentors such as Robert Wilson, Sir David Chipperfield and Dianne Reeves, as well as the premiere of ARTEMIS: Fountain. The outdoor performance included works by the Peruvian composer Pauchi Sasaki performed by the Greek choir Chóres.
Established in 2002, the Rolex Mentor and Protégé Arts Initiative has been recognised for its mission of fostering exchange between generations of artists and perpetuating the world’s cultural heritage. Sixty-three mentor and protégé pairs have been selected from across 37 countries since the programme’s launch, and the 2023–2024 edition has the mentors El Anatsui, Bernardine Evaristo, Jia Zhang-Ke, Anne Lacaton and Dianne Reeves coaching and guiding Bronwyn Katz, Ayesha Harruna Attah, Rafael Manuel, Arine Aprahamian and Song Yi Jeon.
This story first appeared on GRAZIA Singapore.