Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 12-07-31

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Acropolis Museum to launch 'Archaic Colours' interactive research activity

[02] National Bank cuts interest rates by 0.25 pct‏

[03] Greek scientists design early diagnosis tool for Alzheimer's

[04] Thessaloniki Port opens second phase of marina tender

[01] Acropolis Museum to launch 'Archaic Colours' interactive research activity

The Acropolis Museum wants to open a very extensive discussion with the public and various experts on color, its technical issues, its detection using new technologies, its experimental use on marble surfaces, its digital reconstruction, its meaning, as well as the archaic period's aesthetic perception of color. So far, scientific research into the color found on ancient sculpture has made great progress and reached surprising conclusions that to a large degree refute the stereotypical assumptions regarding ancient sculpture. It turns out that color, far from being just a simple decorative element, added to the sculpture's aesthetic quality.

For ancient Greeks and their society, color constituted a way to display various attributes. The blond hair of the gods projected their power; the brown skin of warriors and athletes was a sign of virtue and valor, while the white skin of the korai expressed the grace and radiance of youth.

The �useum's initiative is based on very careful observation, on spectroscopic analysis, on special photography sessions, on efforts to reproduce the colors of antiquity and then to apply them on Parian marble, and naturally, on searching through written sources for valuable information on the pigments.

Among the tools at its disposal, the museum will also enlist the aid of artists' renditions of the sculptures soon after their discovery - such as an original water-colour painted by Swiss painter Louis Emile Gillieron in 1887 of a sculpture just one year after its discovery, before the exposure to the atmosphere started to destroy the colours.

The statues' crisp, saturated colors, on bright garments and tender bodies, combined with the rich jewelry, frequently made of metal, and elaborately curled hair created a singular aesthetic pleasure, making the archaic statues "wonderful to behold" for the people of the period.

Museum director Prof. Dimitris Pantermalis stressed that 'Archaic Colours' will be interactive and also seek to present the museum's own view on an issue where there are many diverging opinions.

The activity will kick off on Tuesday with six presentations between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. while from Wednesday there will be presentations at noon each day in English and at 1:00 p.m. each day in Greek.

There will also be an activity pack and special game designed for children that can also be found online at www.theacropolismuseum.gr/peploforos.

From September, events will be held twice a month in the archaic sculpture gallery with individuals specialising in colour, such as painters, and in the autumn of 2013 the museum intends to issue a new catalogue with all the new evidence that has arisen.

This will include special research that has initially begun with 10 statues and will then include the rest and which may later be extended to works of other periods at the Museum.

[02] National Bank cuts interest rates by 0.25 pct‏

[03] Greek scientists design early diagnosis tool for Alzheimer's

The tool for the early diagnosis and prevention of Alzheimer's disease dysfunctions is unique and has already attracted the strong interest of domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies.

The research scientists have found the indices and their correlations that lead to an early diagnosis of the disease through a hybrid diagnostic protocol based on the assessment of individual data.

A year ago the scientific research team discovered the "electric thrombosis" phenomenon, a mechanism that explains a series of dysfunctions, in the inner membrane of mitochondria affecting their number and operation, largely related with Alzheimer's. The team continued the research further by studying the mitochondrial membrane superconductor properties and other measurable biological factors before coming up with the early diagnosis tool for the disease.

[04] Thessaloniki Port opens second phase of marina tender

A port statement said that Lamda Development and a joint venture led by Aktor (also including Akte-Vega, Cosmos Yachting and Marina Kroslin GmbH) qualified for the second phase of bidding and can submit their offers by mid-October.

Under the terms of the tender, the new marina will have 218 berths and it is expected to be completed in three years. The concession to operate the marina will be for at least 30 years and will help to boost tourism at the port.

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