Trinity College Dublin Classics

Warmest congratulations to our Classics colleague Ahuvia Kahane on his recent election as a Member of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA).

Election to membership of the Academy is the highest academic honour in Ireland. Members are elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding scholarly achievement and their contribution to knowledge and society.

#trinityresearch | Trinity College Dublin | 10 comments Many congratulations to Professor Aileen Kavanagh, Professor stephen wilmer and Professor Ahuvia Kahane on being elected Members of the Royal Irish Academy (RIA) for their exceptional contributions to the humanities and social sciences. Election to membership of the Academy is the highest academic h...

CAI Latin Summer School 2026 Starting in 10 days. For last-minute bookings: https://lnkd.in/eXViguP9 | Classical Association of Ireland CAI Latin Summer School 2026 Starting in 10 days. For last-minute bookings: https://lnkd.in/eXViguP9

Yesterday’s performance of DIVA by PASHIAS assisted by Aggelika Gana was mesmerising and inspiring.

This evening we have a screening & panel discussion at 7pm, Old Anatomy Lecture Theatre.

Online booking for this is now closed. There are a few places left - but booking is essential, contact Christine if you would like to join us - [email protected]

A screening of the previous day’s performance allows viewers to revisit its imagery and symbolism from a new vantage point. This is followed by a forum discussion with the artists together with Prof Carmel O’Sullivan, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof Christine Morris & Dr Giorgos Papantoniou, Department of Classics, Evi Numen, Anatomy Museum.

Photo credit: Video still from "DIVA" by PASHIAS, JNT Productions.

DIVA is starting soon. Join us from 1-2 pm in Front Square

📣 We are counting down the days now to our exciting two day event ‘DIVA’ with visual performance artist PASHIAS - join us on Tuesday and Wednesday June 9-10 in Trinity.

Here are some images from PASHIAS’ previous live performances for his methodology series ‘Body + Exhibit’ to give a flavour of his fabulous work.

DIVA AT TRINITY
On 9 and 10 June, DIVA, an evocative two-day event created by internationally acclaimed visual artist PASHIAS, takes place on campus. Rooted in performance art and informed by academic research, DIVA explores Cyprus’ cultural heritage while confronting the social urgencies of today. You are warmly invited to the following events:

Live Performance in Front Square, Tuesday 9 June at 1-2 pm. No booking required.�The first event transforms Trinity’s Front Square into a site of living sculpture. Beside the Campanile, PASHIAS and performer Aggelika Gana appear together on a raised pedestal, their bodies echoing and challenging the image of ‘Aphrodite Soloi’ (a 1st-century BC Cypro-Hellenistic marble statue of the Greek goddess of love).

Screening & Panel Discussion, Wednesday 10 June at 7pm, Old Anatomy Lecture Theatre�Booking is essential via Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/diva-by-visual-artist-pashias-screening-and-discussion-forum-tickets-1990343261273

A screening of the previous day’s performance allows viewers to revisit its imagery and symbolism from a new vantage point. This is followed by a panel discussion featuring Prof Carmel O’Sullivan, Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof Christine Morris & Dr Giorgos Papantoniou, Department of Classics, Evi Numen, Anatomy,
PASHIAS visual artist, and performer Aggelika Gana. Pashias Andreas

👏 Congratulations to the organisers of the very successful workshop on ‘Virgilian Reflections: Readers, Commentators, Reception’ hosted by TCD Classics yesterday.

We are delighted to be hosting this exciting event series DIVA on June 9th-10th in Trinity College Dublin with support from our Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Please join us!

The event series “DIVA” created by visual artist PASHIAS, focuses on the art of performance, as framed by academic research, bringing forth the significance of Cyprus’ cultural heritage and reconnecting historical evidence with current social urgencies.

It takes place over two days: the first part is a live public visual performance on June 9th at 1 pm in Trinity's Front Square, while the second is the performance screening followed by a discussion with the artist and project participants on June 10th from 7 pm in the Old Anatomy Lecture Theatre in Trinity. The panel discussion features Dr. Giorgos Papantoniou, Prof. Carmel O'Sullivan, Prof. Christine Morris, Evi Numen, PASHIAS and Aggelika Gana. Booking is essential for the screening and discussion.

No booking needed for the live performance - all very welcome.

Booking essential for the screening and discussion: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/diva-by-visual-artist-pashias-screening-and-discussion-forum-tickets-1990343261273

Further information
Arriving in Dublin, internationally acclaimed visual artist PASHIAS, widely known for his research exploring the relationship between human body, historical artefacts and mythological narratives, approaches the "Aphrodite of Soloi" - presented and reproduced without the bodily parts that would enable her to move, act and react - as means for understanding contemporary contingencies.

By identifying Cyprus as a sanctuary to the female divine, exemplified in the statue "Aphrodite of Soloi", the goddess can be approached as an emblem of beauty and eroticism, fertility and care, strength and resilience. Her versatile character directly reflects the multifaceted cultural identity of Cyprus, connecting it with regions in the Eastern Mediterranean, such as the Levantine Astarte or Egyptian Hathor, the Hellenistic “Aphrodite of Milos”, and the Renaissance-era Venus of Botticelli. Via the Cypriot Goddess image, the island is diachronically manifested as a crossroads and a connecting bridge of cultures, as fertile ground for dialogue between countries and communities.

Beyond the societal persistence of assigning binary characteristics to each gender, the artist’s body and the body of Aggelika Gana are publicly exhibited together on a raised pedestal. Framed by the arch of Trinity College’s bell tower - one of Dublin’s most iconic landmarks - the performance on June 9th signifies again an in-between threshold of crossings.
In a child-like game, through their stillness and interaction, the figures complete, reshape and contrast with the paradigm of Aphrodite, and with their own social positioning. An evolving live sculpture projects a set of corporeal images that challenge notions of gender, status and socially-bound relationships. By blurring the divisions between creator and artefact, author and narrative, "DIVA" signals the significance of coexistence and unity - from the island of Cyprus to the island of Ireland at the two edges of Europe, and from Ireland to the world.

*Under the auspices of the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, the project “Fostering Cypriot and Greek Studies in Ireland”, and the network “Unlocking Sacred Landscapes”, in collaboration with Dr. Giorgos Papantoniou and Prof. Christine Morris, celebrating 30+ years of Cypriot Studies at Trinity College Dublin, and marking the transition of the Presidency of the European Union Council 2026 from Cyprus to Ireland.

Cyprus in Ireland Hellenic Community of Ireland Trinity Long Room Hub Arts and Humanities Research Institute

* Information: www.pashias.art/diva, [email protected]

Want to learn Late Antique & Byzantine Greek this summer? We are still accepting late course applications for the International Byzantine Greek Summer School 2026, hosted online by Trinity College Dublin Classics. Course and application information at www.tcd.ie/classics/byzantine/.