Conference on Nike of Samothrace Celebrates 150 Years Since Its Discovery
A Conference “The Nike of Samothrace: 150 Years” organized by the District of Evros and the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Samothrace was held July 26–29 at the N. B. Fardis Cultural Center of Chora, Samothrace.   A program celebrated the discovery of the Nike 150 years ago.  Speeches were given by the Governor of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Mr. A. Giannakides; the Vice-Governor of the District of Evros, Mr. G. Nikolaou; and the Mayor of Samothrace, Mr. G. Chanos. The program of papers included: Dr. D. Matsas, Ephors of Antiquities  “The Discovery of the Nike and the Archaeological Research at Samothrace during the Second Half of the 19th Century” Dr. Alexandre Farnoux, Director of the French School at Athens “The Nike of Samothrace in the Louvre” Prof. Olga Palagia, University of Athens “The Nike of Samothrace and the Battle of Pydna" Prof. Bonna Wescoat, Director of the Excavations of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods  “New Research on the Nike Precinct in the Sanctuary of the Great Gods on Samothrace” Dr. G. Maniatis and D. Tampakopoulos, Institute of Material Science of the National Research Center Demokritos “The marble of the statue and the ship of the Nike Monument and the its travels in the Aegean: the sources of the marbles of the Sanctuary of the Great Gods.”  At a special event in the afternoon the Municipality of Samothrace honored Prof. James R. McCredie, Prof. Bonna Wescoat, and Dr. Dimitris Matasa for their contributions to the archaeology of the island.  Musical entertainment followed.  On Sunday, July 28, a day of cultural activities was organized around presentations and discussions according to various themes concerning the relationship between contemporary art and culture and the Nike of Samothrace. These were led by author Dimitris Stefanakis, producer Dimos Avdeliotis, art historian and museologist Kiki Christodoulou, author Giorgos Skambardonis, and poet Titos Patrikios. The celebration coincided with collaborative research between Prof. Wescoat with her team and researchers from the Louvre to make 3D models of fragments of the statue and its base to produce a more accurate and complete representation of the ancient monument.  Read more on the subject: The Louvre Will Remove the Winged Victory of Samothrace While It Is Restored Εργασίες συντήρησης στο Λούβρο για τη Νίκη της Σαμοθράκης A closer look at the Victory of Samothrace Samothrace Excavations