The Parthenon (From Athens to Here)

Artwork ID: BBG001Parthenon
Dimensions: 43 m (W) × 20m (D) × 6.2 m (H)
(The size can be adjusted according to the scale of the gallery.)
Materials: 2,496 cups (Number of cups used per column)

Artwork Description:
The number and spacing of columns in the Parthenon are the result of meticulous calculations and philosophical principles developed by ancient architects. While few may know the secrets behind its proportions, the visual harmony they produce resonates across time and cultures.

This installation reimagines that classical beauty through a contemporary lens. Using paper cups—humble, everyday materials—the work reconstructs the Parthenon’s iconic 17 × 8 column arrangement, faithfully preserving the original temple’s proportions. Each cylindrical column is built by stacking 208 cups vertically, forming a structure that echoes the rhythm and order of ancient Greece.

By transforming familiar disposable objects into monumental forms, the piece invites viewers to reflect on permanence and memory. What truly endures? What do we choose to preserve? These questions rise from the contrast between the fragility of the material and the timelessness of the form.

The Parthenon (From Athens to Here) is not merely a scaled-down replica—it is a structural poem, a dialogue between past and present, weight and lightness, tradition and reinterpretation.

P.S. This artwork can be reconfigured by adjusting the number of columns to suit the scale of the gallery.