Eleusis 2023 - Mystery_151: A Rave Down Below

The European Capital of Culture (ECoC) is an annual initiative that aims to highlight the diverse cultural wealth of European cities, and in this way help its citizens better identify with each other. This year, Elefsina—along with Veszprém (Hungary) and Timisoara (Romania)—holds the title and presents a rich cultural agenda over the course of a year.

The programme’s name, The Mysteries of Transition, was inspired by the Eleusinian Mysteries. These were secret religious practices held in Elefsina during antiquity to honour the goddess Demetra. Makes sense that each event on the programme was therefore dubbed a Mystery. The festival’s cultural agenda is built around three thematic axes: Environment, Labour, and People and Society, and includes 130 artworks, 465 events (Mysteries) in 30 different city sites, and 17 different types of art by 192 Greek and 137 international artists from 30 countries.

From what little information we have about the Eleusinian Mysteries, we can assume that they were the rave parties of antiquity; ecstatic dancing, most likely under the influence of 'kykeon', a psychoactive brew made from barley, and atmospheric music in dimly lit rooms. Sound familiar? Fast forward to the 1990s at the height of the rave craze, parties were held in the industrial buildings of Elefsina. Today, an exhibition comes to link the past to the present. A Rave Down Below draws inspiration from the Eleusinian Mysteries, the myth of Persephone as well as the rave subculture to talk about dance as ritual, as a euphoric way of coming to terms with mortality and the afterlife, and as a way of building community. Through paintings, sculptures, installations and performances, the exhibition invites us to reflect on the cycle of life, death and rebirth of subcultures and the utopias they promise. It is fitting that the exhibition opening will be followed by an all-night rave party with local and international names from the scene.

Click here for a selection of some of Eleusis 2023’s events that will be taking part throughout the year.