July 2021 – Abaton Island Resort & Spa, Crete, will soon be opening its doors to the first-ever Slim Aarons exhibition in Greece. From 31st July to 30th October 2021, ‘Slim Aarons: The High Life’ exhibition will showcase a carefully curated collection of photographs by the legendary lifestyle photographer in partnership with Getty Images Gallery, the official home of Slim Aarons and IFAC Arts.
Thirty colourful photographs, displayed together in the hotel’s contemporary art space, vibrantly capture the hedonistic lifestyle of socialites in the fifties, sixties and seventies in Greece, France, Italy and Mexico. The exhibition will be open to the public daily from 10:00am to 10:00pm.
Owner of Abaton Island Resort & Spa, Georgios Kaloutsakis, comments: “We are delighted to be able to host Greece’s first Slim Aarons exhibition at our hotel, in partnership with Getty Images Gallery and IFAC Arts NY. Slim Aarons is well known for his documentation of a bygone era of carefree, glamorous living and was invited to some of the world's most fashionable addresses. Our aim is to invite guests and local residents alike into this glamorous world through our exhibition and ideally inspire their own holiday at Abaton.”
Curated in collaboration with IFAC Arts director Lee Wells, the exhibition will be segmented into three sections. Beginning with an intimate selection of photographs that Slim Aarons captured in Greece, visitors are invited to marvel at the beauty of iconic nearby landmarks and glimpse the lives of some of the most prominent families in Greece. Aarons photographed a veritable ‘who's who’ of high society throughout his storied career, including Aristotle Onassis’ first wife, Tina Livanos, who is seen sitting by the pool of Onassis’ mega yacht “Christina O” (which was decorated in a unique Minoan style resembling the natural ambiance of Knossos Palace), as well as Tina’s daughter Christina, in a separate photograph. Aarons himself can be seen in his ‘Self Portrait on Holiday in Athens, Greece’, relaxing in front of the Acropolis, on one of many trips to Greece.
Aarons is known for capturing socialites amidst luxury–lounging by the pools of five-star hotels and spectacular houses and more generally enjoying playgrounds of the rich and famous, about which the second section of the exhibition is dedicated. Poolside and beachside images showcasing the exclusive lifestyles of the world’s glitterati are aplenty; For instance, Hollywood actress Carmen Alvarez is seen enjoying a game of backgammon with Frank 'Brandy' Brandstetter in a swimming pool at Acapulco, while another captures some of Slim’s many friends on a Riva boat in Monte Carlo, Monaco.
The final section of the exhibition is dedicated to Slim’s photographs celebrating the golden ages of wealth, privilege, beauty and leisure while his subjects are on holiday. Among the photographs are American actor Kirk Douglas as he prepares to water ski on Antibes’ sparkling blue waters at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc; Brigitte Lapp Fonda reclining amidst the foliage during a holiday in Marbella; and Viscountess Isabelle on board a yacht in the harbor at Monte Carlo.
When asked about this latest exhibition, Getty Images Gallery curator Shawn Waldron said, “We are thrilled to see Slim’s work finally on display in Greece, a country he visited often throughout his long career and always with enthusiasm. Slim’s celebrated photographs of luxury and glamour have found an ideal host in the Abaton Resort, a chic seaside location which provides a truly perfect backdrop for his acclaimed works. Lee Wells and IFAC have done a tremendous job in organizing a very smart, thorough exhibition.”
The ‘Slim Aarons: The High Life’ exhibition takes place from 31st July to 26th September 2021, at Abaton Island Resort & Spa, Themistokleous Avenue, Chersonisos 700 14, Greece (www.abaton.gr), and is open daily from 9am to 11pm. Admission is free. The exhibition has been produced with the support of Apolyto Creative Spot.