On an archaeological site in Policoro, in southern Italy, an artistic intervention stages a Dionysian temple. This Greek temple was part of the acropolis of the city of Herakleia, founded in 433-32 BC. The installation presents an interpretation of the temple as a sculptural volume, as only the foundations and the adjacent agora with the altar remain today.

Typically, deterioration and ruination occur from the top down: the roof cladding is the first to disappear due to its exposure to the elements, followed by the roof structure, and so on. Plinths, floors, and foundations tend to survive the longest. In this permanent installation, the ruination process is theatrically inverted: the roof, upper wall sections, and parts of the columns are displayed. Visitors can walk beneath an artificial ruin of the temple, suspended within a steel grid structure, while still having access to the original ruins on the ground.

The installation encourages visitors to recognize the artificial nature of ruins. Contrary to popular belief, ruins are not merely constructions that have naturally decayed over time; they are often artificial constructs shaped by human vision and ideology. The romantic qualities ascribed to certain images of ruins are critically examined here. By literally turning expectations upside down, a whole new perspective on the Dionysian temple—and on the concept of a ruin in general—is revealed.

COMMISSION
Museo Archeologico Nazionale della Siritide
Herakleia Archaeological Park

LOCATION
Museo Archeologico Nazionale della Siritide, Policoro, Italy

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