Museum of Contemporary Art – “Olivepress”
The Museum of Contemporary Art of Chania, or Olivepress as it’s often called, (it’s hosted in an old oil factory) is located in Dromonero village which is a 40-minute drive from Chania, towards the south-west (it will take you longer if you don’t take the national highway). As it’s a 40-minute drive, I recommend that you combine a visit there with a trip to a nearby attraction such as Falassarna Beach which is only 15 minutes from the museum. Alternatively you could combine a visit to the museum with a trip to Palaiochora which is a popular seaside town located on the south coast of Chania. On the way to Palaiochora, you’ll pass through Dromonero village.
Reason to go
The building’s architecture. Once an oil mill, Olivepress has a high ceiling and walls built with huge stones. Outside, there’s a small terrace with a panoramic view of the orange groves that surround the building. You get to feel the countryside’s quietness and serenity as Dromonero is a rather small village. Unless there’s a car passing, chances are you’re only going to hear the sound of crickets, a few birds and maybe a rooster. Inside the museum, which actually looks more like an art gallery, there is a permanent collection and usually a temporary exhibition. These photos are from a temporary exhibition called “Philoxenia” which took place in 2015. The word philoxenia is the Greek word for hospitality (philo = positive inclination, love and friend and xenos = foreign). As you might observe from the photos, the exhibition dealt with the very sensitive matter of refugees. I found the exhibition really touching and believed that it really communicated the challenges these people face.
The person who initiated this project is Mr. Ioannis Archontakis, a famous art curator who was born and raised in Chania. The entrance to the museum is free and, as I’ve been told by Mr. Archontakis, the people who open museum everyday are actually volunteers from Dromonero village. Sometimes, depending on the period (and how many volunteers are working at the time), you have to call and arrange a viewing (+30 6937383500).
