LUSTRE: Contemporary Artists in Greece & Crete
24 July – 20 September 2026
On 6 April 1941, German forces attacked Greece, vastly outnumbering the allied forces. As part of Britain's earlier guarantee to support Greece, 58,000 Australian, British and New Zealand troops were deployed in defence of Greece. In March 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill stated that their deployment was “a great risk in a good cause”.
17,125 Australian and 7,700 New Zealand troops formed part of this doomed contingent, and as the campaign became a fighting retreat from the northern town of Vevi, they fell back through some of the most famous landscapes in the world to the beaches of the Peloponnese, before the final, brutal act on the island of Crete.
LUSTRE: Contemporary Artists in Greece & Crete is an exhibition that brings together artists from Australia and New Zealand, some with Greek heritage and family connections to soldiers who served during the Second World War. In October 2025, the artists undertook a two-week journey from Northern Greece to Crete, retracing the footsteps of Australian war artist William Dargie, who documented the sites where ANZAC forces fought during the 1941 Greece and Crete campaigns. In response to the landscapes, battlefields and contemporary Greek communities, the artists created new works reflecting on shared histories of endurance, protection and sacrifice.
Participating Artists:
Video: Lustre: Introduction 2:09 Min - Michael Bradfield
Film by @mbradfieldphoto
Edited by @stefmileski
Colour Grading www.marcustimpson.com
Music: "Solo Zafirou" traditional folk song performed by Dimitrios Dallas www.instagram.com/dimitrios_dallas
"Frangosyriani" composed by Markos Vamakaris, performed by a busker
LUSTRE: Contemporary Artists in Greece & Crete
24 July – 20 September 2026
Opening and floor talk: 5:30pm Friday 24 July 2026
Artist Q&A: 10: 00 am Saturday 25 July 2026
PRESS RELEASE
Images
Above: Euan Macleod Final Withdrawal 2025-26, Oil on polyester, 123 x160 cm
Below: Amanda Penrose Hart Minoan Royal Rd Kallikratis, Sfakia, Crete 2026, oil on linen, 62 x 91cm.
Acknowledgements of support for LUSTRE: Contemporary Artists in Greece and Crete
The Australian Embassy, Greece
Academy Travel
Eckersley's Art Supplies
Michael Bradfield Photography
Nick Andriotakis, Secretary of the Joint Committee for the Commemoration of the Battle of Crete and the Greek Campaign
Vince Clark, Red Digital Cinema