The collapse and flow of loving generosity. They are born by those who really influence life, those whose travel around the world makes it less useless.

The same thing happened with the news of Miss Gerulanu’s death. A woman dedicated to life and art, people and their “things” with the simplicity of deeply satisfied people.

public displays of mourning and gratitude they came from everywhere. Her death was a point of shock, even the official statements of politicians and institutions could not hide the sincere excitement, the emotional shock of those who knew her – personally, artistically, professionally.

“He worked hard, faced problems and challenges, offered solutions. I will never forget our partnership. We owe her a big “thank you” for everything he did. I thank her for her friendship and for everything she offered us,” the Minister of Culture said. Lina Mendoni. “Despina it was a force of nature and it is all the more inconceivable that he got lost so early, leaving behind a huge void,” said the Deputy Minister of Culture Nicholas Giatromanolakis.

Today at 17:30 at the Ritson crematorium, Despina Gerulanou passes into eternity. Her brother, Pavlos Gerulanossaid goodbye to her with the simplicity of love: “Goodbye, my sister … I love you so much,” to the dramatic sound of the Dead Can Dance song “The Host of Seraphim.”

Her own people – those who have become intimately acquainted with the great lady from the Benaki Museum, and recently from the cultural capital of Elefsina – say goodbye to her through “K”.

“It is with pain and deep loss that the family of the Benaki Museum bid farewell to Despina Gerulanou, a woman who, with unique generosity, donated her energy, self-improvement and creative passion for Greek culture. During her long career at the Benaki Museum, Despina Gerulanou served not only her mission of distributing the contents of her collections to produce knowledge, but also a personal vision: to offer the richness of the Museum’s collections as an inexhaustible field in which lost arts and techniques would be revived, and at the same time renewed would be a means of expression for new artists”, as they say “K” Nikos Triboulidisdevelopment director of the Benaki Museum, and Stella LizardiCurator of New Collections, Benaki Museum Store.

“Organizing the Benaki Museum sales with effortless grace and tireless spirit, he created around them eclectic communities of artisans, designers and artists who found space in them to develop and promote their work by interpreting the contents of the museum collections. . Despina, Triboulidis and Lizardis tell us, will be missed as a person and as a fun. But something from her remains in all the people of the Museum’s family, marked by her eyes and her spirit, but also in all people inspired by the manifestations of Greekness to create anew.

Her especially close collaborators at the Elefsina Capital of Culture organization, Nana Spyropoulou, Managing Director, and Michael Marmarinos, General Artistic Director, convey to the “K” those words that seem unbearable.

“A colleague who quickly became a close friend. A real lady of modern Greek culture, who left behind a great legacy. The President of the Cultural Capital, who managed with her work and creative spirit to put a small town, our Elefsina, on the cultural map of the world. A wonderful woman, our very own Despina Gerulana,” she tells K. Nana Spiropoulou.

OUR Michael Marmarinos he addresses her a letter with inexpressible pain.

“Miss,
I practice silence, you know, so that someone can finally
it’s time to talk about you, but only in the way you deserve it.
Your.
Michael

PS I’m waiting for you, I’ve collected everything you asked, come.
We have a job.”

OUR Peggy Zumbulakis she tried to collect her thoughts. “I’ve known her since I was little, she’s always been charismatic, a being who was charmingly sympathetic to everyone. We were classmates with her mother, and as a mother now, I see one of our children who suddenly, within a short time, dies. She was a flower who gave everything to her children, to the museum, to the artists — to life itself,” Grande Dame Zumbulakis tells K.

The new era of sales of the Benaki Museum, which has captured the attention of contemporary Greek designers through the passion and perseverance of Despina Gerulanou, has revived traditional Greek art and technique in keeping with the modern age. Designer Alexandra Tsukala is one of the artists who have found a bright spot in the famous Benaki Museum sales.

“She was a talent, she had an eye, she stood out and supported her choice. He did not copy other museums, he did not see, say, what MoMA does or what magazines write. She was brave, she had imagination, but most of all she helped artists like me. It helped us move forward, spread our wings, resurrecting Greek craftsmanship in a modern way, giving it new dimensions,” says Alexandra Tsukala ink”.

“He was a man who had everything – madness, vitality, art, morality, talent. And incredible laughter. She was perfect, no one could blame her for anything. Modest, without style, contented woman,” adds Alexandra Tsukala.

Despina Gerulanou’s family, friends and colleagues say goodbye to her today at the Ritsonas Crematorium. Instead of wreaths, they asked to strengthen (Alfa Bank, account No. GR31 0140 3690 3690 0200 2000 759) the Benaki Museum, her “home”, her life for so many years.

Despina Gerulanou leaves behind new dimensions that bring with them devotion and generosity.