Aretaieia, 2024

Patients for surgical and gynecological care, their families and medical students coming to this leading Greek University Hospital will be welcomed by a statue of an expectant mother.

Aretaieion University Hospital, with the support of the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, will welcome Aretaieia, a permanent sculpture by George Petrides on the Hospital’s premises at 76 Vasilissis Sofias Avenue in Athens. The sculpture will adjoin the historic neoclassical hospital building built in 1898 and will be visible from the adjoining avenue.

Sculptor George Petrides said “I am humbled to have Aretaieia, inspired by my love for my Mother, be part of this leading University Hospital in the city of Athens where she gave birth to me many years ago. In creating the sculpture, I have drawn on ancient Greek sculptural traditions while using state of the art technology to fabricate her. I hope she will offer inspiration to the many patients, families and medical students who come to the hospital every day.”

“I am grateful to the brilliant surgeons and doctors with whom I worked on this project: Prof. Gerasimos Siasos (Rector of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens-NKUA), Prof. Nikolaos Arkadopoulos (President of the Medical School-NKUA), Prof. Konstantinos Tsioufis (President of Aretaieion University Hospital), Prof. Manousos Konstantoulakis (Chairman of Surgery), Prof. Nicoletta Iacovidou (Chairwoman of Neonatology), Dr. Dimitris Vassilopoulos, and especially Prof. Nikolaos Vlahos (Chairman of OB-GYN) who first invited me to work with them on this multi-year endeavor.”