Museum of Apoxyomenos in Mali Lošinj celebrating 20th anniversary of its famous exhibit with free entrance

24 April 2019 – The Museum of Apoxyomenos in Mali Lošinj on the island of Lošinj celebrates the 20th anniversary of its only exhibit this weekend with free entry to the museum. 

Opened in 2016 in the heart of Mali Lošinj, the Museum of Apoxyomenos is entirely dedicated to only one exhibit – the bronze statue of a young athlete, the Apoxyomenos.

The statue was discovered in 1997 by a Belgian tourist at the depth of 45 m. In 1999, 20 years ago, it was removed from the bottom of the sea where it spent nearly two millennia. Since then it has been exhibited at various locations, including the British Museum in London, the John Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Louvre in Paris.

It is the most complete and best preserved among eight known Apoxyomenos statues. The museum tells the original story of the statue which dates to either 2nd or 1st c. B.C., and its name stems from Greek term for an athlete that is cleaning his body from oil, sweat, and sand after exercise or competition. 

Entrance will be free to the museum this Saturday.

The Museum of Apoxyomenos was nominated for the 2019 European Museum of the Year award. More details about the museum here.