Museum of Apoxyomenos in Mali Lošinj up for 2019 European Museum of the Year award

9 January 2019 – The Museum of Apoxyomenos in Mali Lošinj on the island of Lošinj has been nominated for the 2019 European Museum of the Year award.  

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, it was taken out 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. 

The European Museum of the Year Award is dedicated to promoting excellence in innovation and public quality in museum practice, encouraging networking and exchange of ideas and sustainable best practices within the sector.

You can see the nominations for the 2019 award here.