Embassy of Luxembourg Highlights Maria Bourbou’s Participation in “Sophrosyne – The Virtue of Moderation” at Splitart Projects Wien
Luxembourgish artist Maria Bourbou participates in exhibition at Splitart Projects Wien
February 16th, 2026
The Embassy of Luxembourg announces the participation of Luxembourgish artist Maria Bourbou in the collective exhibition “Sophrosyne – The Virtue of Moderation,” taking place at Splitart Projects Wien, Radetzkystrasse 4, 1030 Vienna. The exhibition will be held from 17 to 28 February 2026, following a programme of performances presented from 3 to 15 February 2026. The exhibition opening is scheduled for Tuesday, 17 February 2026, from 19:00 to 22:00. Opening hours are Monday to Sunday, from 16:00 to 19:00.
Sophrosyne—the virtue of moderation, self-control, and restraint—has been recognised as one of the four cardinal virtues of Greek philosophy since the time of Plato and even earlier, during the height of classical Greek history. It represented a way of life. The other virtues preserved through history are wisdom, courage, and justice. Contemporary society often promotes its lifestyle as superior and emphasises this perception, while daily life itself remains relatively modest.
Although everyday life may be characterised by restraint, a second, digital self portrayed through social media often projects glory and heroic achievements. Metaphorically, personal paths resemble simple country roads that are presented as grand boulevards. Many may observe these representations, yet only a few recognise their deceptive nature. The exhibition and the accompanying performances highlight, through selected allegorical works, the importance of re-examining the distortions of contemporary life from a present-day perspective.
The programme for February is dedicated to “Sophrosyne – The Virtue of Moderation.” The performances feature YuHan Wang and Georg Georgakopoulos (3 February), Lidia Russkova-Hasaya and Julia Harrauer (4 February), Lars Kollros and Milena Nowak (8 February), Asta Cink and Dora Mai (10 February), Filippos Tsitsopoulos (11 February), Nefeli Stamatogiannopoulou and Peter Kraus (12 February), Mehrta Shirzadian (13 February), Nasia Zei (14 February), concluding on 15 February. The exhibition, curated by Georg Georgakopoulos and Michalis Argyrou, presents works by Maria Bourbou, Babis Karalis, Crystin Moritz, Christian Rupp, Eleftheria Stamou, and Charlotte Stier.
Through her participation in this collective exhibition, Maria Bourbou contributes to a contemporary artistic dialogue on moderation and self-restraint, reflecting on the relevance of these values in today’s cultural and digital environment.
