New Homelands
Curators: Fouli Papageorgiou and Louiza Karapidaki
The exhibition “New Homelands” is co-organised by PRISMA – Centre for Development Studies and the Museum of Greek Folk Art and Greek Folk Musical Instruments – Fivos Anoyanakis Collection, Ministry of Culture, as part of the European project “FAIDRA. Family Separation through Immigration – Dramatizing Anecdotal European History”, which is supported by the European Commission’s Creative Europe Programme.
The exhibition opens at the Roman Bath in Aerides on Saturday 13/1/2018 at 11:30am.
The wave of migration that followed the collapse of the former Soviet Union was an experience shared by many member states of the European Union. It significantly changed the make-up of their populations, gave a boost to their economies and created dynamic multicultural societies, but it also sharpened prejudice against the foreigner, the “other”. Alongside the positive and – whatever – negative effects of migration, however, the humanitarian dimension of the migrant’s adaptation and social integration has been recognised as a decisive factor in turning the host country into a “new homeland”. The cohesion of the family plays a major part in this.
The exhibition “New Homelands” turns its lens on precisely this dimension of migration: the separation of the family, sometimes its reunion, often its break-up. Our aim is to highlight human problems that deeply affect the functioning and the bonds of the family in times of economic crisis – which inevitably leads to migration as a way out.
The research material presented in the exhibition is based on interviews, individual and group, with migrants in six countries who experienced the separation of their families. Of these countries, three are host countries – Greece, Italy, Sweden – and three are countries that migrants leave – Bulgaria, Romania, Poland. Seven organisations from the European countries studied contributed to producing this primary material.
The exhibition is built around the stories of these people, told in their own words. The stories are complemented by works of art that convey the emotional charge that follows migrants and their families, or remind us of the symbols associated with migration: the journey, the suitcase, memories. Objects from migrants’ everyday lives, religious symbols, music and photographs are also on display.
The exhibition is arranged in three sections that follow the “course” of migration:
The decision to migrate
The move and first experiences of settling in a foreign country
Adaptation and integration, or the refusal to accept the “new homeland”.
Participating artists:
Giannis Adamakis, Elena Akyla, Stathis Vatanidis, Kostas Vittis, Giorgos Giotsas, Dimitra Gounari, Voula Gounela, Kyriakos Katzourakis, Konstantina Katrakazou, Theodora Kokkinou, Afroditi Liti, Kallirroi Marouda, Lili Bakogianni, Christina Morali, Theodoros Papagiannis, Giorgos Pastakas, Maria Pastra, Konstantinos Patsios, Aristidis Patsoglou, Manolis Romantzis, Angelos Skourtis, Efi Soutoglou, Konstantina Sylikou, Magda Tammam, Ilias Charisis.
The exhibition runs from 13/1/2018 to 19/2/2018
Address: Roman Bath, Kyrristou 8, Aerides, Plaka
Opening hours: 9:00 – 15:00 daily.
