Εxhibition “Refugees from the East, Migrants to the West”

Refugeeism: our common “homeland” 

(…) no one leaves home 

until home is a sweaty voice in your ear

 saying- leave, run away from me now (…)

“Home” by Warsan Shire 

Passports, documents, photographs, suitcases, clothes and keys are some of the objects showcasing the trauma of Eastern Thrace ‘s refugees, who were displaced and settled in their new homeland in 1922.  The refugee trauma bled anew as their children became refugees a few years later, being part of the migration flow to Europe, leaving behind their hearts and building new lives in the mines of Belgium and the factories of Germany. 

The multiple faces of the uprooting have been engraved upon the body of Thrace. As stated by Aggela Giannakidou, curator of the exhibition   “Refugees from the East, Migrants to the West”, held by the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation in conjunction with the Ethnological Museum of Thrace, the story of refugees has been weaving among us and the stakes for our “civilized” world are high, thus we need to stand up for the universal dimension of their pain and suffering. 

The exhibition’s duration, which is under the auspices of UNESCO, is until October 13th. 

Opening Hours: 18:00-22:00

Location Information: https://mcf.gr/en/

Ethnological Museum of Thrace    https://emthrace.org/

The Ethnological Museum of Thrace invites you to the opening of the exhibition: “Refugees from the East, Migrants to the West” on Sunday, October 6 at 19:00 at the Michalis Kakogiannis Foundation in Athens. The exhibition is under the auspices of UNESCO.

Georgios Prevelakis, Emeritus Professor of Geography and Geopolitics at Panthéon-Sorbonne University (Paris 1), former Ambassador will conduct the opening.

This exhibition is part of the program: Refugees from the East, Migrants to the West, with financial support from the Ministry of Culture and Sports.

It features documents, objects, photographs, archival, and costume materials from the Ethnological Museum of Thrace, focusing on the refugee experience of Thrace, whose people were displaced from Eastern Thrace and settled in their “new homeland” in 1922, leading to further migration. The refugee trauma bled anew as the children of refugees left their souls behind to build new lives in the mines of Belgium and the factories of Germany.

The exhibition is dedicated to the memory of those who transformed from refugees into Akritas, vigilant guardians of the borders, only to become migrants once again.

In the exhibition space, there is also the “Journey of Memory in Eastern Thrace,” an artistic photography project by Michalis Pappas, curated in terms of costume and research by Angeliki Giannakidou, featuring pieces from the Ethnological Museum of Thrace.

Garments intertwined with the cultural heritage of the people and the places they left behind in Eastern Thrace are presented in diverse contemporary landscapes, across four historical stops of our collective memory: Adrianople (Edirne), Forty Churches (Kirkiarelli), Vize (Vize), and Midia (Kiyikoy).

Opening: October 6 at 19:00
Exhibition Duration: Until October 13

Opening Hours: 18:00-22:00
Location Information: https://mcf.gr/en/

Exhibition Contributors

Curator: Angeliki Giannakidou
Scientific Curator: Angelos Palikidis
Exhibition Texts: Angelos Palikidis, Angeliki Giannakidou
Technical Management: Orfeas Giannakidis
Artistic Photography: Michalis Pappas
Support: Michalis Kakogiannis Foundation, L. Voudouris Foundation

Michalis Pappas is a photographer exploring faith and community through the rich folk traditions of Greece. In 2022, he was recognized as a “Spotlight Photographer” by VOGUE for his project “Mitos | The Thread of Greece,” focusing on traditional women’s costumes from across Greece.

The project “Mitos” premiered at the Fragonard Museum in Grasse, France, and is a variation of the successful exhibition “Ethos” presented at the Benaki Museum of Greek Culture. This time, the exhibition focused on women’s traditional costumes.

His images are published internationally in outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, National Geographic, VICE US, among others. He is also a regular contributor to the newspaper KATHIMERINI and the magazine Gastronomos.

Exhibitions

  • Benaki Museum of Greek Culture, Athens, Greece. November 6, 2018 – January 13, 2019. ETHOS.
  • Fragonard Museum, Grasse, France. May 25 – September 22, 2019. ETHOS.
  • Photometria Photography Center, Ioannina, Greece. September 2021. MITOS.
  • Hestia Gallery, Belgrade, Serbia. June 20 – September 17, 2023. ETHOS – MITOS.
  • Unique Photography Installation, Kythnos, Greece. July 22 – October 1, 2023. THREADS.
  • Galeria e Arteve, Albania. May 2024. MITOS.

Permanent Exhibition

  • Olympic Sports Center of Athens “Spyros Louis.” 2021. MITOS PHOTOS BOX.

Book

  • “ANOTHER GREECE.” 2024. ETHOS.
    The book is available at the Royal Library of Denmark in Copenhagen.