PRESS RELEASE

Refugees, Then and Now

Thematic exhibition of the 13th TBF, 12-15 May 2016

The thematic exhibition of this year’s Fair, entitled Refugees, Then and now aims to

give prominence to the contemporary reality of this issue, as well as its historical

dimensions, and includes: a thematic book fair, discussions –roundtables– book

presentations, a multi-collective exhibition by photographers who have captured

snapshots of the refuges’ journey, screenings of relevant cinematographic films,

visual arts exhibitions, theatrical and musical events, in addition to other functions.

This exhibition is a result of the contributing efforts of the Municipality of

Thessaloniki, the Historical Archive for Greek refugees of the Municipality of

Kalamaria, the Central Municipal Library of Thessaloniki, the Macedonian Museum of

Contemporary art, the Publishers, ERT3, the Enosis Ellenon Bibliothekarion

(Association of Greek Librarians and Information Scientists), the School of Visual and

Applied Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, AUTh, The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (Greek

Office), the group Ex-ils and other artists.

The schedule of events includes:

Scientific and sociopolitical Discussions and Daily Seminars

Literary approaches as well as testimonies

Screenings of documentaries

Visual Arts exhibitions with works of different art forms –painting, engraving,

sculpture, video, constructions

Presentations and readings with simultaneous projection of audiovisual

material, ranging from Elias Venezis and Stratis Myrivilis to contemporary

forms of expression such as comic books

thematic book fair

photography exhibitions

This multitude of events will take place in the space of the Fair but also at the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art with the participation of prominent academics, university professors, authors, illustrators, journalists, visual artists, directors, actors, musicians and other professionals in the field of publishing. To mention a few: The Visual Arts exhibition of the group of artists Ex-ils entitled ‘visual notes on expatriation’ that is launched on the night of the 12th of May, opening day of the TBF The group of artists known as ex-ils have been preoccupied with the refugee issue for months, drawing inspiration from James Joyce’s unique theatrical play ‘Exiles’ for their title. The aim of the group is to communicate their concern and ‘uneasiness’, relative to the handling of the painful and multifaceted issue of expatriates, with works of different art forms – painting, engraving, sculpture, video, constructions – approaching in this way what constitutes the ‘former self’ while experiencing a violent and traumatic transition from the ancestral place and space to an unfamiliar and occasionally inhospitable new environment. Screenings of the documentaries

“Paths of the Refugees” by Pavlos Nerantzis, directed by Vassilis Katsikis,

that received an award by CIRCOM, the European Association of Regional

Television and

“Odoiporiko sti Lesvo ton prosfygon” (‘Travelogue to Lesvos, island of

refugees’) by Giorgos Botsos, director and Anna Omiridou, journalist,

produced by ERT3

Photography Exhibitions

‘Refugees, now: Greek photographers record’ 11 Greek photographers capture through the photographic lens moments from the refugees’ journey towards life and freedom: Alexandros Avramidis, Nikos Arvanitidis, Milos Bicanski, Tatiana Bolari, Louiza Gkouliamaki, Katerina Karizoni, Giannis Kolesidis, Giannis Liakos, Marios Lolos, Alexandros Michailidis, Vasilis Ververidis . The material which records History as it is being born will be presented in the space of the thematic exhibition “Refugees, then and now” [Pavilion 13].

‘Syria, once the life…’ by Gerasimos Neofytos, with images from Syria in a time of peace. Quiet daily life moments of kind people, a few years before the hell of war and the drama of displacement.

Exhibition of archive material of the Greek refugees (organized by The Historical

Archive for Greek refugees of the Municipality of Kalamaria) concerning the refugees

of the Asia Minor Destruction and the Exchange of Populations (1922-1924). The

space will contain photographs of the refugees settling in Macedonia, but also of

their life before the Destruction in the unforgettable homelands. At the same time,

there will be display cases which will showcase archive documents of the history of

the 1922 refugees (official documents and forms) as well as books pertaining to the

Greek refugees, amongst which the publications of the Historical Archive.

Daily Seminar by the Enosis Ellenon Bibliothekarion (Association of Greek Librarians and Information Scientists) entitled Libraries by the side of refugees and immigrants, with the participation of representatives from the National Library of Greece, Veria Central Public Library, the Centre for Asia Minor Studies Library, academics and representatives of the local government. Event – tribute to the aspects of the refugee issue in the past and now, organized by the Central Municipal Library of Thessaloniki entitled But how many borders must we cross to reach our home? with a brief relevant introduction by Eftychia Boutyra, Professor of the Department of Balkan, Slavic & Oriental Studies and the participation of writers and actors giving readings of Greek and foreign texts about the refugees with simultaneous projection of audiovisual material and accompanied by live music.

An event of dramatized poetry organized by the same institution entitled The other

is I: The poetry of dissimilarity in the time of crisis. A poetical approach of

dissimilarity, dedicated to the voices of the oppressed, the suffocated, due to their

differentiation and against the circumstances that raise walls and muzzle the voices,

by the theatrical group “Dithyramvos ex amaxis” directed by Vana Vourtsaki.

An event organized by The Historical Archive for Greek refugees of the Municipality

of Kalamaria entitled ‘Bridging the Aegean. Aspects of the management of the

refugee issue in 20th century Greece’. Speakers: Eleni Ioannidou, historian, Historical

Archive for Greek refugees; Iakovos Michailidis, associate Professor of Modern and

Contemporary history, School of History and Archaeology, AUTh; and Nikos Zaikos,

associate Professor of International Law, Department of Balkan, Slavic & Oriental

Studies at the University of Macedonia.

Presentation of the book Who are we? The Geopolitics of the Greek identity by

Georgios Stylianos Prevelakis. Speakers: Giorgos Prevelakis, Professor of Geopolitics,

Sorbonne (Paris I); Tasos Tzikas, president of TIF-Helexpo and president of SEPE

(Federation of Hellenic Information Technology & Communications Enterprises);

Spyros Litsas, associate Professor, Department of International and European

Studies, University of Macedonia; Antonis Papagiannidis, journalist, director of the

magazine Economic Review.

Discussion with the topic: Stratis Myrivilis and Life in the Tomb: an international,

antiwar novel, always relevant. Antiwar literature brought to the spotlight, in the

new comprehensive edition. Speakers: Niki Lykourgou, former assistant Professor of

Modern Greek Philology, School of Philology AUTh; Stelios Papathanasiou, Doctor of

Philology and Theology; Lizy Tsirimokou, Professor of General and Comparative

Grammatology, School of Philology AUTh; Stella Chelidoni, Lecturer of Modern Greek

Philology, Department of Greek, Democritus University of Thrace. Organization:

HESTIA Publishers

Recital of Arabic poetry, organized under the auspices of the school of Drama and

the Faculty of Fine Arts of AUTh, entitled: ‘The Blood Flowers’. The event will be

accompanied by Arabic repertoire music. There will be readings of unpublished

poems translated from Arabic by Samoa Aouad and Maria Papadima, chair of the

Department of French Language and Literature of the National and Kapodistrian

University of Athens. Reciting: Dimitris Samir, Georgia Trouli, Maha Tawfeeq, Maria

Kenanidou, Viktor Arditis, Zoi Lyra, Telos Filis, Eirini Skaroglou, Giorgos Alisanoglou,

Georgia Sylaiou.

THESSALONIKI BOOK FAIR

12 to 15 May 2016

TIF – HELEXPO, PAVILIONS 13, 14 & 15

Free Entrance

www.thessalonikifookfair.com

facebook.com/thessalonikibookfair

Tel.: 210-6776540 /fax: 201-6725826 / e-mail: info@-tbf@hfc.gr

ORGANISATION

WITH THE COLLABORATION OF THE GREEK PUBLISHERS

UNDER THE AUSPICES

WITH THE SUPPORT OF

CATERING SPONSOR

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