With needle and thread: On the Canvas of History

The School Life and Education Museum co-organizes with the City of Athens Culture, Sports and Youth Organization (OPANDA) and the Cultural Office of the Mayor of Athens the exhibition “With needle and thread: On the Canvas of History” until September 18 at the Aggeliki Chatzimichali Museum of Folk Art and Tradition.

Two hundred years after the Greek War of Independence and the formation of the Greek state, women from all over Greece and the Greek diaspora, using thread and needle, rediscover the rich tradition of embroidery from Circe and Penelope to the present day. Throughout the ages, embroidery works of art have adorned many of the world’s great museums, while in recent years, this type of craft has been gaining ground, constantly increasing its pool of “fans”. Among them are the 177 Greek women who, inspired by Hellenism, chose, using personal criteria, personalities and events that stood out in the long history of the Greek nation.

Inspired by the myth of Philomela and Procne, the Caryatids, Theodora and Justinian, the Byzantine Hymn “To thee, the Champion Leader” and Digenes, the Charter of Greece by Rigas Velestinlis, the “Hymn To Freedom”, Kolokotronis, Cavafy, Kiki Dimoulas, the “Abduction of Europe” and the first female President of the Hellenic Republic, women embroider the image of a Greece rooted in myth, reaching to the ends of the earth, remaining vivid to this day.

The women of the Embroidery Collective, with the inspiring guidance of Mrs Claudia Mamalis and the assistance of the internet, are demonstrating their love for their country by telling the stories of Greek personalities and events using needle and thread. Yet, modern technology comes to enhance this collective creativity and communication by creating fields through which experience is exchanged on a technical level, and applications and tools of cooperation are developed. The exhibition includes 325 handmade embroideries from the Embroidery Collective.

The Greek Women’s Lyceum of Volos created a life-size (1.93 x 2.01 m) copy of the Charter of Greece by Rigas Velestinlis, contributing to the celebration of the Bicentennial Anniversary of Greek Independence. It is composed of 12 parts, embroidered by an equal number of embroiderers using traditional stitches (backstitch, pseudo-Byzantine, Attika’s free, chain, pearl stitch), considered the most suitable for rendering the details.

Maria Galanaki embroidered the Abduction of Europe following the traditional Cretan embroidery. Using her skill, she “narrates” the myth of the abduction of Europa from Zeus and her journey to Crete. Sophia Mela embroidered the score of the first two verses of the “Hymn to Freedom” by Dionysios Solomos, a dove and laurel leaves.

Finally, Melissanthi Spei with Colours and “Butterfly Threads” invites young adults to touch and enjoy embroidery materials.

A different exhibition that celebrates collectivity and female cooperation as symbolic participation in commemorating the two hundred years after independence.


Exhibition details:

“With needle and thread: On the canvas of history”

July 1 to September 18, 2022

City of Athens Museum of Folk Art and Tradition “Aggeliki Chatzimichali”

Opening Hours: Tue-Fri: 11:00-16:00, Sat-Sun: 10:00-15:00.

The exhibition will be closed on Mondays www.syllogikokentima.gr

Idea – Initiative – Curation:
Dr. Aikaterini Polymerou-Kamilaki

Scientific Committee:
Dr
. Katerina Koskina – Stavroula Psimisi – Evangelia Kantartzi.


Coordination – Production:
PostScriptum

Presentation Supervision: Melissanthi Spei
Architectural Consultant: Galatea Patsouri
Graphic Design: Akrivi Berdebe

Construction – Printing: Clevermedia
Digital Media: Phoebe Konstantinidi
Works Digitisation: Dimitris Athanasiadis
Videographer: Ines Perot

Sound: Agapi Zita

Co-organisation:
School Life and Education Museum – City of Athens Cultural, Sports and Youth Organization (OPANDA) – Cultural Office of the Mayor of Athen

Funding:
Ministry of Culture and Sport

Εισιτήριο
Free
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