“Artistic approaches to the history of Macedonia, 19th-20th century”

The exhibition “Visual Approaches to the History of Macedonia, 19th-20th century” presents artworks and archival material from the collection of the Foundation for the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and the Modern History of Macedonia (IMMA).

The peaceful course of our country did not deprive artists of the need to proceed with the production of works on the theme of history. However, the place of war events was taken by the most important moments in the course of the nation’s history. The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, in the context of preserving and highlighting the moments of Macedonia’s history, has from time to time attempted and launched exhibitions with a similar theme. Works by young and established artists alike, depicted with a fresh perspective the new dimension of the concept of REVOLUTION and the importance for the Greek of the 21st century of this unique event that shook the Balkan and the European area in general at the end of the 19th century. The artists of the “School of Arts” presented the heroism of the Fighters of 21 as a testimony of the uninterrupted historical continuity of Hellenism. The artists of the 21st century, on the contrary, created the new heroes, the ordinary people of everyday life, in a Greece that experienced the economic crisis and the pandemic.

Of particular value is the creation of artworks depicting moments or personalities related to the liberation of Macedonia. Through recent artistic production, the way, the degree and the intensity with which art is influenced at given historical moments, in this case the era of the Struggle itself, but also continues to reproduce memory as a source of inspiration, is demonstrated.

The greatness of Greek society is its rebirth after the difficulties and adversities of our times. Artistic memory resurrects the vision of the struggles in a realistic way and with a deep knowledge of the concept of “Sacrifice”.

Exhibition curator: Stavroula Mavrogeni, Professor at the University of Macedonia, Director of the Centre for Macedonian History and Documentation Research (KEMIT) of IMMA

Co-curator of the exhibition: Athina Pavlidou, Philologist-Museologist, Director of the Foundation of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and the Modern History of Macedonia