IMMA in Florina!

The photography exhibition “Giannis and Miltos Manakia: The Faces Behind the Lens” by the Foundation of the Museum of the Macedonian Struggle and Modern Macedonian History (IMMA) has now concluded in Florina, where it was hosted in the Exhibition Hall of the Gallery of Florina Artists of the “Aristotelis” Cultural Association.

The exhibition presents a large collection of photographs from the personal archive of Leonidas Manakis, son of Miltos Manakia, which was donated to IMMA by Ambassador (ret.) Mr. Alexandros Mallias. It was first presented to the public by IMMA as part of the 8th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art in 2023, making a strong impact on the cultural scene of Thessaloniki. Since then, it has traveled both within Greece (Grevena, Patras, Larissa, Kastoria) and abroad (Pristina).

In Florina, the exhibition was co-organized by IMMA, the Educational & Cultural Association of Florina “Aristotelis,” and the Association of Monastiriotes and Surrounding Areas in Florina “Elpis,” with the support of the Municipality of Florina. The exhibition was curated by Dr. Stavroula Mavrogeni, Professor at the University of Macedonia and Director of IMMA’s Center for Research on Macedonian History and Documentation, while the general coordination was overseen by Ms. Athina Pavlidou, Museologist, Cultural Manager, and Director of IMMA.

The Manakia Brothers, pioneering filmmakers and photographers from Avdella, Grevena, travelled across the countryside and major urban centers of the Balkans. They documented not only the lives of working people, moments of leisure and entertainment, but also architectural landmarks, historical and social events marking the transformations of the first half of the 20th century.

The opening ceremony, held with great success on Thursday, November 6, featured speeches by both Ms. Mavrogeni and Ms. Pavlidou. They described the journey of this important photographic archive until its arrival at the Foundation’s Research Center, and how it is now integrated into a modern historical museum as part of a collection that promotes the history and culture of Macedonia from the late 19th to the early 20th century through innovative and inclusive methods.

Representing “Aristotelis,” the president Mr. Konstantinos Raptopoulos delivered an introductory address, while Mr. Sotiris Vosdou, president of the Monastiriotes Association, also offered welcoming remarks. A brief intervention was made by Dr. Sofia Iliadou–Tachou, Dean of the School of Social and Human Sciences at the University of Western Macedonia.

We warmly thank the TV station Nea Florina for covering the opening ceremony.

The exhibition continues its tour and is currently hosted in Argos Orestiko.