Visit of the Interdepartmental Master’s Programme “Semiotics – Culture – Communication” to IMMA

On Wednesday, 8 July, IMMA had the pleasure of welcoming students from the Interdepartmental Master’s Programme “Semiotics – Culture – Communication” as part of the 9th Summer Semiotics Meeting, dedicated to the theme of clothing and fashion.

The visit was organized in collaboration with the Semiotic Society and the Semeiotic Lab, offering students a unique opportunity to explore the history of dress, the significance of clothing-related historical evidence, and the museum management of costume collections.

During the visit, participants attended presentations by IMMA Director Athina Pavlidou and the Museum’s historians Eleni Mavridou and Bleona Hoxha, who examined clothing from different yet complementary perspectives.

Athina Pavlidou discussed the significance of clothing, highlighting the role of inclusion and accessibility practices in shaping the contemporary museum experience. Eleni Mavridou guided participants through the costume-related objects in IMMA’s permanent collection, focusing on the distinctive features, decoration, craftsmanship, and details of the traditional costumes and military uniforms preserved by the Museum. Bleona Hoxha presented the history of dress in Thessaloniki during the 19th and 20th centuries, shedding light on the city’s diverse communities, their distinctive characteristics, and the historical sources that allow us to reconstruct the history of clothing, including travellers’ accounts and period postcards.

Students also had the opportunity to examine selected costume artefacts from the Museum’s permanent collection firsthand, observing their materiality and texture and approaching clothing not merely as an object, but as a multifaceted historical source.

We extend our sincere thanks to Lia Gyioka, Associate Professor of History and Theory of Art and Culture in the School of Architecture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and Giannis Skarpelos, Sociologist and Professor of Visual Culture in the Department of Communication, Media and Culture at Panteion University, for their presence and participation.

IMMA remains firmly committed to supporting research, dialogue, and collaboration with the academic community. Through initiatives such as this, meaningful exchanges of knowledge are fostered, opening new perspectives for interpreting historical reality while strengthening the connection between the museum experience, education, and scholarly research.