BRIEF REPORT ABOUT THE MMCA S AUDIENCE RESPONSE ON THE TEMPORARY EXHIBITION SHARED SACRED SITES

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1 BRIEF REPORT ABOUT THE MMCA S AUDIENCE RESPONSE ON THE TEMPORARY EXHIBITION SHARED SACRED SITES 1. ABOUT ADULT VISITORS RESPONSE TO THE EXHIBITION SSS Compared to other MMCA s exhibitions, Shared Sacred Sites attracted the interest of an increased number of adult organized groups that wanted to visit the exhibition with the help of a museum guide. Some of them had special interest in the subject (they were students of Theology, or Religious Tourism, participants in Literature classes, members of various associations, Εrasmus Students, Museum Friends, members of Conferences on POLITICS OF SPACE AND THE HUMANITIES and many others). 1 Of great interest is also the fact that some organizations related to Refugees as well as groups from Refugee Camps and NGOs, came to the exhibition. When needed, the guide was given in English and some members of the group that speak English, translated to the others in their language or dialect. The response of independent adults that came to the scheduled museum guides (two every week), remained more or less at the same levels as the previous years. 2. ABOUT THE MUSEUM SPEECH GUIDE AS AN ORAL TEXT Since so different kind of exhibits were exposed together at MMCA (works of art, photos, post-byzantine Icons, objects-documents e.t.c.), it is necessary for the museum guide oral text to make clear the links among them, to help the audience understand the transitions in different axes of time and space, as well as to provide a balanced speech containing the adequate context so as to enhance the main message of the exhibition. More than any other previous exhibitions the guide speech had to cover, at the same time, aspects of the following fields: Theology, history of religions, basic doctrines, sacred books and beliefs, matters of iconoclasm and depiction in religions Anthropology, customs, rituals 1

2 Geography, history and contemporary politics Archaeology & Semiotics of Byzantine Icons (especially of post Byzantine Era) History of Thessaloniki History of Art In general terms, the audience tend to face the museum guide as specialist on all the above fields and usually ask questions of special interest that are not provided from the museum texts focusing on: Why this (custom) happens? How old is this tradition/when did it begun and why? Who exactly are they and what are their differences with the others? (Shia Islam, Alevi, Mevlevi dervishes, etc) Is this (ritual) acceptable according to the sacred books or the Doctrines of their religion? What are they celebrating/commemorated exactly here 1 Other special questions such as the role Abraham (Ibrahim) and Prophet Elias at Koran? The demanding enrichment of knowledge on all the above fields was established due to an extra research and study on articles and books, as well as meetings with people with PhD s on the above fields. 3. POINTS OF DISCUSSION WITH THE VISITORS DURING THE MUSEUM GUIDE PROCESS The process of museum guide is flexible, taking always in mind the needs, the age and the special interests of each group. Few of the visitors had already visited the section at the Museum of Photography and more rarely the exhibition at Yeni Tzami. The duration of each guide at MMCA varies from 1 and 1/2 hours to more than 2 hours. Since some of the visitors have travelled to some of the various places that the exhibition presents, the 2 process of guide encourages their participation by giving them the chance to enrich the guide speech with their personal testimony. About St. George Monastery at Büyükada (Princes' Islands), for example, we had the chance to listen to more than one Greek Christian men and women, as well as some Turkish Muslim young women that had visited the place exactly the days of the Saint (23/04). What some of them observed is the fact that the most characteristic object is the little bell that is being given to the pilgrims. This is why Aya Yorgi Church is called Koudounas (something like a nickname in Greek which means of the little bell ). The Turks translated all the small notes exposed in the window and we discussed their content with the rest of the group. It is impressive how many visitors every day ask if the Muslims that visit the Orthodox Church belong to the Alevi Community and not the Sunni Islam (sth that unfortunately in not being defined from the exhibition text). This maybe explains why some Sunni Islam Muslim students from Turkey insisted that this is not Islam! 2. Some people wanted to make clear or to define the significance of the symbols presented in the photos. For example, a couple of Jewish visitors insisted on the significance that the egg has for the Jewish religion. They gave us more information about how the round forms is being used in rituals of Jewish believers, associated with the birth and the death (funerals). Some Greek visitors enriched the guide by mentioning similar to the presented customs that they have in mind, as, for example, the fact that in certain villages in Greece, women use to leave a thread taken from the hem of their skirt in front of the orthodox icon of the St. George. Finally, one of the most remarkable moments are when speakers of the Arab or Turkish language read whatever is written in Arab or Turkish and explain to the other members of the group the meaning or they mention 1 A lot of questions of that kind were posed about the video Abraham-Abraham & Sarah-Sarah of Nina Pereg, as well as the day of the death of Husayn ibn Ali at the photos of Tasos Vrettos showing the self-whipping of the believer of Shia Islam in Athens. 2 In my opinion this parameter has to be defined from the exhibition texts. 2

3 the tradition behind. It usually happens in front of the exhibits related to the 7 Sleepers, at the section of St. George, as well as and in front of the photos of Tasos Vrettos. 4. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND FEEDBACK FROM THE AUDIENCE The majority of the adult visitors consider SSS a remarkable exhibition of great interest that broadens their horizons and begins a dialogue about the phenomenon of permeability and common practices. Some people commented negatively the fact that the exhibition focuses always on a very public, tribal version of religiousness, not presenting other interesting dimensions of the phenomenon, such as doctrines and beliefs, worldview, asceticism and initiate life. In their opinion the exhibition avoids to explain and interpret the phenomenon staying at the surface of the things. Some others commented that the photos reflect an orientalism by presenting a lot of pairs of photos with women wearing headscarves and lighting candles. Some more intellectuals commented the lack of the axe of time and history (past & present) as a necessary component for the understanding of the phenomenon, which is impossible to be commented without references to the religious syncretism and preexisting traditions of the area ΑΒOUT PARTICIPANTS IN MMCA S WORKSHOPS ADDRESSED TO ADULTS The workshop ADULT ART dedicated two (2) of its ten (10) meetings of the current semester to the temporary exhibition SSS. The participants were guided to the exhibition in total, but focused on the works of art of Thodoros Papagiannis and Marios Teriade Eleftheriadis, respectively. During the meeting focused on the work of Theodoros Papagiannis, participants were called to create their own totem or sacramental sculpture/object, describing - by artistic means - their personal sense of religiousness. The creations were of great interest with references to fertility, motherhood, protection, personal fear, traditions and other personal and, at the same time, archetypical issues. Marios Eleftheriadis was present during the meeting of the following Saturday, as a guest artist, presenting his work and guiding the artistic workshop for almost 6 hours. The participants were called to create their personal mirror that was supposed to function as a healer, as an object that wards off the evil eye, exactly as the series of work of Marios in the exhibition. 3

4 The artist Marios Eleftheriadis (Teriade) in front of his artworks talking to the participants of the workshop ADULT ART. You can see more photos at: ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM THOSE WHO ARE FAITHFUL DESIGNED FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL GROUPS The educational program under the title "Those who are faithful, (in Greek : ósoi pistoí prosélthete ) focused on religious permeability, encouraging teenagers to express their personal experiences, ideas or believes about the phenomenon of religious faith as well as on the common features of the believers of different doctrines. The title is inspired from a common expression in Greek everyday language, sth. like a call for a gathering, which actually consists a kind of paraphrase of the sentence "those who are faithful, and still in peace of the Lord are glad..." taken from the text of the Divine Liturgy (Mass). With the above phrase begins the third part of the Divine Liturgy, the Liturgy of the Faithful. All that has been done until that time, prepares this time. 4

5 The main goals of the educational workshop are: The awareness of the existence of common places and religious rituals among the believers of the three great monotheistic religions of the Mediterranean. The encouragement of the ability of adolescents to pose questions on historical, geographical and cultural phenomena that lead to common versions and practices of the manifestation of faith. The supply with the necessary interpretive tools for the questioning on issues of religious syncretism. The encouragement of the participant s awareness on issues of limits, conflicts, exclusion, racism and intolerance. In some cases the visit to the exhibition SSS has been chosen from the school teacher in the framework of a school project about racism, immigration, aspects of the History of Thessaloniki, or other social orientated issues. Brief description of the educational program: STEP 1: Students are given some objects (a candle, an egg, a small carpet, a thread and a votive offering) and they are asked if they recognize it. They are also asked to comment their possible symbolic dimension or presence to a certain ritual or custom that they possibly know. STEP 2: Students are visiting selected exhibits from the exhibition and they discuss with the museum educator about them. After the end of the itinerary in the exhibition space, they all realize where the initial objects are being used, by whom, as well as the context in which they are being used. STEP 3: Artistic Workshop: The program is being completed with the students participation in a creative workshop. Based on the needs and the availability of each team, the workshop took, until now, the three following versions: Version 1: The students are provided with sugar cubes3 and they are asked to represent or write a wish/a pray/a desire concerning either the person itself, or its family or friends, or its community or, even more the humanity and whole world. The results were of great interest especially from the school groups with students of different origins and religions. Many immigrants and foreigners covered a wide range of wishes from personal needs till the idea of peace, as well as specific wishes concerning current social and political problems of the planet. Of special interest is the choice of a student to write the number 668 referring to the 668 infants (under the age of two years old) that are prisoned in Istanbul (see photo below). 5 Version 2 : For those schools that didn t have the time to participate to a workshop, we organize a very quick activity that can take place in the with sugar cubes by foreigner high school students that participated to the educational Wishes written or depicted program Those who are faithful. exhibition space. Students write small notes with wishes in small pieces of papers and they wrap them around with threads or ribbons. 3 The sugar cubes were chosen as an interesting means of expression inspired from one of the customs at the monastery of St. George at the island of Büyükada. 5

6 Ι want a world without misery and without sin No war for any country 6 Version 3 : In some certain cases the artistic workshop was more complicated including demanding artistic processes such as copper engraving. The inspiring works of art of Dimitr is Kontos, gave the chance to work with the above technique with students from the Arts Gymnasium (14 years old) who created a large religious-like icon, hanging in front of it metal votive offerings engraved and decorated with mixed media. 7. PARALLEL EVENT It s very interesting the fact that the two graduates from the School of Architecture of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki proposed to present their diplomatic work after visiting the exhibition. The two students wanted to have a public discussion about their architectural proposal of the concept of a shared architectural place of religion, which was presented at the University in the frame of the issue of A Thematic Pier at the new waterfront, A flash back of the city of the three religions. 6 Votive offerings. Team work made of the students of Arts Gymnasium (13-14 years old), inspired by the works of art of Dimitris Condos.

7 The event took place on Saturday 13 th January 2018, under the title Memory Refuge: a spatial approach to Shared Sacred Sites opening a dialogue with the university student community and the city. 7 7