2291

The Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, participating in the institution "All Greece is a Culture" of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, presents the art installation "2291".

“2291” by ERGON-CULTURE is an interdisciplinary project by Bill Balaskas (Artist, Director of Research, Business and Innovation at the School of Art & Architecture of Kingston University, London) which attempts a poetic reading of the anniversary of the Asia Minor Catastrophe (1922). Its epicentre is a new large-scale neon installation consisting of the phrases “THERE IS NO SEA WITHOUT A LAND” and “THERE IS NO LAND WITHOUT A SEA”. The project proposes a more contemplative or – even – optimistic approach to historical trauma, and is accompanied by a bilingual publication, two workshops, a dedicated website, and an international conference co-organized by Kingston University, London.

Through the project, 2291 becomes an imaginary date that refers not only to the universal and timeless nature of refugee disasters, but also to the hope that they will disappear sooner rather than later.