A brand-new multimedia exhibition will launch later this month, melding fashion, photography and conversations.
The proika project, will showcase photographs taken in a selection of Greek immigrant homes, featuring clothing made from reused materials and stories exploring the history of homeowners Thomi Kalavrianos, Panagiotia Mavraganis and Christine Boursinos.
Artist Demi Kromidellis, designer Maria Koutsoukos and journalist Marianna Alepidis are the trio behind the proika project, which encompasses the physical and metaphorical heirlooms passed on from generations of Greek-Australian families.
The project is produced by networking organisation Yitonia.
The team describe proika as an immersive, contemporary perspective on Greek culture in Australia.
“This exhibition will embody a new way of viewing ethnic culture in Australia, promoting viewers to see what particular cultural elements truly bound us together as a community,” they said in a media release sent to Neos Kosmos.
“It invites people to imagine what our Greek heritage in Australia might look like in the future.
“After migration, there is an inevitability of native culture diluting, particularly through settling in and adapting to a new country. However, there will never cease to be conversations about Greek immigration to Australia, especially as it relates to those who made their voyages in the mid-20th Century.”
The exhibition asks what early Greek-Australians perceive of the newer generations’ current performances of heritage and where they think their treasure trove of items will go after they move on.
“Over decades they have collected their own rich stories, doilies, experiences and knick-knacks.
“Unfortunately, as they start to close in on their circle of life, we want to ensure that we have conversations with them that understand their perspective, and while we might not take on all the furniture, or crystal ware, or intricate cross-stitching creations, we can find ways to reinterpret them in our own way.”
After the launch event on November 20, the exhibition will be on reduced display for the following four weekends until Sunday December 15.
When: Wednesday November 20, 7pm
Where: 16 Cubbit St, Cremorne, 3121
For more information check out @proika.project on Instagram.
