The Hellenic Foundation for Culture represented by the Branch in Odessa will participate in the International Festival Book Arsenal 2017 held in Kyiv from May 17 until May 21, 2017. The extensive program of the festival includes participation of more than 70 well known writers and artists from 23 countries as well as over 500 cultural events in the fields of literature, visual arts, music and cinematography. For more information about the festival, please click here.
The Greek Stand will be set up near Café Europa and open for visiting throughout the entire period of the festival. It will present:
- Books by Greek authors, which are the winners of National Literary Awards of 2015. These include poetry and prose by Ch. Homenidis, Ch. Kythreotis, N. Bakounakis, A. Mitsou, K. Schina, R. Benveniste, Z. Daraki and I. Papadimitrakopoulos, which feature both the subjects traditional for fiction and the scenes of Greek life in the late 19th – first half of the 20th century, in particular, in the period of German occupation during World War II.
- Works by Greek illustrators of books for children including V. Anagnostopoulos, G. Dimitriou, D. Karapanou, D. Parisi, I. Kaberi, K. Verutsou, K. Xingas, M. Mexi, D. Stamatiadi, Th. Vakali, V. Psaraki and E. Vavouri, who were awarded with professional prizes both in Greece and abroad.
- Greek social comics represented by a selection of works from two exhibitions, History Repeating (?) and En Aithria 7, which demonstrate the cartoonists’ concerns, worries and pursuits in the turbulent and uncertain time we live in and unveil the impressive and creative scene of the Greek comics. These include illustrations by A. Shabani, J. Antono, V. Dimopoulos, V. Hilas, E. Gogou, G. Doutsiopoulos. G. Tsiamadas, D. Adamopoulou, E, Koumaki, E. Katirgianoglou, P. Tsausis, K. Makris, N. Milioris, P. Zacharis, S. Derveniotis, T. Zafiridis-Tomek and T. Papaioannou. The exhibit is prepared in collaboration with Comicdom Con Athens 2017.
In addition, the Greek Stand will also present books on contemporary Greek art and various publications by the Hellenic Foundation for Culture.
The HFC’s events will also include:
Thursday, May 18 | 11.00-11.45 | Herbarium stage
Literature Inspired Comics: A Rapid Trend of Fruitful Cooperation.
A slide lecture with Soloup (Antonis Nikolopoulos, Greece), author of the graphic novel Aivali, which deals with the violent expatriation that took place during the war in Asia Minor between the Greeks and the Turks, in the wake of World War I, when the Christians were driven out of their ancestral lands in 1922, and then the Muslims were removed from their homes during the population exchange between Greece and Turkey as stipulated by the Convention of Lausanne. This graphic novel, however, goes beyond just a “local” narrative, since it deals with themes such as war, fanaticism, nationalism, brotherhood, coexistence and tolerance, which are timeless and concern everybody in Europe and the world, especially today, with the European crisis having awakened the sinister ghosts of nationalism, racism and hatred.
Friday, May 19 | 13.00-14.00 | Cinema Hall # 2
Saturday, May 20 | 13.00-14.00 | Cinema Hall # 2
Demonstration of Greek short animated films representing over 70 years of history of the Greek animation that began with a short antifascist satire cartoon “Il Duce narrates…” (1942), in which Mussolini tries to cover up with lies his defeat on the Greek front. The cartoons are kindly provided by the Greek Chapter of the International Animated Film Association ASIFA-Hellas.
Participation of the Branch of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture in the festival is sponsored by the Boumbouras Foundation (Odessa)
We look forward to seeing you at the Greek Stand and other activities of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture at the Book Arsenal 2017
