“EYES ON THE WORLD”
EXHIBITION OPENING
The opening of the exhibition “Eyes On the World” took place on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at the Macedonian Museum of Modern Art, as part of the 12th Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. The exhibition is a collaboration of the Festival, The Macedonian Museum of Modern Art and Anatolia College and, through the intervention of the Alexia Foundation, has been inspired by the tragic death of Alexia Tsairi, the Greek-American student of photo-journalism at Syracuse University in the USA, who was a victim of the 1988 terrorist attack at Lockerbie, Scotland.
Mr. Argyris Maltsidis, Honorary President of the Macedonian Museum of Modern Art, speaking on behalf of the Museum, expressed the nature of the exhibition “Eyes On the World”: “You will see 80 black and white photographs in the exhibition, which denounce living conditions in Africa, America, Chechnya and elsewhere, sensitizing the public. Each photograph is an entire story”. Referring to the work of the Alexia Foundation, Mr. Maltsidis added: “This foundation, which supports photography students and students of photo-journalism, has already given grants of over 500,000 dollars”.
Dimitri Eipides, Artistic Director of the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, expressed his gratitude to Ms Arian Kotsi, who brought the Festival in touch with the Alexia Foundation, and noted that “each photograph speaks its own language”.
Hans Gisek, president of Anatolia College then spoke, noting: “This collaboration is an honor for us. The exhibition’s photographs move us, since they tell a wonderful story, while the entire operation in a way reflects the humanistic story of Anatolia, which began helping people with hearing problems, then orphans, then became a hospital and finally a college. Therefore there are parallels and common purposes between us and the Alexia Foundation”.
Panagiotis Tsairis, father of the late student and cofounder of the Alexia Foundation together with her mother, said: “The purpose of this exhibition is to inspire young people to follow the humanistic photographic work of my daughter, Alexia.” Then Ms Tsairi, mother of Alexia Tsairi noted: “It’s been 21 years since American idealism was lost to me due to the tragic death of my daughter, but social and political activism grew in its place. The photographs we are rewarding through the foundation are those which deal with social justice and see cultural differences as strengths and not as weaknesses.”
The traveling exhibition “Eyes On the World” consists of 80 photographs and represents a selection of photographic essays and images which define while interpreting the cultural differences and their political extensions in the international community.
The Alexia Foundation promotes the power of photo-journalism against social injustice, respecting the memory of history and understanding cultural differences as a strength – not a weakness. The foundation supports photographers as bearers of change through scholarships and sponsorships.
It should be noted that during the exhibition, which is coordinated by Arian Kotsi, there will be a two day workshop on photo-journalism at the Thessaloniki American College on Saturday, 13 and Sunday, 14 March, 2010.
