Politismos eMagazine | Arts & Culture
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Alexandra Trampa: Writing the Lives of Saints

01.03.2016 in Arts & Culture

Alexandra Trampa: Writing the Lives of Saints    Alexandra Trampa was born in Arta, a city in the northwest of Greece. At the age of 12, her family relocated to Athens, a bustling and exciting city for a child who always possessed an artistic flair.  While her initial studies were in fashion designing, in time, her gift, agiography (iconography), emerged as a result of an intense inner quest…     Did you begin with the intention of being an artist or an iconographer?  What were you drawn to first?   My quest was both artistic and personal, but then again these two things are…

The Carnival Traditions of Greece

01.03.2016 in Arts & Culture

The Carnival Traditions of Greece    Our world is full of unique identities and cultures, each defined by distinctive languages, religions, customs, and traditions. But around this time of year, people gather in all corners of the world to take part in the excitement of a well known and shared tradition called “Carnival.”     Carnival, known also as Mardi Gras or Apokries, is a festive season full of music, dancing, parades and spirited parties. In the Roman Catholic and Christian Orthodox churches, Mardi Gras and Apokries refer to the period just before the 40 days of Lent prior to the…

Theatre…To Exist, or to Live?

06.02.2016 in Arts & Culture

Theatre…To Exist, or to Live?   Ever wondered where the key difference between existing and living lies? In today’s world, people seem to exist in survival mode, programmed to make a living – we seek that “something” that makes us feel alive. The arts, from visual to performing, are always the perfect choice to take us beyond the feeling of mere existence. Art evokes joy, sorrow, grief, and pride. With art, we can confront and accept the mortality of our journey. Perhaps one of the oldest and most sophisticated forms of art is theatre. Inspired by our dreams, fears, and…

Elli Papakonstantinou, An Artist Playing with Fire…

03.02.2016 in Arts & Culture

Elli Papakonstantinou, An Artist Playing with Fire…   Elli Papakonstantinou has given artists, and activists, a platform from which to express themselves. her work, her art, is created not to provide answers in these politically charged times, but rather, to open expectations to endless possibilities… Internationally acclaimed Elli Papakonstantinou is Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the ODC Ensemble. Born in Athens, she studied at the Greek National School of Arts and the Royal Holloway, University of London. After a number of years working in London, she returned to Greece where she co-founded the ODC Ensemble, and then Vyrsodepseio. This weekend in…

Lysippos Epoesen, A film by Niko Franghias

25.01.2016 in Arts & Culture

“Lysippos Epoesen, The Story and the Art of Alexander the Great’s Legendary Sculptor” An award winning film written, designed and directed by Niko Franghias   HE CHOSE BRONZE AS HIS MEDIUM HIS MASTERPIECES HAVE REACHED US IN MARBLE ALEXANDER THE GREAT’S EXCLUSIVE PORTRAITIST HE CHANGED ART FOREVER BY INTRODUCING INGENIOUS INNOVATIONS HIS STYLE BECAME THE IDEAL MODEL FOR SCULPTURE INSPIRING ARTISTS THROUGHOUT EUROPE NOW, THE SPIRIT OF BRONZE AND THE SPIRIT OF MARBLE GUIDE US ON A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME RESEARCHING THE STORY AND THE WORKS OF THE MYTHICAL SCULPTOR   “Lysippos Epoesen,” inspired by the story and the art of Alexander…

Faith and History

01.12.2015 in Arts & Culture

Faith and History    “In the pre-Christian Greek and Greek Orthodox experience – ancient, medieval and modern – there has been no division or even a hierarchical arrangement of religious, linguistic, social and even political values. Our tradition is like a large body of water which flows on, even though it breaks out occasionally into rivulets or absorbs other smaller rivers and lakes. Tradition (παράδοσις) is what preserves the unity of a people and secures their identity. When a people forget their heritage, they lose their memory and disappear from history.” – From “Orthodoxy and Hellenism,”  by Rev. Dr. Demetrios Constantelos     This is…

Celebrating the Holidays with the Traditions of Greece

01.12.2015 in Arts & Culture

Celebrating the Holidays with the Traditions of Greece    Traditions, the handing down of beliefs or customs, from one generation to the next.  They allow us to honor the legacy of our ancestors and there are many traditions common throughout all of Greece, but there are also those customs that are special to certain regions of the country.     Do you have a unique family tradition?  The holidays are a wonderful time to share traditions with family and to hand them onto the next generation.   Northern Greece   The Marriage of Fire: In many villages of northern Greece, people wait for…

Happy Healthy Holidays!

01.12.2015 in Arts & Culture

Happy Healthy Holidays!   The holiday season always seems to have a great impact on our hearts and emotions. It’s the unique opportunity we are given to escape from our daily routine which, most of the time, revolves around personal issues and family needs.  During the holidays, we meet with friends and family, socialize, care for the others, enjoy ourselves, have fun, dance and open up to the rest of the world.    However, this festive atmosphere can also bring on a melancholy for some as the season can bring to the surface an array of feelings – unfulfilled emotional or…

Made in Greece Festival

01.12.2015 in Arts & Culture

Made in Greece Festival   The “Made in Greece” festival was held for the first time in Athens this past October 23-26, 2015 at Technopolis.  Produced by 2 FOR 7, the event was an effort to showcase goods “made in Greece” as well as provide an opportunity for festival goers to meet the artisans and crafters of these products.   As a result of the economic crisis in recent years, domestic producers of foods, crafts and other goods have faced great challenge.  Many local or family run businesses simply could not keep up with the rising costs of goods, promotion and…

Wor(th)ship: The Photographic Field Work of Tassos Vrettos

01.12.2015 in Arts & Culture

Wor(th)ship: The Photographic Field Work of Tassos Vrettos    The photographic ‘fieldwork’ of celebrated Athens-born photographer Tassos Vrettos. The images document the makeshift places of worship of migrants and refugees in and around Athens and are  presented at the Benaki Museum, now through January 10, 2016.   Each of my visits, even when it wasn’t the first, even if I had been there time and time again, was like opening a door and entering a place of mystery, emotion, reverence and awe. Each space had its own unique identity and aura, from the bright colorful icons of an Indian temple…