BREAD, BREAD OF LUXURY, BREAD OF POVERTY
In its flesh the life is kneaded, and on it and all around it the whole world is embroidered. On a loaf of wheat bread the circle of life is painted. Daily toil, festivals, traditions – in joy and sorrow, in family and community – spirits and saints, pious desires, wishes and superstitions once took place in a fermented bun, in a loaf of bread. The opening of the exhibition with the characteristic title Bread, Luxury Bread, Slave Bread took place on Thursday 24 June 2010 with great success at the Mars Field Gallery in collaboration with the European Bread Museum and the interactive folklore museum based in Varnavas, Attica, and with the support of the “bread streets”.
At the beginning of the new gallery and its heads George Sarantaygas and Natasha Matraga, after visiting the premises of the two museums in the community of Varnavas, proposed to the founders of the above two cultural institutions, Petros Katsikis and Mileas Pappas, who specialize in embroidered bread, to collaborate in a contextual artistic approach on the theme of bread. An invitation that was accepted and whose theme is particularly topical nowadays. Authentic exhibits of embroidered bread, millstones, analogue – hand-printed – black and white photographs of our luxurious-substantial life, a film about Lavreotiki and its mines, a painted conjecture about a breadnote of the era of the world salvation plan are, among other things, the content of the exhibition in which 7 artists participate.
As it is known, the collection of the European Bread Museum consists of 520 exhibits of embroidered bread and 2500 drawings from Greece and abroad. Its collaborations include the Folklore Centre of the Academy of Athens, prefectures, municipalities, communities, chambers of commerce, chambers of commerce, NGOs, institutions, associations, schools of all levels of education as well as foreign museums and universities. The museum is open all year round, and organises regular events and offers courses in bread embroidery. “Bread Roads” is the museum’s new project, designed along the lines of the world cultural routes recognised by UNESKO. The exhibition will run until 21 July 2010 at the Mars Gallery at 11 Therianoux & 1 Mustoxidi 1 in the Fields of Areos.
Among others, the opening ceremony was attended by the representative of “FOVOS” Organization for the Collective Management and Protection of Photographers’ Intellectual Property Rights, Petros Doumas, creator of Technochoros Gallery, Elias Kosindas, photographer. At the same time, both the European Bread Museum and the Interactive Folklore Museum Varnavas participated in the exhibition of NELE An Attica with exhibits from seven actions – programs (embroidered bread, weaving, folklore, photography, mask-doll, ageing – handicraft, traditional costumes and computer learning.
