Exhibition: “Parallel Perspectives” – Building bridges in a time where cultural stereotypes divide the world – Chania until 26th October

WHEN:Sunday 20th until Saturday 26th October,  10.00 – 13.00 and 18.00 – 23.00
Opening: 20th October 18.00
WHERE: Sabbionara Gate, Minoos Str., Chania (Koum Kapi) 
Entrance: free
Organisation: Etz Hayyim Synagogue and Young Citizens of the World

How does a Byzantine icon of Muslim invaders, a family photo in present-day Turkey, a worn-out mascot of the 2004 Olympics, a container full of grass and a small orange plastic boat create a kaleidoscopic view of contemporary Chania?
The exhibition “Parallel Perspectives: heritage and intercultural dialogue” tries to answer this question.
The exhibition is a look at contemporary Chania. It aspires to investigate whether today’s society is linked to  the long history of the city, and of the island in general. Fifty participants selected fifty different objects and their stories were told in a series of workshops held before the exhibition.In this exhibition the participants present ten different narratives that have been sidelined by the prevailing memory. Their objects and stories will be juxtaposed with works of modern art that local artists have created especially for this occasion.
The curator of the exhibition, Konstantin Fischer, explains: “Our purpose is to present the richness of the existing cultural diversity in our region and the wider area, too, and to present this rich heritage to the general public as an opportunity for both Chania and Crete, as well as for the rest of Greece. We want to build bridges, despite the mentality of our times, where cultural stereotypes divide the world.”
“Already in the workshops, with participants from different social groups, we succeeded in building bridges, to a certain extent. This approach will continue when the exhibition opens for the public for a week. Visitors are encouraged to participate, to share their stories, and reflect, interactively, about the nature of parallel narratives. The purpose is for the viewer to perceive them as enriching “parallel perspectives”. The exhibition will be accompanied by a list of documentation of the fifty objects and their stories, along with texts about the concept and the wider reflection of the exhibition. Additionally, the exhibition will also be available on the internet next to the contributions of the other participants of the program, at www.heritagecontactzone.com The website illustrates how every-day and personal objects can become springboards for interesting narratives of heritage and identity, social inclusion and exclusion within Europe – with examples from The Netherlands, Hungary, France, Romania and Greece.
The exhibition is organized by the civil non-profit company Etz Hayyim-Chania, and the cultural association Young Citizens of the World as part of their participation in the Heritage Contact Zone European program, in the context of the European Year of Cultural Heritage.

Source: CAM