"Á Humble Paradise” at the Museum of Marble Crafts
2009april03:The Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation (PIOP) will host the photographic exhibition «A Humble Paradise» by Eugenie Coumantaros in the multipurpose hall of the Museum of Marble Crafts at Pirgos, on the island of Tinos. The exhibition's inauguration will be held on Friday, April 3, at 7:00pm.
«A Humble Paradise» pays tribute to the rural way of life, which is gradually and imperceptibly, vanishing in Tinos, the Cyclades and the whole of Greece. Though this particular collection of photographs was taken between 2000 and 2009, the images recall scenes from a forgotten past, while simultaneously turning towards the future, challenging the spectator to preserve the authentic beauty of this «hand-crafted», imposing landscape.
The exhibition is divided into themes, including -among others- photographs of landscapes, people and characteristic geophysical and architectural elements. As Eugenie Coumantaros herself points out: «the photographs were taken over the past decade, while my children were growing up and we explored the land where my husband's forefathers lived. I was captivated by the natural landscape's geometry, by the absolute simplicity of the buildings' architecture. The uniqueness of the houses, sheepfolds, chapels and dovecotes enchanted me. The landscape's continuity through time, even the animals in it, became a source of inspiration. What I particularly appreciated, though, was the farmers' warmth and kindness».
Eugenie Coumantaros graduated from the University of Princeton in English Literature, with a second degree in Photography. In 1989, after working for Magnum Photos in New York for two years, she moved to Athens, where she worked for the Greek Press, photographing various communities in Greece. In 1991, she co-founded the English-language magazine Odyssey, whose main theme is Greeks and the Hellenic Diaspora. In 1996, she founded In Focus Ltd., a company whose object is the drafting and publication of annual reports and presentation brochures for major Greek firms.
The exhibition will run from April 3 to May 24, 2009.
