2009-11-25: On Wednesday, November 25, at 7pm, the opening of the exhibition of the Sparta Photography Club called «Elaia» (Olive) will be held at the Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil in Sparta.
The subject of the olive constitutes an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the members of the Sparta Photography Club (LE.PHO.S.), who write:
«The boundaries of the town of Sparta are marked by the olive and orange groves that surround it. In the neighbouring villages, the houses are surrounded by orchards and vegetable gardens. Almost all of the Club's members, by family tradition, have a direct relation to the olive and olive oil. They have gathered olives, burnt the pruned branches, transported the fruit to the olive press. They have tasted fresh olive oil on toasted bread. Our parents agonizing about a good olive harvest is part of our upbringing.
The photographs depict our parents, they depict us, who dropped the harvesting rake and grabbed a camera in order to capture the moment. It is we who, through photography, have tried to view our relation to the world. Who attempted to overcome the personal and perceive the general image. The tree with its trunk full of knots is not the tree whose olives we picked. They are the gnarled Hands that gathered them. The olive grove does not recount our toils to harvest the olives. It is our Space. The ruins of old olive presses is the Tale of our forefathers. The fire's smoke does not hide something from us. It reveals the silhouettes of the farmers who cultivated them. In the archaeological site of ancient Sparta, the presence of the sacred tree does not signify some sort of transgression. May the live flames keep us warm over the coming winter.
For some of us, the olive continues to be an important part of our lives. This coming winter, they will once again go to harvest the olives. To burn the pruned branches. To taste the fresh olive oil.
To walk in tandem with the perpetual interchange.»
Organized by the Piraeus Bank Cultural Foundation, the exhibition will run through to January 27, 2010.
The exhibition has been extended until 2010-03-28.
Museum of the Olive and Greek Olive Oil
Othonos–Amalias St, Sparta, 231 00
Tel. no. 27310 89315
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