October 1 - November 13, 2021

The photographs in this exhibition are part of the Trikoglou Collection, which belongs to the Central Library of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and includes over 14,000 of items. Ioannis Trikoglou, a Greek merchant from Cairo, was an avid collector with a special interest in Greece and Greek history. It is not very well known that he was also an amateur photographer. In fact, in 1937 he had exhibited on Parnassos his photographs from Egypt and Greece. These very interesting photos, as well as the catalog of this exhibition are preserved today in the Central Library of AUTh.
 

His acquaintance with Boissonnas's work had begun very early. […]
In 1929, Trikoglou helped finance the magnificent edition of Boissonnas' book Egypte with photographs of Egyptian monuments as well as modern life and technological achievements. The publication was dedicated to King Fouad of Egypt who had also proposed its creation - unfortunately it has not been reprinted since. In 1933 the photographer went back to Egypt on Mount Sinai to create a second edition on the route of the Israelites as recorded in the biblical "Exodus", which was never published.
During this trip he wrote his impressions in a diary which is kept in the Trikoglou Collection section.
In the exhibition, excerpts from this diary are presented for the first time and through Boissonnas' written thoughts, it is understood how the photographer not only saw and photographed, but also how he felt the places, the landscapes, the experiences of this journey.

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In addition, photographic material of Boissonnas’ tours of mainland Greece, the Ionian Islands, as well as the emblematic photographic imprints of the Parthenon are presented from the Trikoglou Collection.
These photographs should be seen in all their multiplicity: on the one hand, aesthetically; as depictions of a unique and rare approach to the Egyptian and Greek landscape and Greek history, and on the other hand, sociologically; as capturing a land’s sense and identity, what we today consider as "national identity", which was –back then– being shaped via its national and geographical reflections.
The exhibition attempts to highlight the significance of the Trikoglou Collection, but also the historical, national and aesthetic importance of the Trikoglou-Boissonnas’ collaboration and its impact on the modern Greek art, as it was a collaboration of mutual respect and a creative dialogue with unique artistic, but also philhellenic extensions.
 
 
Curators:
Antonis Saragiotis, Art Historian - Library and Information Center
Areti Leopoulou, Art Historian - MOMus-Museum of Photography of Thessaloniki
 
Co-production: AUTh Central Library | Mount Athos Center | MOMus - Thessaloniki Museum of Photography
 




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