The Municipality of Athens marks a double anniversary with the opening this week at the Municipal Arts Center in Eleftherias Park of the “1974 & 1944: Athens Celebrates its Freedom” exhibition.
The show, featuring rare photographs, art works, historic snippets, posters, personal items, newspaper extracts, and audiovisual material commemorates the 80th anniversary of Greece’s liberation from Nazi occupation (1944) and the 50th anniversary of the restoration of democracy following the fall of the military dictatorship (1974).
Admission to the show is free on Wednesdays to Sundays 11a.m. – 7 p.m. through to Aug. 31. The show will be closed Aug. 12-18 and reopen on Sept. 1, Monday to Sunday 10:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
The show is part of a wider program commemorating the two historic events, organized by the municipality and the Organization for Culture, Sport and Youth of the Municipality of Athens (OPANDA) together with Athens 9.84 radio, the Archives of Contemporary Social History, and the General State Archive.
Athens Mayor Haris Doukas. Photo credit: City of Athens
The wider program which runs through to November includes screenings, concerts, theater performances, workshops, lectures and art & photography shows.
Key events and shows include a photo and multimedia exhibition by Sotiris Danezis titled “Famagusta 3.5%” spotlighting the Cyprus city 50 years after the Turkish invasion and occupation; “A Sweet Dawn: 14 Stories About Athens Under Occupation” to open in September and featuring the works of 14 Greek comics artists who capture life in Athens during the Nazi occupation, resistance efforts, and the path to liberation; “Nothing is Lost: 50 Years of Songs for a Better World” concert featuring much-loved Greek singers performing freedom songs (October 15), and much more. Stay tuned to This is Athens for more info.
