October kicks off with a Tribute to the 100th anniversary of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, which includes three theatrical performances and an interdisciplinary art project. Specifically, from September 30th and for six performances only, Mystery_13 I_Left Asia Minor, directed by Yolanda Markopoulou, is presented at the neighborhood of Synikismos in Upper Elefsina, with the descendants of the historic neighborhood’s Asia Minor refugees as its protagonists. October 12 marks the return of Mystery_5 WORDS on the WALL: The City as a Reading, with various walls of the city being transformed into book pages, through projections of small-scale texts, inspired by the Asia Minor Catastrophe. Next up is Mystery_82 REBETIKO, presented on October 22 at the X – Bowling Art Center. The theater play is an ode to the story of Asia Minor through the art of Puppet Theater, by the French Anima Theatre group, directed by Giorgos Karakantzas. The tribute also includes the presentation of Mystery_153 The Notebooks of Anzel Kourtian, a performance – testimony about the Armenian Genocide and the Asia Minor Catastrophe, based on the book of the same title by the heroine.
Mystery_62 Nights of Slowness – Discourses about Time will be held on October 9, under the directorial curation of Yannis Leontaris, in the courtyard of the church of Agios Nikolaos, within the city’s archaeological site, presenting innovative projects on the cinema of Bela Tarr, a concert by Mihaly Vig and interesting speeches by renowned guests, under the light of the full moon.
From October 13 to November 27, the Exhibition Mystery_29 Eleusis. Raw Museum by 2023 Eleusis will be hosted at the Benaki Museum / 138 Pireos Str. This emblematic project by the ECoC, curated by architect-museologist Erato Koutsoudaki, explores the city’s contemporary and unknown history. It is a journey through the city’s uniqueness and its Mysteries, through personal narratives in the form of talking portraits of locals and other persons who have linked their lives to the city and the presentation of objects from private collections, exhibited for the first time to the public. Co-organized by 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture and the Benaki Museum.
A legacy project of the visual arts exhibition Mystery_77 Behind the Theater by Andreas Lolis, co-organized last year by 2023 Eleusis in collaboration with Aeschylia Festival, the visual arts composition of marble reeds entitled “The opposite of forward” (Greek: “Το απέναντι του εμπρός”) now adorns the small courtyard of the Old City Hall of Elefsina.
October 23 marks the completion of the in situ sculptural installation Mystery_22 Straw falling on concrete floors by renowned visual artist, Kostis Velonis, “behind the Theater” of the Old Olive Mill in Elefsina. It is a contemporary visual arts ecosystem that draws inspiration from the mythological and historical tradition of Elefsina and is developed in three parts: “Anemometer,” “The Thighs of Demeter,” and “Persephone stumbled.” Co-organized by 2023 Eleusis and Aeschylia Festival.
Visual arts photographers will have the opportunity to submit applications until October 30 for the Open Call of the programme Mystery_8 European Eyes on Japan. The project which is implemented in collaboration with the organization EU Japan Fest, under the artistic supervision of Mikiko Kikuta, concerns the artistic residency of a Greek photographer in Osaka and then in Elefsina, and the presentation of the original photographs—the fruits of the aforementioned residency—which will be published and exhibited in Elefsina.
The educational project Mystery_52 Mystikit Elefsina – Educational Suitcase also kicks off in October, for all our young friends. The project will take place in schools across Greece and Europe, with primary and secondary school students getting acquainted with the vision and the goals of 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture. Another major educational programme by the ECOC is inaugurated at the same time, Mystery_54 Mobile Workshop, in collaboration with the team of Syn Fan Lab. The project takes place at the schoolyards of Elefsina and entails brief workshops for first-grade primary school students to learn about new construction technologies.
