This from Kathimerini today - note the initiative in the last paragraph
regarding < www.idomos.net>
<<The creation of an "Electronic Network of Cultural Magazines," a
website that will be launched in the next few weeks >>>
June S
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A conference on the subject of culture and modernity
People from the arts gathered to discuss innovation in Greek culture
http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/civ__2444915KathiLev&xml/&aspKath/ci…
A. KOROXENIDIS
Contemporary Greek culture is constantly growing. This is what the
increasing numbers of events in all fields of the arts indicate. But
does this growth run parallel to innovation? How does modernity match
contemporary artistic production in Greece?
These were some of the questions raised in the discussion of
"Modernity and Contemporary Greek Culture", the theme of the 5th
Panhellenic Conference of Cultural Publication Agencies recently
organized by Highlights – the bimonthly cultural review – in Nafplion.
Representatives of Greek cultural magazines from different parts of
Greece, together with artists, academics and people in the arts
participated in a three-day cultural get-together which made an
attempt to define innovation in respect to Greek culture.
Modernity in the sense of innovation and originality is a common
concern among artists who work in countries outside the major cultural
centers. In Greece, for example, when discussing the art produced, one
often makes comparisons with the more international trends. Keeping
pace with what is happening abroad is indeed important, but so is
building a distinctive identity that is not an imitation. There is
also Greece's rich history and ancient civilization to consider, which
are often seen as incompatible with the quest for the new.
The problem of establishing ties between Greece's history and its
present was one of the points made by theater critic Irini Moundraki.
A participant in the panel on Greek contemporary theater, she spoke of
how contemporary art should not be seen as clashing with the country's
cultural past.
On the most interesting panel, on contemporary Greek literature,
literary agent Katerina Frangou observed that many young, Greek
authors have renounced the literary tradition of their own country and
are very much influenced by international literary production. On that
same panel, Yiannis Baskozos, director of the literary review Diavazo,
presented what are in his view some of the recurring aspects in the
work of young, Greek writers which he distinguished from the work of
their predecessors. He spoke of how young writers do not tackle life's
broader themes but usually base their stories on more personal,
autobiographical plots. Baskozos also referred to the pressures felt
by writers to constantly produce, which inevitably diminishes the
quality of their work.
Other participants made an attempt at defining the terms "modernity"
and "Greek culture." Novelist Christos Chrisopoulos for example spoke
about modernity in historical and philosophical terms. He associated
modernity with "identity" and, at the other end of the spectrum, of
the postmodern in relationship to "otherness." Constantinos Lignos,
publisher of the music magazine Polytonon, remarked that modernity in
the sense of originality is not always related to the new. Yiannis
Vasilakakos, writer and coordinator of the International Association
of Literary Critics of Oceania, raised the question of whether a
definition of contemporary Greek culture should incorporate expatriate
Greeks.
The arguments presented varied greatly and differed in their depth and
intellectual content. For this reason, those attending the conference
gained an understanding not only of the specific theme of modernity
but also of a way of thinking shared by people in the arts in this
country. It is unfortunate that constant complaining is part of this
thinking.
Besides its theoretical aspect, the conference has also served a very
practical purpose. For it has provided people in the field of culture
with an opportunity to present their projects (at this year's
conference for example, representatives from several website magazines
participated) and has generated artistic collaborations. Its main
purpose is to document contemporary artistic production in the
country, a task which also lies behind other cultural projects
organized by Highlights.
The creation of an "Electronic Network of Cultural Magazines," a
website that will be launched in the next few weeks, is one of
Highlight's most recent projects. The outcome of two years' work, the
site is a guide to the country's cultural magazines (there are a total
of 550 reviews, many of them inactive) and to its cultural scene. In
many ways, the site (www.idomos.net) serves the same purpose as the
annual conference: it fosters an exchange of ideas and draws attention
to the cultural life that extends beyond Athens and reaches the most
remote parts of Greece.
(The writer is a contributor to Highlights.)
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--
June Samaras
KALAMOS BOOKS
(For Books about Greece)
2020 Old Station Rd
Streetsville,Ontario
Canada L5M 2V1
Tel : 905-542-1877
E-mail : kalamosbooks(a)gmail.com
www.kalamosbooks.com
