Imagining Greece is an evolving research-based exhibition that explores how social, political, and cultural forces have shaped Greece's image as a tourist destination. The online exhibition brings together a rich diversity of archival materials on Greek tourism alongside first-hand accounts, presenting them on a single platform for the first time. It reveals the complex interplay of vision, ambitions, and expectations of those who established Greece as one of the world's most beloved destinations and shaped the image of the idyllic Greek summer.
The research project and online exhibition are led by History Professor Eirini Karamouzi (Principal Investigator, University of Sheffield) and Design and Visual Culture scholar Dr Mary Ikoniadou (Co-Investigator), with an interdisciplinary team including architectural historians Dr Stavros Alifragkis and Dr Emilia Athanasiou (Scientific and Artistic Curators, Lead Researchers), Despina Tsilimagkou (Digital Humanities Director), curation (Dr Christos Christidis, Special Advisor), and design, archaeology and heritage researchers Dr Marina Emmanouil, Dr Metaxia Papageorgiou and Dr Aphrodite Kamara. Web design: Field Studio.
Imagining Greece offers a unique opportunity to explore the intersection of history, culture, and tourism in Greece. The exhibits are carefully organised to not only shed light on pivotal moments but also to provide a deeper understanding of how tourism helped shape the nation's identity and global image. The goal is to make the exhibition a widely accessible online resource that promotes a deeper understanding of tourism as a critical element of Greek culture, economy, politics, and society.
The online exhibition has been generously supported by the Onassis Foundation, the National Bank of Greece and Research England and is under the aegis of the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and the Greek Ministry of Tourism. The team works closely with Greece's National Historical Museum.
Dr Ikoniadou is grateful for the support of the LSA PARTICIPATE Research Cluster.
The exhibition is now available to view online, and you can soon find more information about the ongoing research project below.
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