Opening of Exhibition "History has a Face" at the Greek Embassy

As part of the celebrations for the 200 years since the 1821 Greek Revolution and on the occasion of the Anniversary of OXI, October 28, 1940, the Embassy of Greece in London (1A Holland Park, W11 3TP) organized, in its premises, on the 26th of October, 2021, in collaboration with Sylvia Ioannou Foundation and the National History Museum, an event for the opening of the exhibition "History has a Face". The exhibition presented 15 portraits of some of the Greek Independence Heroes (such as Kolokotronis, Nikitaras, Koundouriotis, Makrigiannis, Hadjipetrou, Finlay) painted by Benjamin Mary (1792-1846), Belgian diplomatic representative in Greece. (More historical data as well as information on the depicted heroes are contained in the publication of the Sylvia Ioannou Foundation and the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece - National History Museum « History has a face - Figures of 1821 in Greece of Otto by the Belgian diplomat Benjamin Mary, Athens , 2020»).

The event started with the welcome message of Mrs Iphigenia Kanara, Deputy Head of the Mission, which was followed by a very interesting and moving video from «Greece 2021» Committee titled «Desire for Freedom - Επιθυμία Ελευθερίας» screened in the video wall. It was a visual narration of the Revolution of 1821, starting in the pre-revolutionary years and concluding with the establishment of the Modern Greek State. During the visual narrative, which derives from paintings and other documents such as books or official reports, the viewers had the opportunity to see depictions of life in Greece before the Revolution and follow the events that led to the outbreak of the Struggle.

Afterwards, the new Consul of Greece, Christos Goulas, introduced the event and the speakers. The first speaker was Gonda Van Steen, Koraes Chair of Modern Greek and Byzantine History, Language and Literature in KCL’s Centre for Hellenic Studies and Department of Classics, who delivered a very engaging speech on «Benjamin Mary: The Face of a Belgian Philhellene». She was followed by academic Jennifer Wallace, Director of Studies in English at Peterhouse, University of Cambridge, as well author and member of the London Hellenic Prize, who made a memorable presentation on «Poets and Philhellenes». Last but not least, Dr Alasdair Grant, Curatorial Fellow, School of History, Classics and Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh, in his compulsive presentation on «Mix’d Celtic Memories with the Phrygian Mount’: George Finlay, Historian and Philhellene», closed the presentation cycle.

The amazing finale by the actress and theatre director of Mirror Theater in London Angeliki Petropetsioti, gripped the audience by reciting excerpts from the Memoirs of Makrygiannis and Kolokotronis, selected in collaboration with the Academy of Athens.

The presentation and speeches, were followed by a small reception where all attendees had the time to admire the Greek Heroes portraits and discuss on various subjects, while they all pointed out the importance of the event, as well as their eagerness to participate in these kind of events, organised by the Greek Embassy in London, in the future .