The 12th Εphorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities in collaboration with the Jewish Museum of Greece, the Jewish Community of Ioannina and the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Ioannina, presented an exhibition of artistic photography by Samuel Negrin and Ioannis Panagakos, entitled: “Sacred Objects and Symbols. The Synagogues of Greece”.
The exhibition was hosted at the “Dione” room of the Ioannina Archaeological Museum and remained open from Monday, 14th March until Saturday, May 14th, 2011.
This photographic exhibition, entitled ‘Synagogues of Greece: Light and Shadows’, had first been presented in the Contemporary Art Gallery of the Jewish Museum of Greece, on May 9th, 2005.
The exhibition included twenty-three (23) black and white photographs, taken by Samuel Negrin and Ioannis Panagakos, who traveled throughout Greece, and captured with their cameras the particular atmosphere of the synagogues.Graduates of the School of Graphic Arts and Art Studies, of TEI of Athens, the two artists reveal through imaginative variations of light and shadow, the unearthly environment of these places of faith and worship, making the guests active participants in their calm and serenity.
The exhibition included photographs of the Synagogues of Ioannina, Athens, Thessaloniki, Chania, Larissa, Trikala, Rhodes, Veria, Chalkis and Corfu. Concerning Ioannina, an once thriving Jewish community, the hosting of this exhibition was of particular importance, because it was accompanied by authentic religious objects, on loan by the Jewish Community of Ioannina for the duration of the exhibition. Images from the life of the Jewish Community of Ioannina during the last century, as well as Sephardic & Romaniote hymns accompanied the exhibition material.
At the same time, the Cultural Center of the City of Ioannina organized events related to the subject of the exhibition.
