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The lecture will be in Greek

From 1829 onwards, several decisions were taken and plans were made for the construction of "monuments of gratitude” focusing on the Church of the Savior that doubles as a heroon to Greek Independence. The discussions followed the cycle of jubilee celebrations in increments of 50 years from 1821, as well as other subdivisions of mnemonic time. The initiatives were spearheaded by important politicians, many locations were proposed, from Omonoia and Syntagma squares to Mount Lycabettus, and important architects submitted numerous designs. The investigation of the ways in which the idea of these "monuments of gratitude" mutates over time from the point of view of ideology, politics, and architecture highlights the changing perception of the Greek Revolution, as it was articulated successively in the discourse that defines the respective signifier of "memory" and "gratitude," as well as the projection of this discourse in the symbolic geography of the city and the architectural representation of the monument, with or without the Church of the Savior. The mapping and critical consideration of the proposals allows us to illuminate the perception of the nation and its history, that is, the reason that constructs the meaning of modern Greece, ‘reading’ between the lines of the historiography of the last 200 years.

About the speaker:

Panayotis Tournikiotis is Professor of Architectural Theory at the National Technical University of Athens, School of Architecture. He has studied architecture, town planning, geography and philosophy in Athens and Paris. His research focuses on critical history and theory, and the way understanding the past may contribute to the interdisciplinary setting of design strategies in architecture and town planning. He is the author of many books, has been active as a curator of architectural events and has contributed to the board of many institutions. His recent work explores the reinvention of the city center in metropolitan Athens.