Soufli: 'Like Silk' Exhibition - Bridge of Greece-Japan culture

The Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation (PIOP) and the Corfu Museum of Asian Art will present the temporary "Like Silk" exhibition at the Silk Museum in Soufli from June 10 to November 13.

The exhibition, organised under the auspices of the Embassy of Japan in Greece, will for the first time present selected authentic objects from the collections of the Corfu Museum of Asian Art, the only museum in the country dedicated exclusively to the antiquities and art of Asia.

In direct dialogue with the theme of the distinct Silk Museum and highlighting aspects of the history of the production and use of silk in the Land of the Rising Sun, the exhibition explores common elements between the two cultures, Japanese and Greek.

Sericulture, crucial to the character of Soufli, played an essential role in Japan's economic, social and cultural development, which remains one of the largest silk producers in the world.

Hatzinikolaou: Silk and sericulture a "Bridge" of Greece-Japan culture

The president of PIOP, Giorgos Hatzinikolaou, referred to the special characteristics of the exhibits, the reasoning and the targeting of the temporary exhibition.

He stressed PIOP, to achieve parity in the field of culture, has always invested in joining forces, always seeking substantive collaborations in Greece and abroad and that, in this direction, the organisation of major cultural events in the regions, the offering of new cultural experiences to local communities is an absolutely deliberate choice.

He characterised the exhibition as a "bridge" between Greece and Japan "...a small, but essential, contribution to mutual understanding and to the creation of a climate of friendship between the two countries" as with silk and sericulture as a connecting link, the visitors will discover everything that unites the two countries, the two cultures.

Ko Shiratori: The goal is to explore common cultural and historical elements

The Educational Attaché of the Japanese Embassy, Ko Shiratori, noted the excellent and long-term cooperation of the Embassy of Japan in Greece, under whose auspices the exhibition is held, with the Asian Art Museum of Corfu. Regarding the objects from the Japanese collection on display.

He said that they "show aspects of the history of silk production and use in Japan and come into dialogue with the exhibits of the Silk Museum, aiming to explore common cultural and historical elements with the aim of promoting of mutual understanding between the two peoples".

He also made special reference to the official declaration of 2024 as the Greece-Japan Year of Culture and Tourism, hoping that "the exhibition will act as a bridge for this event and further strengthen the existing friendly relations between Greece and Japan."

Workshop on "Japanese fans"

On the occasion of the exhibition "Like Silk", on June 18, from 11:00 to 14:00, PIOP is organising a workshop for adults, with the theme "Japanese fans."

After a tour of the exhibition, the participants will work with the guidance of Kalliopi Konsta, using natural materials such as stones, fabrics, branches and flowers to create impressive decorative sculptures on the theme of the Japanese fan.

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