a celebration of democracy in Heptapyrgio

Heptapyrgio or other way known as Gentikoule is a Byzantine castle of the 12th- 13th century which at the 19th century till the end of the decade of 1980, became a prison for many people, among of whom the political prisoners which were prisoned at the Junta period (1967-1974), in the time when the military group took charge of the country after a coup.

Nowadays the Ephorate of Antiquities which is based there, wants to make the whole space of Heptapyrgio a true culture space, where art, culture, and history will come to life and give prominence to the previous history of the space but always with respect to its memorial status and remanence, so it isn't strange that the art exhibition entitled  "Democracy" is being held there from the midds of July till the end of this September.

This exhibition is a collaboration of the Archeological Museum, the Museum of contemporary art of Thessaloniki and the city's municipality office. The birth of the idea had evolved the previous months when as Mr. George Skiadaresis Deputy director of the Ephorate of Antiquities in Thessaloniki explains, he suggested to the party of the contemporary art museum, who was preparing at the time an exhibition in Athens on the same topic to make another exhibition with Democracy as a theme there also, and from then on it didn't take long  to evolve the idea, contact artists from Athens and Thessaloniki  who started preparing the art installations and paintings and in the middle of July the exhibition took place, in a month when back at 1974 Junta failed and Democracy was restored again in the country. Although it is open to the public the official grand opening will be celebrated during the first week of September and it will continue to be open officially till the end of the same month.

Democracy should always be celebrated because it is an overtime essence by which all the people and governments must obtain and use in keeping harmony, sustainability, and tranquility in everyday living.

some exchibits in the isolation cages of the past prison

some other works of art in the "Democracy"exhibition