A city in northern Greece – Thessaloniki – is to be at the centre of the 15th European Cultural Days at the MEK. The city has become synonymous with shared European cultural history as well as with historical and contemporary migration. Its multiculturalism and the lively, engaged life of its society are part of its particular attraction.

The city that forms the frame for the Cultural Days is thus also the subject of a photo exhibition at the Museum of Photography in Thessaloniki. The photos afford a glimpse into life in Thessaloniki from the end of the 19th century until today. All works are on loan from museums in the city or private individuals. Hercules Papaioannou, director of the Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, compiled and curated the photographs.

Various forms of presentation, including readings, performances, presentations, concerts, and talks, enrich viewers’ understanding of the images. Finally, musical and culinary delights typical of Thessaloniki make these four summer weeks into a special occasion.

The ‘2018 European Cultural Days: Thessaloniki | Facets of a City ’ is an MEK project in cooperation with the Greek embassy in Germany, the Museum of Photography in Thessaloniki, the Heinrich Böll Stiftung in Thessaloniki, the Zentrum Modernes Griechenland at the Freie Universität Berlin, Hellas Filmbox, the association ‘Respekt für Griechenland e.V.’, and the Greek communities in Berlin.