This exhibition comes from R2I 2021 Program, with leader curators Krzysztof Candrowicz — Łódź Fotofestiwal, Poland and Martin Breindl — FLUSS, Lower Austria.

Duration: 26 Aug-11 Sep 2022
Opening: Monday 29 Aug 2022, 20:30

The exhibition RETURN. WHAT FOR? highlights the critical social issues and dominant narratives contained in the concept of Return.

It explores the limits and problems of describing and understanding it, the complexities that result from it, and the opposing emotions that the consequences of Return create. It wonders about the ways in which the timeless epic of the "Odyssey" continues to reside in and around us, emphasizes its references that are directly related to the present and our daily lives, shows ways of analyzing its messages and how this poem teaches and guides us.

All this process of understanding and recognition is done for the first time collectively, here in Ithaca, through the photographic process following modern and critical artistic paths. Here, the Return is analyzed following light and dark paths, it goes beyond the symbolic happy return of Odysseus and wonders about the returns that lead to unpleasant experiences.

This is a polyphonic exhibition of 10 photographers.
Each of them tries to critically manage the challenges of immigration, the odyssey of the modern traveler, social marginalization, coercion and Return as the eternal beginning of a new journey that follows the previous one and will lead to a next, non-final destination.

The exhibition reveals and highlights examples of returns, either happy despite the time they lasted, like that of Odysseus or more destructive and fatal, like that of Agamemnon.

In R2I 2021 residency, 10 international artists were hosted for 15 days on the island, they were informed on the "Odyssey" and the history of Ithaca, they had guided on threshold paths, they came together with local people in order to work and produce artistic work inspired by the meanings and myths that emanate from the epic poem of the "Odyssey".

Participant Artists: 
Alessandra Baldoni 
Galatia Iatraki 
Diana Lelonek
Evi Leuchtgelb
Panos Mazarakis
Aleksandra Nowysz
Georgia Ponirakou 
Eva-Maria Raab
Mafalda Ruão 
Konstantinos Zirganos-Kazoleas