MIRAGES LXI

In 2012 during a business trip, as member of a very special mission, I found myself through Istanbul in Ukraine. It was the era that Greece was in the middle of the economic crisis, with the Eleftherios Venizelos airport almost empty and on the other hand Atatürk Airport was in extravagance and luxury, they were making even fresh kaymak (Turkish mastic ice cream). Anyway, it wasn’t my wish to visit Istanbul at that time, but resulted (!)

Sevastopol – Simferopol – Mariupol – Ancient Τaurica ( Crimea peninsula)… It was a long journey… very interesting… with very strong signs of poverty, abandonment and alcoholism… The younger generation lost in the ocean of alcoholism and their children living with their grandparents or abandoned in orphanages. Buildings, that you would admire in any European capital, under collapse and the children’s eyes begging you to take them from this country. And some took them and took advantage of them (!)

Hearing the name of the above cities these days- come to my mind again the terrified blue eyes of five-year-old Maxim nailed to the bottle I picked up to drink water and while puzzled I could not understand his Trauma, he hugged me more and more tightly and did not leave. He wanted me to take him with me… and the blue half-ruined buildings… a lot of blue color in Europe’s grain basket… And Art that Unites us all,  and that so many efforts have been made over the years for these areas to be included in the World Visual Map, is now Dividing us (?)

For what can someone wish during these difficult hours (?) Let be the first month of Spring, Harbinger of Happier Days full of Serenity, Peace, Tranquility, Reunion, Art, Poetry and Philosophy for Maxim and for every Maxim on this Earth (!)

Photo: Tiffany Chung, A Thousand Years Before and After, 2012, Video (color, sound), 09:01 min, film still, Courtesy of the artist

Good Month
Efi Michalarou
1/3/2022