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The American College of Greece proudly announces the
"Tribute to Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904)"
The Author of Japan that was born in Greece

The Open Mind of Lafcadio Hearn

ACG ART GALLERY, ATHENS, GREECE 13/10/2009-28/05/2010
LAFCADIO HEARN MEMORIAL MUSEUM, MATSUE, JAPAN 27/06/2010-31/05/2011

The Cultural Affairs Office of The American College of Greece, on the occasion of celebrating the 110th Anniversary of Friendship between Greece and Japan aiming at its perpetuation, mounts a series of events for the Greek-born Japanese writer Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904). The events, originating in an idea by a College benefactor, Mr. Takis Efstathiou, and in collaboration with the Japanese Embassy in Greece, will take place on Tuesday, 13 October 2009, at 19:00, at Deree campus in Aghia Paraskevi. The American College of Greece looks forward to be joined by people from all over the world to celebrate this special tribute.

The schedule of events will unfold as follows:

19:00 Welcome address by President David G. Horner.

19:15 Unveiling of Masaaki Noda's "The Open Mind of Lafcadio Hearn" by His Excellency the Ambassador of Japan Takanori Kitamura at the patio of Deree College's Administrative Wing.

19:30 Screening of the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum video (13 minutes) at the John S. Bailey Library's Events Hall.

19:45 Introduction to Lafcadio Hearn by Professor Bon Koizumi at the John S. Bailey Library's Events Hall.

20:00 The work of Lafcadio Hearn by Dr. Claire Papapavlou at the John S. Bailey Library's Events Hall.

20:30 Reception & Opening of the exhibition "The Open Mind of Lafcadio Hearn".

Artist Masaaki Noda graduated from the Osaka University of Arts, and since 1977 is active in New York.

Professor Bon Koizumi is Lafcadio Hearn's great grandson, and looks after the museum in his memory. He is currently Professor of Cultural Anthropology and Folklore Studies at The University of Shimane, Matsue, Japan.

Claire Papapavlou, PhD University of California, Berkeley, is a historian of Far Eastern art, awarded for her work from the Academy of Athens (2000) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (2006).

Born in Lefkada Island of Greece to Irish surgeon-major Charles Hearn and Rosa Antoniou Kassimati from Kythera Island, studying in Durham of England, working in the United States, and choosing to make Matsue his home and Japan his country, Lafcadio Hearn (1850-1904) became the epitome of a personality bridging complimentary cultures. Lafcadio is the supreme embodiment of the achievement of open mind. His example teaches the fact there is no higher calling than tolerating 'otherness', and no richer way of life than one spent pursuing the creative truth, no greater responsibility than holding a mirror up to society, no greater challenge or mystery than marrying our dream life to our waking life. By opening his mind Lafcadio opened his heart to humanity, and led to peace within his self and ultimately the world.

"The Open Mind of Lafcadio Hearn" exhibition, curated by Megakles Rogakos, will feature artworks from 46 artists, inspired by Lefcadio Hearn's life and work, from the ACG Art collection that cover all art forms (painting, photography, sculpture etc.) and types (from naturalism to conceptual art). The participating international artists are the following: Demosthenes Agrafiotis (Greece); Christos Antonaropoulos (Greece); Murshida Arzu Alpana (Bangladesh); Zacharias Arvanitis (Greece); Konstantinos Bobos (Greece); Ismini Bonatsou (Greece); Eileen Botsford (Greece); Giannis Diamandis (Northern Epirus); Lena Dimova (Russia); Costas Evangelatos (Greece); Sophia Fotiadou(Greece); Christos Garoufalis (Greece); Tina Kambani (Greece); Nicole Kapari (Germany); Koshin Kawatsou (Japan); Harris Kondosphyris (Greece); Vassiliki Koskiniotou (Greece); Nikos Kryonidis (Greece); Panayiotis Lambrinidis (Greece); Vassilis Liaouris (Greece); Panagiotis Linardakis (Greece); Alexandros Maganiotis (Greece); Megakles (England); Yiannis Melanitis (Greece); Alkistis Michaelidou (Greece); Eva Mitala (Greece); Nicholas Moore (England); Spyros Moschoutis (Greece); Evangelos Moustakas (Greece); Jan Mulder (The Netherlands); Barbara Nahmad (Italy); Masaaki Noda (Japan); Kostas Paniaras (Greece); Lea Roussopoulou (Greece); Seiho (Japan); Dimitris Sevastakis (Greece); Vassilis Solidakis (Greece); Magda Tammam (Germany); Yorgos Taxiarchopoulos (Greece); Christos Theofilis (Greece); Sotiris Therianos (Greece); Sofia Touboura (Greece); Nikos Tsarouhas (Greece); Filippos Tsitsopoulos (Greece); Praxitelis Tzanoulinos (Greece); Yumiko Yoneda (Japan); Apostolis Zolotakis (Greece).

The exhibition will be enriched with contemporary music composed especially for the occasion by the noted composer Frans-Jan Wind (The Netherlands).

The exhibition will remain open to the public Monday through Friday 09:00 - 21:00 until 28 May 2010.

A fully illustrated exhibition catalogue accompanies the exhibition gratis.

On 27 June 2010, which marks the 160th anniversary from the birth of Lafcadio Hearn, the exhibition will reopen at the Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum in Matsue, Japan.

ASPECTS

REFERENCE VISUALS:

1. 1858 Lafcadio Hearn at about the age of 8 with his great aunt, Sarah Holmes Brenane (1793-1871) in Dublin
2. 1870 Lafcadio Hearn as reporter for the Cincinnati Daily Enquirer
3. 1889 Lafcadio Hearn at the age of 39, photographed by Frederick F. Gutekunst Jr. (1831-1917) in Philadelphia
4. 1891 Lafcadio Hearn at the age of 40 in Matsue on the occasion of his first 'Shogatsu', the new year in Japan
5. 1892 Portrait of Lafcadio Hearn and Setsu Koizumi in Kumamoto, photographed on 24 May 1892 by Rihei Tomishige (1837-1922)
6. 1896 Lafcadio Hearn with wife Setsu and first son Kazuo in Kobe, photographed by Sōta Ichida (1843-1896) on the occasion of 'Shichi-go-san'
7. 1900 Lafcadio Hearn as teacher of English Literature at the Imperial University of Tokyo
8. 1890 "Lafcadio Hearn leaving New York for Japan" drawn from memory by Charles Dater Weldon (1844-1935)

SPONSORS: Lafcadio Hearn Memorial Museum / The Hearn Society / Nakamura Chaho / MC International, Inc. / Noda Metal Working Industry Co. / PTE Fine Arts / Omion / Kathimerini / Athens Plus / International Herald Tribune / ElCulture.gr / Photolab / Petros Vergos Auctions / Move Art S.A. / Cellier

INFORMATION: Megakles Rogakos, ACG Art Curator, The American College of Greece - ACG Art
6 Gravias Street, Agia Paraskevi, Athens, GR 15342, Greece, T: +30210 6009800 / 1400, E: info@ACGart.gr