Source: POLIPRESPA
The visual journey may have come to an end, but the memories of it will stay with the thirteen new passengers who participated in the THES-PRES program for a long time.
The program, which began on June 25 and ended on July 3, included a tour of points of cultural interest along the Macedonian suburban train line, starting at Thessaloniki and ending at Prespa, with stops at Veria and Florina.
At the terminal station, in Prespa, participants had the opportunity to meet with artists from 25 different countries, as part of the first International Encounters/Conference Walking Practices / Walking Art / Walking Bodies. During their journey, they also created a contemporary mosaic, made of clay that will be displayed in the Byzantine Collection of Agios Germanos in Prespa until July 21, 2019.
Upon disembarking from the train, the team of participants recorded their impressions, expressing the impact of the experience: “The journey was an unknown route, but I would do it again 1,000 times over!” said Anastasia Bakali, while Alexandra Boula wrote: “One team, one thousand moments. Different characters, but a single body; a single heart and the same goal for art; for a project born of 13 people.”
THES-PRES was organized as part of the POLIPRESPA program, implemented through a grant by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), in collaboration with the Department of Applied and Visual Arts of the University of Western Macedonia (School of Fine Arts). The POLIPRESPA program is a joint effort between local actors to create a development model for the country’s Protected Areas.