В Мельбурне обсудят роль филэлленов в создании национального символа Месолонги

The bicentenary of the Exodus of Mesologgi will be examined at a seminar in Melbourne next month, focusing on how Philhellene artists helped shape the episode into a symbol of the Greek War of Independence. Dr Spiridoula Demetriou will present The Bicentenary of the Exodus of Mesologgi (1826–2026): Philhellene Art and the Making of a National Symbol on Thursday 3 September at 7pm at the Greek Centre. The seminar will examine the representation of Mesologgi in European art during and after the Greek War of Independence, and how images of the town and its 1826 Exodus were used to influence public opinion in support of the Greek cause. The Exodus took place on 11 April 1826, when the defenders and residents of Mesologgi attempted to break through Ottoman forces after a prolonged siege. The event became one of the defining episodes of the Greek War of Independence and later a symbol associated with the struggle for political freedom. Dr Demetriou completed her PhD in Art History at the University of Melbourne. Her doctoral thesis, The Creation of Modern Greece: Mesologgi, Art and Philhellenism in the Nineteenth Century, examined the way Philhellene artists represented revolutionary Mesologgi and sought to mobilise Western support for the Greek independence movement. She recently co-curated the commemorative exhibition MISSOLONGHI 1826: 200 YEARS SINCE THE EXODUS at the Benaki Museum. The Melbourne seminar will look beyond the historical events of 1826 to examine how their artistic representation influenced European perceptions of the Greek Revolution. It will also consider how representations of the Exodus contributed to the formation of Mesologgi as a national symbol and its place in the cultural imagination of modern Greece. For further information visit our Greek Guide events page.