The Herakleidon Museum presents the participatory exhibition “PAME Ιrakleidon”, the culmination of the initiative of the same name, during which material was collected with the aim of documenting the history of the area.

Memories, views, reflections, opinions, photographs, objects and stories about the neighbourhood’s past, present and future, together with the perspectives of specialists — architects, archaeologists, historians and others — as well as those of people who live or have lived, work or have worked in the area, are connected to it in any way, or simply love it, form the threads from which the image of Herakleidon is woven.

As Vasiliki Papakosta, curator and initiator of the exhibition, notes: “There are stories waiting to be told. You may find them behind the dusty shelves of an old shop, in a drawer filled with old photographs, or in the solitude of someone sitting in a neighbourhood café. Once these stories begin to unfold, the image of a street, of a neighbourhood, starts to change before our eyes. In our own neighbourhood, along Herakleidon Street and the surrounding streets, history makes its presence felt in many different ways. Archaeological remains, buildings dating from the early industrial era and the remarkable urban residences of what was then still a young capital all tell parts of its story, just as other fragments can be traced in publications from earlier periods and in the accounts of historians and researchers. 

Yet the most human parts of this history are found in the memories of its residents: in the courtyards of their homes, in the sounds and scents of local festivities, in the voices of children at play, on the way to school, in working conditions and in the everyday lives of ordinary people.

We launched the participatory initiative “PAME Herakleidon”, inviting people who live, have lived or work in the area to share their stories. Interwoven with photographic material, archival documents and the accounts of researchers and historians, these stories shed light on everyday life in the neighbourhood over time. Each personal narrative gives history dimensions that no timeline, no map and no history book can offer.

The neighbourhood is changing rapidly. People come and go, its social composition shifts, social relationships are transformed, and memories fade. In recent years, increasing tourism and changes in land use have raised an important question: what is at risk of being lost, even when the buildings themselves remain in place? Recording these stories is one way of resisting oblivion. We are not seeking an idealised version of the past, but rather the possibility of understanding what came before us and considering what is worth carrying forward.

The Herakleidon Museum aspires to serve as a place where memories can be entrusted, preserved and shared. The exhibition marks the culmination of the work carried out so far, while at the same time signalling the beginning of an ongoing effort that will continue to grow through new narratives and new personal stories, enriching the dialogue about the future with new perspectives and fresh ideas.

So, PAME Herakleidon — let us remember what is at risk of being forgotten and imagine together the future of our neighbourhood.”

The exhibition opens on Thursday, 15 October and will run until 29 November.

“PAME Herakleidon” is an ongoing initiative that extends beyond the duration of the exhibition. Stories, narratives, memories and perspectives will continue to be recorded, catalogued and archived.