When The Alexandrian Quartet, based on the tetralogy by Lawrence Durrell, was first presented last October at the Library of Alexandria during the celebration of its 12th anniversary, the Governor of Alexandria awarded the painter—who traces his roots to Constantinople through his grandfather—the Golden Key of the City. Since then, following the great success of the initial exhibition, golden doors have opened! For instance, in Cairo, at the medieval Amir Taz Palace, where the exhibition was hosted under the auspices of the Egyptian Ministry of Culture. The newspaper Kathimerini has followed it closely ever since: the third stop of the exhibition was Athens, at the Ianos Art Hall, with the support of the British Council and the Egyptian Cultural Center.
Now the exhibition travels to London, to the Hellenic Centre in Paddington, from Friday, March 13, to Monday, March 16. One could follow in reverse the steps of the great British author, who was born in Jalandhar, Punjab, British India, in 1912 and died in 1990 in France. Sent to England for his studies, Durrell could never reconcile himself with its weather and climate, which he called "an English death." Newly married to his first wife, Nancy—one of his four wives—he moved with her and his siblings to Corfu, which he called "the homeland of his heart." These details are relevant as the exhibition now reaches London, where the refined Greek diaspora will have the opportunity to experience "Alexandria of emotion," as painted by Andreas Georgiadis in 26 works—all ink on paper.
The opening, on Friday, March 13, 2015, at 6:30 p.m., will be inaugurated by the Greek Ambassador to London, Mr. Konstantinos Bikas, and his wife Maria, who have consistently supported cultural values and initiatives in every role they have undertaken. Andreas Georgiadis' exhibition, which will remain at the Hellenic Centre until Monday, March 16, is a journey into the world of Lawrence Durrell and into that of Georgiadis himself, who says, "My memory is my painting."
As for the next "stop" of the exhibition, the train of Alexandria always passes through the platform of memories. Why not Corfu, as the next destination, with its endless summer and cosmopolitan character that Durrell loved? Durrell lived there first at Villa Anemoyannis in Kontokali and later at Kalami, in the "White House," as he named it, where he often hosted Henry Miller. In Corfu's narrow alleys, the dreamers claim that his footsteps still echo on moonlit nights. At the historic and cosmopolitan Corfu Palace, where he stayed during his travels with his brother Gerald Durrell, the owner, Mr. Christos Fokas, shows the Guest Book in which the famous poet and author, with his generous, undulating handwriting, left his thanks for "an unforgettable stay in beautiful Corfu."
It seems only natural that Corfu's allure and the magic of Alexandria would have resonated with Durrell. It is an idea that Andreas Georgiadis and Mikri Arktos may well embrace, alongside the readers of Kathimerini. You never know...
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