Primarolia Festival is a dynamic festival of contemporary art, historical research and creative interpretations of place; conceived and organized by Primarolia organisation. Primarolia organisation explores dynamic constellations of contemporary art, place identity, curatorial practices and historical research. Based in Aigio (Greece), Primarolia Festival is the annual extroversion of numerous cultural projects and collaborations of the homonymous organisation with artists, cultural organisations, academic institutions and cultural development practitioners. The main conceptual and research starting point is the cultural and historical heritage of Corinthian black currant from NW Peloponnese across European ports during 19th and early 20th centuries.
A deeply associated festival with the notions of journey, european ports and communication.
Festival’s thematic umbrellas include seed (2019), mobilities (2020), networks (2021). Such themes are conceptual starting points for various artistic, cultural and research-based interpretations.
/ Exhibition of contemporary art /
The annual exhibition of contemporary art is a result of curatorial schemes that invite contemporary artists from Greece and abroad to get inspired, work and explore stories, culture, memory and landscapes of Corinthian black currant, producing commissioned artworks. Every year, these artistic and curatorial research on material and immaterial aspects of histories, archives, sites and spaces of currant, reveals interdisciplinary and intermedia collaborations of Primarolia organisation with artists, cultural institutions, academia and independent researchers. Examples can be found on the exhibitions of;
with invited artists from Greece, United Kingdom, Italy, developing important collaborations and honorary auspices with prestigious academic institutions (Slade UCL, Kingston University London, CSM: University of the Arts London, Hellenic Open University, Dept. of Performing and Digital Arts – University of the Peloponnese, University of Thessaly, InArts Lab – Dept. of Audio and Visual Arts Ionian University) and cultural institutions (Stegi Onassis Foundation, Athens Digital Arts Festival, Library of the Hellenic Parliament, Goethe Institut, Institute Francais of Greece, Union of Oral History Greece).
/ Oral history project /
Primarolia organisation gradually set the foundations for historical research to be conducted through collaborations with independent researchers and academic institutions (Library of the Hellenic Parliament). The oral history project dedicated to the Corinthian black currant’ is still developing and constitutes a collaboration with the postgraduate program of Public History (Hellenic Open University); resulting to the launch of the first expanded group of oral history dedicated to the impact of currant. Researchers stemming from various areas of currant cultivation were gathered towards a series of seminars focused on the interviewing techniques and documentation methods regarding the personal and collective memories of workers, currant farmers and related people. Creative interpretations of such project became an ephemeral sound site-intervention with sound stories as part of the Primarolia Festival 2021 – but also the ongoing digitization of archives and anecdotal files related to currant activity, journeys and exports with 19th century European companies.
/ Educational workshops /
Primarolia festival has also focused on educational programs and site-workshops for students of primary and secondary education and adults. Our aim is to plant the seeds of contemporary art, culture and history associated with currant heritage, to local schools and institutions. An exemplary case was the educational program of Primarolia Festival 2019, which was run by Primarolia team having 1.100 students from Aigialeia schools; creating a 15 days hub of creation and knowledge.
Primarolia Festival forms an extrovert starting point in its core: we create a new primarolia shop of contemporary culture towards 21st century; an ideal ship loaded with historical, social and cultural heritage of currant activity; one which included such concept in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Greece.
/ Location – Site /
2019 – 2020
Since 2019, Primarolia Festival makes apparent the artistic, cultural and historical potential of Corinthian currant journeys through hybrid and interdisciplinary interpretations and collaborations. The first couple of years of the festival took place in the coastal front of Aigio, opening and activating an emblematic and renovated currant warehouse of 1900, provided by Kanellopoulos-Kritsotalakis owners to the festival. The warehouse was also of great importance as it was scenery for internationally acclaimed director Theo Angelopoulos in his film ‘Beekeeper’ (1986) as Cine Pantheon capturing astonishing stills with Marcelo Mastroianni and Nadia Mourouzi.
Courtesy of Th. Kanellopoulos – G. Kritsotalakis SA.
2021
After developing a radical identity in the intersections of contemporary art, historical research, for 2021 Primarolia organisation made one more step towards a new site. The stories of 19th century currant journeys meet the memories of 20th century paper production; revealing contemporary narratives and starting points. After almost 100 years since the launch of Paper Factory, the festival activates one more public spot: the former garden of Paper Factory; one of the biggest paper industrial spots of Balkan peninsula. The garden was an atmospheric site with memory, symmetry and palm trees, near the factory and sea. For 2021, Primarolia Festival ‘Networks’ took place there during 25/9 – 3/10.
2019 – 2020
Since 2019, Primarolia Festival makes apparent the artistic, cultural and historical potential of Corinthian currant journeys through hybrid and interdisciplinary interpretations and collaborations. The first couple of years of the festival took place in the coastal front of Aigio, opening and activating an emblematic and renovated currant warehouse of 1900, provided by Kanellopoulos-Kritsotalakis owners to the festival. The warehouse was also of great importance as it was scenery for internationally acclaimed director Theo Angelopoulos in his film ‘Beekeeper’ (1986) as Cine Pantheon capturing astonishing stills with Marcelo Mastroianni and Nadia Mourouzi.
Courtesy of Th. Kanellopoulos – G. Kritsotalakis SA.
2021
After developing a radical identity in the intersections of contemporary art, historical research, for 2021 Primarolia organisation made one more step towards a new site. The stories of 19th century currant journeys meet the memories of 20th century paper production; revealing contemporary narratives and starting points. After almost 100 years since the launch of Paper Factory, the festival activates one more public spot: the former garden of Paper Factory; one of the biggest paper industrial spots of Balkan peninsula. The garden was an atmospheric site with memory, symmetry and palm trees, near the factory and sea. For 2021, Primarolia Festival ‘Networks’ took place there during 25/9 – 3/10.
/ Ispiration; 19th century as starting point /
The cultivation, trade and exports of Corinthian black currant was a significant factor of development in the post-revolutionary Greece (1830-1900), with further impact on cultural, social and political layers. Achaea, Ilia, Messenia, parts of Corinth and south Ionian islands revealed a constellation of production, wealth and social changes. Cities such as Patras and other peripheral semi-urban areas such as Aigio, Zante, Ithaca, Messolonghi, Katakolo or Kalamata were emerging locations of cultivation.
Such locations were ports for exporting the valuable seed across various European ports such as London, Liverpool, Amsterdam, Marseille, Trieste, Odessa, Hamburg. One can think of the era of p r i m a r o l i a as an annual circle, a cultural and economic ritual where the first ships (primarolia) loaded with the finest quality of Corinthian black currant (i.e. Vostizza). During Middle Ages, Vostizza was the official name of Aigio, a Slavic word, which meant ‘city of gardens’ due to expanded gardens.
