THE ARGONAUTS

CALL 1
THE ARGONAUTS

In 1200 B.C., in the end of the Copper Age and the beginning of the Iron Age, 52 heroes of the Ancient Greece embarked on “Argo”, the biggest and most famous ship of the ancient times, and traveled from the port of Colhis (ancient Iolkos) to an eastern shore of the Euxine (Black) Sea, known nowadays as the city of Tosis (Former Russian Republic of Georgia). The purpose of the journey was to bring back to the King of Colhis, Pelias, and the Golden Fleece, which was guarded by a dragon. According to the ancient legend the owner of the Fleece gained immortality.
The journey hided extreme danger and surprise for the Argonauts, as they had to confront nature, hostile nations and as well as the range of some of the Gods.

In our days, everyone travels on a ship, our own Argo, chasing an utopia, a dream, crossing the Symplegades (Clashing Islands), the difficulties in life. Some may return to Colhis, as others may lost their way and experience only the joy of the effort. What counts is the journey, the struggle and the dream. We invite you to experience this journey together.

The revival of the ancient Greek myth is a fact, as on June 2007 a detailed copy of Argo with 52 rowers will embark from the port of Volos (Ancient Iolkos), following the same route with the ancient Argo.
The Cultural Club “Xarta of Culture”, http://www.xarta.gr/, supporting the expedition has already produced a great musical play titled “Argonauts”, performed by the internationally famous singer Nena Venetsanou, on the music of Giannis Tantsis and the lyrics of Giorgos Tsitroulis.
We are inviting you to participate with a painting of your choice and inspiration (a landscape on A4 canvas) to symbolize the sail of the ship, which will be attached to a pre-sketched ship of the same dimensions, or creates something of the fable in paper or cardboard A4
Your paintings will be exposed in the premises of the music halls where the concerts of the “Argonauts” will take place, in different parts of the planet, as a form of “moving expedition”.
Forty (40) of those paintings, selected by the Artistic Committee, will be included in the flyer of the cd “Argonauts” (distributed on 2007 – 2008).

Afterwards the end of exhibitions, the artworks will be given as donation, in museum, that will be announced at an early date.
Title: Argonauts.
Material: painting, drawing artist stamp in cloth
or on paper with any media
Size: A4 or 9h10cm in cloth
All work will be exhibited.
No Jury, no returns, no fee.
Documentations to all.
On line documentation:
http://mailart-greece-argo.blogspot.com/
Deadline until 20 November 2007

Art director – initiator –curator of the project:
Thomai Kontou, painter-mailartist
Auxiliary: Regas Makropoulos, painter- musician
For info: mailto:thomaikontou@gmail.com
Send your work to:

Thomai Kontou
Xanthou 9
40200 Elassona
Greece

Please draw, paint, or stick the flag of your country on the envelope.
If you draw the Argo put the flag of your country on her.

Please send your work by post not by e-mail.
Write your name, address and your e-mail clearly.
Artistic greek committee

Thomai Kontou
Regas Makropoulos
Ioanna Papachristou
Anna Filini
Aristotelis Triantis
Efi Bizou Chlorokosta
Galatos Stavros
Helen Baziotou
Thomas Liolios
Nikos Delis
Christos Papanikolaou
Gioula Gathi
Kostas Varnas
Vasilis Prappas
Kostas Evaggelatos
Nikos Kelesis
International honorary artistic committee
Adamandia Kapsalis - U.S.A
Anna Boschi - Italy
Clemente Padin- Uruguay
Dale Roberts – Canada
Denis Charmot – France
Ivan Zemtsov - Russia
Mick Boyle – U.S.A.
Mim. Grammatikopoulos - Greece
Puneet Gupta – India
Paul Tiilila – Finland
Ryosuke Cohen -Japan
Sidney Tome -Brazil
Suzzlee Ibrahim – Malaysia
Tiziana Baracchi- Italy