The participatory project MOSAIC was created for the International Museum Day 2022. The theme chosen for 2022 by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) was The Power of Museums. It is the belief of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) that museums transform the world. They present the past, open up new horizons and shape innovative new ideas to build a better future. In this context, it was decided to offer a platform to the communities of Corfu by inviting the public to photograph what they believe represents the identity of the island and send the photos along with a comment to the Ionian University Museum. The aim was to create a mosaic map that would synthesize the different aspects and perceptions of the island's identity as perceived by the people who live there. The parameters that were given as inspiration to the public were the past through the local history and the coexistence of yesterday in the present, the special natural environment of the island with the olive groves and the diverse coastlines, combined with the key issue of sustainable development, the present through everyday moments and habits, the reality as experienced by all those who live on the island.
The digital project "MOSAIC" is part of the eponymous participatory project and is the creation of Ioanna Mazi, who responded to the Museum's call and chose to express herself in a differentiated way by creating a video with shots and familiar sounds from all over the island of Corfu. According to her, "The way the work is viewed and the way it is realized is directly linked to and inspired by the concept of the mosaic. This is practically evident in the overlapping of the images and sounds of Corfu, which make up the work and are transformed into a mosaic of visual stimuli. The most important monuments of the place are missing from this "kinetic landscape", in order to leave space for its unseen aspects, which are easily ignored and passed by. Structurally, the work is divided into three parts: nature - urban landscape - historical centre. The result aspires to achieve the fragmentation of the content, with symbolisms free to be interpreted by everyone".
Warm thanks to all those who contributed to the creation of MOSAIC, and special thanks to the Krokidis photo studio for sponsoring the printing of the photographs, and to Polytechno for hosting the Museum's team first presentation of the project.
