Objects of transnational migrations from the Island of Kythera, Greece.
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The Kythera case-study focuses on a contemporary case of transnational mobility: the mass migration from the island of Kythera, in south-western Greece, towards shores as distant as the USA and Australia over a large part of the previous century, and the current trend of immigration to the island of returned migrants and/or their descendants, economic immigrants from countries such as Albania, Bulgaria, expats seeking an alternative lifestyle, international digital nomads, as well as Greeks searching for a simpler life away from the large urban centres. Thus, the island offers a unique opportunity to examine the complexity of its multidimensional demographic through object biographies, reflecting the varied transnational relationships between humans and objects as they are moving across space and time. At the same time, through an examination of these object biographies we are able to observe the tremendous impact of the materiality of migration and modern diasporas on the cultural identity and ideological landscape of a small, otherwise insignificant island on the crossroads of major currents of trade and political power in the eastern Mediterranean.
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Leather suitcaseAoLEs:
Humanities (geography; history; religion, values and ethics; business studies and social studies) Languages, Literacy, and Communication (Greece, English and international languages as well as in literature) Suitcase with hardboard frame, embossed leather cover, and metal hardware details. The suitcase was purchased by its first owner, Theodoros, in Sydney, at some point prior to his return to Kythera in 1949. Theodoros was a first generation migrant, who migrated alone to Australia in the late 1930s, shortly after his marriage and the birth of his daughter. His move was never intended to be permanent, but the outbreak of WWII and the ensuing civil war in Greece lead to a much prolonged stay. The contents of Theodoros’ suitcase comprised a curated selection of objects that he regarded worthy enough to have with him in the course of his resettlement in Greece. They were interconnected with the process of forging a sense of continuity, of moving forward without alienating himself from his migratory past. The arrival on Kythera marks the interweaving of the itinerary of the suitcase with the childhood of his daughter, as her first memory of her father was seeing him carrying this suitcase. The suitcase, which was never again used for travelling, gradually transitioned to be used as a toolbox. It was eventually inherited by Theodoros’ daughter, and will be donated to the Migration Museum of Kythera, where people will be able to connect to its journey in new ways.
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KilimAoLEs:
Humanities (geography; history; religion, values and ethics; business studies and social studies) Languages, Literacy, and Communication (Greece, English and international languages as well as in literature) Kilim (flat tapestry-woven rug), made in a village of Southeast Albania in the end of the 20th c. Kilim production has a long history in Albania and the Balkans that stretches back to the Ottoman and Anatolian tradition. The object was made of locally sourced and processed wool that was processed by the owner and her family. It was woven by her on the loom, which she was instructed to use by her grandmother, tying in to millennia-old patterns of gendered division of labour. Kilim was part of its owner’s dowry, enmeshed in the socio-economic and cultural implications of marriage. It accompanied her to Kythera, where she migrate din the early 2000s to be re-united with her husband. The owner values it as a reminder of her origin, her own hard work, and her marriage that was a milestone in her adult life.
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Jewellery boxAoLEs:
Humanities (geography; history; religion, values and ethics; business studies and social studies) Languages, Literacy and Communication (Greek, English and international languages as well as in literature) Handcrafted jewellery box with elaborate carved decoration, manufactured in the end of 1940s. The object, is currently owned by Vana, a Greek-Australian migrant of Thessalian ancestry residing on Kythera. It was manufactured by her father Thomas, in the course his forced displacement during the Greek Civil War (1946-1949), in one of the many military-run island camps where individuals with communist political views and suspected sympathisers were exiled. The box was given as a gift to Thomas’ future wife, and accompanied the family in their migration to Australia in 1962. It was passed down to Vana by her mother as an heirloom and was eventually brought to Kythera. Its significance for creating a sense of home and belonging lies in its association with her parents’ marriage, her father’s endurance, and the love they shared.
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TeapotAoLEs:
Humanities (geography; history; religion, values and ethics; business studies and social studies) Languages, Literacy and Communication (Greek, English and international languages as well as in literature) Teapot manufactured during the second quarter of the 20th c. It was produced in Sheffield, by the firm of James Deakins & Sons, using the electroplating process – a technology used for plating a less valuable base metal with a precious one. It offered an inexpensive way for achieving mass-production serving the need for profit in the industrialised, capitalist economy. The teapot was transported from Britain to Australia, finding its way to a milk bar run by the uncle of its current owner Tony. Milk bars, also known as Greek cafés, were among the commonest businesses owned by Greek migrants in Australia, and became iconic enterprises where Australians met, dined, and socialised. Tony has vivid childhood memories of his uncle’s café and the teapot came to his possession when he revisited the building that housed his uncle’s business, after a period of abandonment. It became part of Tony’s household and it was transported to Kythera, when he moved to the village of his family’s origin. It is cherished for its emotional and symbolic associations with family history and heritage.
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Souvenir potAoLEs:
Humanities (geography; history; religion, values and ethics; business studies and social studies) Languages, Literacy and Communication (Greek, English and international languages as well as in literature) Ceramic vessel, sold in a souvenir store in Tirana, in 2010s. It was hastily executed, due to the low production costs imposed by mass commercial production. The owner purchased it during one of his visits to the Albanian capital and transported it to Kythera, where the vessel became part of his household. Coming from a small rural village, he migrated to Kythera in the 2000s, where he has been occupied as a workman and farmer. Years later, he was able to acquire his own flat in Tirana, and the object, displayed in his Kythera home, testifies to a major development in his family’s migratory journey: the achievement of economic goals that allowed them to strengthen their links with their country of origin.
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