UNESCO-“2016 the Aristotle Anniversary Year “

 

UNESCO proclaims 2016 the Aristotle Anniversary Year

January 2016 – January 2017

“Knowing oneself is the beginning of all Wisdom”

Eternal truths expressed over 20 centuries ago by the Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle (384 BCE -322 BCE)

The famous philosopher from ancient Stageira,wrote as many as 200 treatises (of which 31 survive) on all Aspects of Life and Human Existence,from Biology and Physics to Theatre,Music, Politics and Ethics,metaphysics,poetry and zoology.

Thessaloniki May 2016

The Aristotle World Congress will be the highlight of all events to be organized worldwide in 2016 for the celebration of the “Aristotle Anniversary Year”, with the support and cooperation of the Research Centre for Greek Philosophy of the Academy of Athens, of the International Federation of Philosophical Societies of the Hellenic National Commission for UNESCO.

 The Congress opened with an official ceremony on May 23, 2016 followed by congress sessions that were held until May 28, 2016 in the main venue of the Aristotle University in the city of Thessaloniki as well as in ancient Stageira,the birthplace of Aristotle & in ancient Mieza, the place where the Macedonian philosopher taught Alexander the Great.

There will be Multiple International Congresses on:

“Aristotle Today -2,400 Years Anniversary 2016” held in Heidelberg, Leuven, Padua, Paris, Helsinki, Lisbon, Notre Dame (Indiana), Moscow, Córdoba and Athens.

And me,walking on the paths of Philosophy & History Aristotle 2,400 years – Thessaloniki May 2016.

If you ever take the road down to my space,you don’t have to attend any conferences or to philosophise,you can just have a lazy walk with me around Thessaloniki,”The Bride of Thermaikos” in Central Macedonia on the shore of the Thermaic Gulf.

A modern metropolis,and the second largest city in Greece,the co-capital,as we usually call it.It was first established in 316 B.C. by Kassandros and named after his wife,Thessaloniki,who was half-sister of  Alexander the Great.Thessaloniki means Victory in Thessaly.The soul of the city is everywhere around and its long history in many archaeological sites,monuments,churches and museums.

Aristotelous Square, main square of Thessaloniki, is named after the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. His statue is made of bronze by the sculptor G.Georgiadis and depicts Aristotle,wearing simple Greek chiton,sitting on marble bench with papyrus scroll in his hand.Is the theory of the Five Elements included … ? Earth,Fire,Air,Water  & Aether which is the Divine substance that makes up the heavenly spheres,the heavenly bodies,the stars and the planets.The heavenly element has perpetual circular motion …

Silent Bronze Figures …

A polymath,a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great.Together with Plato and Socrates (Plato’s teacher),Aristotle is one of the most important founding figures in Western philosophy.His writings were the first to create a comprehensive system of Western philosophy,encompassing morality and aesthetics,logic,science,politics and metaphysics.

No one in the history of civilisation has shaped our understanding of science and natural philosophy more than the great Greek philosopher and scientist Aristotle.He exerted a profound and pervasive influence for more than two thousand years and has shaped our understanding of science and natural philosophy.

I saw the Master there of those who know,
Amid the philosophic family,
By all admired,and by all reverenced;
There Plato too I saw,and Socrates,
Who stood beside him closer than the rest … Dante,The Divine Comedy.

Tired my mind,my eyes,I need to go down to Nea Paralia right by the sea to start another journey …

I won’t miss the White Tower,I will come by later on

Morning promenade when the city is still half asleep

taking a promenade before boarding an ancient Trireme …

The Argo was waiting for me,she was so beautiful on the blue waters of the Thermaic Gulf.

Jason’s Argo,oh how beautiful she is …

I wanted to experience Jason’s adventures when he sailed in search of the Golden Fleece.

on a Trireme journey in the Argo,she is so beautiful

 

 And then back again on land to see another figure towered beyond the ordinary skies  …

Oh,there he is,the Great Man I was looking for …

O what a Man, so Bold and Brave …

A Brilliant Man,built like a Tower of Steel,some believe he was Unreal.Alexander the Great,the Legendary King of Macedonia while riding his horse Bucephalus,one of the most famous horses of antiquity.

Here is the tall impressive monument of Alexander the Great,six metres high,with the marble base reaches 11 metres.The statue was made in 1973 by Evangelos Moustakas,a renowned Greek artist. It was revealed to the public in 1974.He wanted him at the water-front,I wanted him above the clouds in the Heavenly Sphere with the Stars and the Planets.

V.Moustakas recounts :

“Ever since I was a child, I had imagined Alexander the Great equestrian and dashing – a hero of myth! I had been preoccupied with the subject since 1960-61 without dreaming of any competition. The equestrian figure interests me because it provides great opportunities for composition. Thus, for the monument I designed a Sculpture Space. I geometrized the forms on the equestrian figure so that they will withstand the test of time.I wanted a horse outside reality – a ‘beast’ …

More here:http://vagelismoustakas.com/en/node/201

The 5 Elements in my mind,the 5th, Aether,the heavenly element which has perpetual circular motion … I wanted him Up in the Heavenly Sphere …

O what a Man,so Bold and Brave,A Brilliant Man,built like a Tower of Steel

And while reading V.Moustakas inspiration,I am thinking that Gilbert Chesterton was right when he said that :

The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists …

In 343 B.C., King Philip II hired the philosopher Aristotle to tutor Alexander at the Temple of the Nymphs at Meiza. Over the course of three years, Aristotle taught Alexander poetry, drama, science, politics, the meaning of Justice & the skills of Rhetoric.Alexander’s passion for learning never decayed.Seeing that Homer’s Iliad inspired Alexander to dream of becoming a heroic warrior, Aristotle created an abridged version of the tome for Alexander to carry with him on military campaigns.

History,Mythology,Philosophy,Culture … My mind was tired again,I will go back for a walk by the sea and in the streets of the city.Come with me,you don’t have to philosophise …

Oh,the White Tower,Thessaloniki’s landmark

The White Tower,Thessaloniki’s symbol and landmark,is a monument and museum on the waterfront of the city.The present tower replaced an old Byzantine fortification of the 12th century during the Ottman Empire in order to fortify the harbour of the city.It was whitewashed after Greece gained control of the city again in 1912.

The White Tower

Morning Walks around The White Tower

The “White Tower” texturised by Time …

Sunday Morning in the city of Thessaloniki

And Art under “The Umbrellas” on the new waterfront where G.Zongolopoulos put his own artistic expression,in 1997 when Thessaloniki was the Cultural Capital of Europe.

Under the Umbrellas with the rain and the sun …

A sculpture with adaptability to times and moments following the moods of the weather.When it is raining the umbrellas become a nice shelter,when it is foggy they make their mark on the horizon and when it is sunny they play with the bright sun rays.It is 13 metres high and made of stainless steel.The Venetians had expressed their enthusiasm when the sculptor presented “The Umbrellas” at the 46th Biennale in Italy.

Some people had fun,they thought the Umbrellas were too high and out of their reach  and they played,they laughed,they had fun …

some had fun,they played,they laughed …

others were fishing,they had fun,but they didn’t sit under The Umbrellas ..

Conferences,Ruins,Byzantine churches,murals,public art,history,statues,monuments,I’ll take some more snaps and go back to the hotel to relax and have panoramic views from the balcony.

some others live with the ruins,with the past and are enjoying the present …

the Ginger beauty was studying history,but got tired and fell asleep …

A “Banksy” graffiti artist wanted to show me his art and a beautiful dove was resting on the lawn,she had attended a  conference and wanted to gather her thoughts now …

The Banksy artist was proud of his graffiti art,he had also painted his breast reddish …

Pause … ,Silence … It’s the moment when the viewer becomes the creator …

the dove was gathering her thoughts after the conference …

Pavlos Melas wanted to tell me about history and the battles

The Muralist had Fun on the walls …

Pause … ,Silence … It’s the moment when the viewer becomes the creator …

The Helexpo Tower of the International Exhibition Centre in the city centre

There were so many statues,they all wanted to tell me their stories,I don’t have space to place them all here.There was also the Citadel,but I was tired,I will climb up there next time,I will only paint it now …

When I decided to paint the Citadel

Macedonia Palace and Electra Palace were waiting to receive and attend their patrons.They are both luxurious and very popular hotels.The panoramic views over the Thermaic Gulf  are fantastic.You stand on the balcony and you feel you can touch the blue waters of the Aegean sea.

Macedonia Palace at the waterfront

Electra Palace at the Aristotelous Square

The night started spreading its grey shades and shadows and the hotels were waiting to receive their patrons.

the greys of the night

Statues and monuments under the infinite black dome of the firmament

But The Heavenly Element has Perpetual Circular Motion …

The heavenly element has perpetual circular motion …

Civilisation in a complex society is Urban Development,Social Stratification,Symbolic Communication with different writing systems,Monumental Architecture,Expansionism …

And what is culture ? The Arts,the Manifestations of Human Intellectual Achievements,Ideas,Customs,the social behaviour of a society;it’s Your own Inner Construction,your Equilibrium  …

Aristotle’s bronze figure is in the square,with his own school of philosophy,known as Aristotelianism or the Peripatetic School,influenced almost all later philosophical thinking,you shall love beauty,which is the shadow of God over the Universe.

If you Aspire to Greatness,study Classics and seek Happiness only through the Cultivation of the Virtues that make a Human Life Complete.

The History of a country begins in the man’s heart and soul …

The Argo was again waiting for me …

The Argo was waiting …

For an Intimate Journey to the School of Gods and  into my Being,my Idealistic Dreams.Come with me,board the Ancient Trireme,you don’t have to Philosophise.Enjoy ordinary Scenes and Paint everything with your Own Colours.Enjoy the Journey …

Reviving Aristotle’s Peripatetic School …

AArchaeological Sites, Monuments, Churches and