On November 10-13, the Hellenic American University (HAU) hosted “Terra (in) Cognita: Dialogues between Greek Culture and Modern American Art,” a conference on American art and Greek culture in Athens. Hosted at HAU’s campus in Athens, the international conference explored associations between Modern American Art and iconic aspects of Greek culture from Classical Antiquity to Byzantium.
Of the conference, the president of Hellenic American University, Leonidas Phoebus Koskos, explains, “Our role as an American university in Greece goes beyond the offering of academic programs. Enhancing cultural bonds between the U.S. and Greece is also part of our mission. The grant for organizing the conference was not awarded to Hellenic American University at random.”
The conference is another example of how Hellenic American University fosters Greek-American exchanges. The Terra Foundation for American Art, a non-profit, Chicago-based organization that provides grants and fellowships to art institutions, museums, K-12 schools, and universities, awarded Hellenic American University $25,000 to organize this international conference. The list of beneficiaries for academic events in the past has included the Courtauld Institute of Art, the Getty Research Institute, and the Tate London, as well as universities, including Stanford, Brown, and University College London.
The four-day onsite conference welcomed 40 speakers of international stature from the United States and member states of the European Union. They met to discuss how Greek myth, symbolism, and tragedy appear in modern American art and how these are perceived by America’s cultural and intellectual elites. The 40 speakers explored the elements shaping Greece’s cultural dialogue with the USA and, from dance and literature to architecture, music, and visual arts. The conference also featured an art exhibition, a concert, and a dance performance.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Sozita Goudouna, an educator, curator, and founder and director of “Greece in USA,” a non-profit organization with a global reach that promotes knowledge of contemporary and ancient Greek Culture while fostering international cultural cooperation, experimentation, and social engagement.
“Terra (in) Cognita: Dialogues between Greek Culture and Modern American Art,” is the third international conference that Hellenic American University has organized for fall of 2022.