War, Postmemory, and Exhibition Design in Greece. The “Asia Minor Hellenism: Heyday-Catastrophe-Displacement-Rebirth” Exhibition at the Benaki Museum (2022–2023)

Abstract

In the paper, I critically discuss the commemorative exhibition “Asia Minor Hellenism: Heyday-Catastrophe-Displacement-Rebirth” (Athens, Benaki Museum, 2022–2023), examining the role of postmemory in the shaping of national identity in contemporary Greece. Building my analysis on Marianne Hirsch’s concept of postmemory, I draw attention to commemorative exhibition practices and the intergenerational transmission of collective traumatic experiences related to dark events of national significance. Touching upon issues concerning the civilianization of war, I interrogate commemorative exhibitions as prefabricated events, bringing to the fore the selective management of collective memory through exhibition design.

Keywords

• 1922 catastrophe
• civilianization of war
• postmemory
• commemorative exhibitions
• national identity