On the afternoon of Monday, April 12, in North Cote, Victoria, the opening of the Exhibition entitled “Resurrection” took place.
The theme of the exhibition was the art of Byzantine hagiography. This is one of the major events of the anniversary program of the National Committee of the Holy Archdiocese of Australia, which takes place on a premise near the Bookstore of the Holy Archdiocese, at the Holy Monastery of Axion Esti in Northcote, until Saturday, April 17.
The opening ceremony of the exhibition, co-organized by the Archdiocese of Northcote, the Bookstore of the Holy Archdiocese, and the Uriel’s Workshop, began with the performance of Byzantine hymns by cantors, with the choirmaster of the Victoria department of the School of Byzantine Music of the Holy Archdiocese.
Among the officials was the Consul General of Greece in Melbourne, Emmanuel Kakavelakis, who in his short greeting, expressed his enthusiasm for the content and objects in the exhibition. He also stressed the important role of the Icon for the believers and referred to Saint John Chrysostom.
The keynote speaker was Konstantinos Kalymnios, who developed the topic “The role of the Icon in Orthodoxy”. Kalymnios referred to Byzantine art and described how it has been shaped over the centuries, always maintaining its essence and relevance. Elsewhere, Kalymnios stressed that the Icon was always with us, referring to Saint Mandilios and its history from Edessa to Constantinople, as well as to the Virgin Mary, the Hodegetria of St. Luke the Evangelist.
Closing the round of speeches, the Archepiscopal Vicar of Northcote, Archimandrite Fr. Evmenios Vassilopoulos, emphasized that the Icons describe a story and a teaching, such as the Bible, and that they show the spiritual purpose of each one of us. Fr. Evmenios did not fail to thank those who attended the ceremony, as well as all those who contributed to the Exhibition with objects and icons.
Source: vema.com.au
