The Multicultural Museums Victoria, which is a brand new coalition of the Hellenic Museum Melbourne, Chinese, Islamic, Jewish and Italian Museums, is holding a new exhibition which is called “Grandmothers”, or Yiayia” in the Greek language. It is their inaugural joint project for Multicultural Museums Victoria.Τhe curator of the exhibition at the Hellenic Museum is Ms Sarah Craig. We had the following conversation:
Grandmothers are fierce, clever, resilient women
'Often, grandmothers are a kind of associated with soft things: lacey, flowery kinds of things. When in actual fact in my experience, my own grandmothers were fierce, clever, resilient women who lived through all sorts of trials and tribulation, poverty, wars, childbirth. They did so with great determination and humour. My question then was for the grandmothers in ‘Yiayia; exhibition, if this is true of women in general I suppose.'
'Most of the objects and the images in the exhibition belonged to the women. So, the way the exhibition is setup follows for women through their lives from childhood's, adulthood and grandparenthood.'
'One of the key elements of art exhibition is a Corinthian helmet which dates to the 7th century BCE. That is a kind of representation of the strength of women through its association with the goddess Athena who wore the Corinthian helmet as a part of the armour.'
What do you expect the visitors to gain, to take with them leaving after they have seen the exhibition at the Hellenic Museum?
My hope Is that it would come as a catalyst for people of all backgrounds. To evaluate their understanding of the lives of the women in their own lives and ask questions of the women, of the grandmothers and their mothers and to discover stories. And, above all, to see the women who helped shaped them as the kind of vibrant, wise and interesting people that they are.
Greek Australian 'yiayia' Connie Gregory. Source: Supplied
Yiayiades: Amazing storytellers
Story-tellers, nurturers, educators: grandmothers play a great many roles within the Greek community. And yet, we barely hear a whisper from these important women in mainstream Greek history, literature, and art. The Hellenic Museum’s exhibition 'Yiayia' aims to give voice to these women and their stories.
'Yiayia' will chronicle the stages of women’s lives, from childhood to adulthood, to grandmotherhood and older age. In this way, we will celebrate the extraordinary stories of Greek women. We will lay a particular emphasis on women’s role in perpetuating cultural knowledge and traditions, through the channels of language, religion, craft, and cookery. Connie Gregory, a Greek yiayia, of Kastelloriazian background, talks to SBS Greek:
Greek Australian 'yiayia' Connie Gregory (L) with members of her family. Source: Supplied
What elements of the Greek culture are your fondest ones?
'Everything: Music, food, customs, traditions, stories. I love them all, and so my son. My grandfather had a gramophone, and I liked all the old ‘Rembetiko’ records he plays. And I learned to dance to them. Cretan music came later and I like that too, and especially the wild Cretan dancers. And I love cooking especially Cretan and Kastelloriazian cuisine. I remember the wonderful name day feasts when we were little and the whole family partied. But that doesn't happen much these days.'
'I think the biggest Greek influence is the art of storytelling. I grew up on the Greek myths and Greek Heroes, my grandfather's stories and my father's stories. I had a career in media and public relations at the university as well as literature.'
'My stories are based on family stories. It makes me very happy that my grandchildren want to listen to these stories. When they say to me ‘can we have a story’ then I ask them ‘what book?’, but they want to listen to the real story. So I think I'm keeping the Greek culture alive there.'
'Grandmothers' / 'Yiayia' is a joyful multicultural collaboration, bringing different communities together in love and respect for these great matriarchs.
Greek Australian 'yiayia' Connie Gregory in an event of the Castellorizian Association of Victoria. Source: Supplied
