Exhibition for Renato Mordo, starting from October 11, 2023

An exhibition about the life and work of the charismatic theater personality and co-founder of the National Opera House, Renato Mordo, will start on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at the Museum of Banknotes of the Ionian Bank – Alpha Bank and at the Ionian Academy in Corfu. This event is organized in cooperation with the Central Office for Civic Education of Rhenania-Palatinate in Germany, the Albert Cohen Association of Corfu, the Cultural Triangle of Prespes, and the Ionian University. The exhibition is titled “Renato Mordo: Jew, Greek, and German. The Life of an Artist in Times of Extremes,” and the opening ceremonies will take place on Wednesday, October 11, at 18:30 at the Ionian Academy and at 19:30 at the Museum of Banknotes of the Ionian Bank – Alpha Bank.

This cultural initiative highlights the significant milestones in the life and work of the eminent theater and opera director, Renato Mordo, who was also an author and a professor of dramatic arts. The exhibition showcases photographs, personal items, and manuscripts of the director himself, emphasizing the impact of the German occupation of Athens during World War II on him and the entire country. The exhibition has already been successfully presented in Athens, Chania, Thessaloniki, and Ioannina. It is curated by the Hellenist Torsten Israel (Mainz and Athens), with design contributions from Uwe Bader (Central Office for Civic Education of Rhenania-Palatinate) and Marita Hofmann (LLUX Publishing House, Ludwigshafen am Rhein). All translations of the exhibition from German to Greek were created as part of a collaboration between Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (Department of Modern Greek Studies) and the Ionian University in Corfu (Department of Foreign Languages, Translation, and Interpretation).

A Brief Overview of Renato Mordo: Renato Mordo, born to Jewish parents (his father was a Greek merchant from Corfu, and his mother was from Austria), left Germany in late 1932 due to increasing anti-Semitic hostilities and the imminent rise to power of the National Socialists. He sought refuge in Greece in 1939. In Athens, he co-founded the National Opera House and promoted the young opera singer Maria Callas. Mordo survived internment in the German concentration camp in Chaidari and, shortly after his liberation, wrote the theatrical work titled “Chaidari,” in which he artistically processed the traumatic experiences he endured. After the war, he worked in theaters in Turkey, Austria, and Israel. He served as the director of the opera in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate’s capital, Mainz, from 1952 to 1955.

Exhibition Information: Exhibition Hours – Museum of Banknotes of the Ionian Bank – Alpha Bank: Tuesday to Saturday, 08:00 to 15:00 – Ionian Academy: Monday to Friday, 08:30 to 20:00. Admission is free to the public. Morning tours for schools can be arranged at the Museum of Banknotes of the Ionian Bank – Alpha Bank. Contact: Konstantinos Christopoulos, Tel. 2661041552. Duration of the Exhibition: October 11 to December 9, 2023.

The Museum of Banknotes of the Ionian Bank – Alpha Bank in Corfu: This museum is considered one of the most important museums of its kind in Greece. Its permanent exhibition space showcases the currency circulation of modern Greece, covering 180 years of history. The museum is housed in a preserved building that served as the first branch of the Ionian Bank in Corfu in 1840. The exhibition space hosts organized visits, guided tours, and educational programs.

Source: alphapolitismos.gr