Greetings of the Greek Minister of Culture

Alongside the growing internationalization of contemporary society, attempts are being made to promote the features of the various national cultures in order to foster a free dialectic among their respective values and thus to enrich the whole of human civilization. We are offered a vivid illustration of the way in which the different national features are blended through artistic creativity with those of American culture in this major exhibition of Greek American artists: "Modem Odysseys. Greek American Artists of the 20th century".

It is through the medium of intercultural expression that the civilization of Greece takes its own measure. The communication between Greek tradition and the artistic world of America generates artistic creation of the highest quality. The works of the artists shown here represent with remarkable directness the beauties and extraordinary creative attainments which have marked their endeavors, stimulating our own wonderment and arousing our own artistic instincts.

The Ministry of Culture fully supports this cultural endeavor, an event of great significance for the arts and for our nation. The purpose of the exhibition, co-organized by the Thessaloniki State Museum of Contemporary Art, the Queen's Museum of Art and the Kostopoulos Foundation, is to acquaint the public with the various manifestations of Greek American artistic creation, in the hope that this in turn will lead to a greater emotional empathy with the artists' endeavors.

The incorporation of the Greek consciousness into the forms of American art is a fundamental feature of this contemporary cultural Odyssey highlighted by this exhibition which, I strongly believe, will fascinate its visitors.

Theodoros Pangalos
Minister of Culture