The FIX building, permanent house of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (EMST) and part of its identity, is not only an Athenian landmark but also part of Greece’s industrial history and architectural heritage. A significant example of post-war modernism and characteristic work of the architect Takis Zenetos and his partner Margaritis Apostolidis, the FIX building, its history and the interventions it suffered, some of which altered its original physiognomy, have occupied both the scientific community and the public.
But how much do we know about the emblematic building? What do we know about the obscure and controversial aspects of its long and multifaceted history?
The EMST, through its program “Oral histories: The FIX Building”, focuses on the oral testimonies of people associated with the building: local residents, passers-by, old employees, architects, state officials, and others remember and deposit their narratives, contributing to the preservation of collective memory.
The program “Oral histories: The FIX Building” is carried out in the framework of the enrichment and promotion of the artistic archive of EMST and is part of the broader Oral Histories program. For its implementation, the EMST is working with the Department of Communication, Media and Culture – Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, the Department of History and Archeology – National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Department of Architecture – National Technical University of Athens. The program was attended by students and researchers, who attended a training workshop organized by EMST.
Concept and coordination: Eleni Ganiti (Curator, National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens), Anina Valkana (Curator, National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens)
SCIENTIFIC TEAM
Eleni Ganiti (Curator, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens), Andromache Gazi (Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, Media and Culture, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences), Dimitra Lambropoulou (Assistant Professor, Department of History and Archaeology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens), Irene Nakou (Professor Emeritus, University of Thessaly, founding member of the Oral History Association)
Tassis Papaioannou (Professor, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens), Argyris Rokas (Professor Emeritus, School of Architecture, National Technical University of Athens), Anina Valkana (Curator, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens), Tasoula Vervenioti (Historian, member of the Grassroots Oral History Groups Coordination Committee).
