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Museum-Archive in Polygyros, Chalkidiki, Greece: New Technologies, Exhibition Design and Archival Research Museum-Archive in Polygyros, Chalkidiki, Greece: New Technologies, Exhibition Design and Archival Research

Archives are the predecessors of big data. Before accumulating all the information that is of importance in laptops, smartphones, or clouds, the longstanding practice of collecting and archiving material was widely employed horizontally by people in many lines of profession.

A museum-archive design proposal, that tries to link the past and the future of archiving, has emerged in Polygyros, Chalkidiki, Greece. Using three different archives from mid-20th century, this museum-archive explores how a big sum of analogue data spanning different subjects and disciplines can be exhibited and resynthesized in a comprehensive way, in order to ultimately tell a story.

Namely, the collection comprises the personal Archive of a former Member of Greek Parliament, Stephanos Kotsianos (1908-1989), the archive of the oldest local paper of Chalkidiki “The voice of Chalkidiki”, as well as the Photographic Archive of the village’s sole photographer from 1935 to 1965. The mediums employed to bring this ensemble to life are mostly digital, in order to increase the archive’s accessibility without compromising the physical artefacts.

Emerging deep learning technologies have tried to sort through the vast digital footprint of humanity, so these methods are employed in order to classify and draw some observations from these three very distinct archives. The vernacular mansion where this museum is hosted is a prime example of 19th century anonymous architecture in northern Greece, showcasing through its typology the mode de vivre and the entrepreneurial activities of its owners.

Lastly, the building is seen as a potential receptor of future archives, be it analogue or digital, leaving room for yet inexistent archives to unfold. This project was assigned and funded by the Municipality of Polygyros in 2022-2023 and its implementation will start in early 2024.

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