Melbourne’s Hellenic Museum launches ‘Viewfinder: Effy Alexakis’

·

By Marianna Alepidis

On November 3, Effy Alexakis launched her four-part photography exhibition, Viewfinder: Effy Alexakis at the Hellenic Museum in Melbourne, Victoria.

Alexakis’ name has been synonymous with photography for four decades. Now a collection of over 30 of her works spanning her 40-year career is on display in Contemporary Art Space at the Hellenic Museum.

Viewfinder: Effy Alexakis is curated in four parts, tracing the milestones of the artist’s career, and exploring themes of the Greek Australian experience across many generations.

effy alexakis viewfinder hellenic museum melbourne
Visitors taking in Alexakis’ works in Viewfinder. Photo: Samantha Meuleman via Hellenic Museum.
effy alexakis viewfinder hellenic museum melbourne
Visitors taking in Alexakis’ works in Viewfinder. Photo: Samantha Meuleman via Hellenic Museum.

“It’s lovely to be exhibiting here. The last time we exhibited in Melbourne was at the Immigration Museum 20 years ago. This is new work and after 40 years you look at your work in a different way, you reassess it and I think you can see it from that distance. It’s exciting and we’ve had such a wonderful response from people here in Melbourne,” Alexakis told The Greek Herald.

Hellenic Museum CEO and Head of Curation, Sarah Craig, opened the formal celebrations, giving insight on the four parts of the exhibition; In their own image: Greek-Australians, Images of home: Mavri Xenitia, The heart of giving: Father Nektarios’ soup kitchen, and Binding Threads.

effy alexakis viewfinder hellenic museum melbourne
Photo: Samantha Meuleman via Hellenic Museum.

“The exhibition traces the milestones of Effy’s career and delves into the nuances of Greek Australian identity which are interrogated within her works. It includes stories of self-determination, the physical and emotional liminal spaces of migrant experience, unity through difference in a country of interwoven diasporas, the impacts of COVID-19 and the impacts on the community and the philanthropy it inspired,” Ms Craig said. 

“It’s been a great pleasure working alongside Effy and her partner, Leonard Janiszewski, to bring the exhibition to life.”

Ms Craig also gave thanks to University of Melbourne Hellenic Senior Lecturer in Global Diasporas, Dr Andonis Piperoglou, for introducing Alexakis’ work to her.

effy alexakis viewfinder hellenic museum melbourne
Hellenic Senior Lecturer in Global Diasporas at University of Melbourne, Dr Andonis Piperoglou. Photo: Samantha Meuleman via Hellenic Museum.
effy alexakis viewfinder hellenic museum melbourne
A large crowd attended the opening of Effy Alexakis’ exhibition at the Hellenic Museum. Photo: The Greek Herald / Marianna Alepidis.

Piperoglou followed with his own words, highlighting Alexakis’ immense and captivating work.

“Effy for 40 years has aimed her camera at documenting the many layers of the Greek diaspora here in Australia; the forgotten, the remembered, the neglected, the cherished, the old and the new, the private and public,” he said.

Before handing over to the artist herself, Piperoglou went on to encapsulate the spirit of Alexakis’ photography and the impact it continues to have on the Greek Australian community and those who choose to engage with it. 

effy alexakis viewfinder hellenic museum melbourne
‘Binding Threads’ photoseries in ‘Viewfinder: Effy Alexakis.’ Photo: Samantha Meuleman via Hellenic Museum.

“Indeed, Effy has a gift for capturing a sincere portrait… the reorientation of common consumptions about migrant paths as well as their presence. But she also delicately captures the values we place on Greekness, and what standards we place on our layered trans-cultural heritages; a widower, a gay writer, an Indigenous mother, a determined businesswoman, a daughter on a family holiday,” he said.

“When seen in unison, we can see how Greek Australians or Greek Australian-ness is alive in its differences, and also how Greek Australian-ness is alive in its diversity.”

Alexakis stood before the audience, firstly crediting her husband, Leonard, who she met at Sydney University whilst they were both studying to become art teachers.

effy alexakis viewfinder hellenic museum melbourne
Exhibiting photographer Effy Alexakis speaking at the opening event. Photo: Samantha Meuleman via Hellenic Museum.
effy alexakis viewfinder hellenic museum melbourne
Exhibiting photographer Effy Alexakis speaking at the opening. Photo: Samantha Meuleman via Hellenic Museum.

Their partnership saw the development of one of the largest collections of contemporary and historical images with oral histories and archival research in Australia, detailing the Greek Australian presence nationally and internationally.

Some of this work has been curated in part one of this exhibition, In their own image: Greek-Australians.

“I acknowledge that a large part of getting this recognition belongs to my partner Leonard, and I thank him for being on this journey together,” Ms Alexakis said.

“We did not like the way that Greek people in Australia were depicted in the media, in books via stereotypes, such as the folkloric one, the fish and chip or milkbar one, the black clad widow, and the focus on post war migrant settlers. Greek settlers to Australia were all of these things, but much more… So being young, and with a ‘we can do anything’ attitude, we decided to challenge and attempted to change that perception.”

effy alexakis viewfinder hellenic museum melbourne
The exhibition. Photo: Samantha Meuleman via Hellenic Museum.
effy alexakis viewfinder hellenic museum melbourne
Photo: Samantha Meuleman via Hellenic Museum.

The photographer gave the audience a peek into her own creative process, detailing the construction of one of the exhibitions more recent works and self-admittedly one of her favourites, The heart of giving: Father Nektarios’ soup kitchen.

“I documented the work of Greek Orthodox priest, Archimandrite Nektarios Zorbalas, who was born in 1935 in Kos. In 2021, I started going to the soup kitchen that he had established about 40 years ago,” she explained.

“I went once and twice a week with my camera and with the iPhone and recorded his volunteers, the people that needed help and what was going on in his kitchen. It is my personal insight and homage to the unselfish kindness expressed by this priest and his volunteers.” 

Alexakis went on to thank the Hellenic Museum and Piperoglou for their support in bringing Viewfinder: Effy Alexakis to the public.

Viewfinder: Effy Alexakis will be open to the public from Saturday 4 November 2023 — late
February 2024, with entry included in Hellenic Museum general admission. Visit the website
for more information and to plan your visit: 
hellenic.org.au/exhibitions/viewfinder.

This exhibition has been supported by the City of Melbourne Arts Grants, and Exhibition Media Partner The Greek Herald.

greek film festival 2025

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Step into the world of mental health with Georgia Cassimatis’ latest book

Greek Australian author and journalist, Georgia Cassimatis, has released a book all about exploring the world of mental health.

GOCNSW Welfare Service to put a spotlight on cyber security awareness

The Greek Orthodox Community of NSW’s (GOCNSW) Welfare Service has organised three Cyber Security Awareness education and training workshops.

Marriage of a Greek woman abroad: What to watch out for

It is during this registration process that numerous problems arise, which are not dealt with immediately but later on.

Athena Competition Greek winners show olive oil diversity

By Lisa Radinovsky from Greek Liquid Gold. At the 10th anniversary edition of the ATHENA International Olive Oil Competition in Chania, Crete, Greece in May, 175 Greek olive oils...

Greece’s island communities face population crisis

The demographic decline in Greece is hitting its islands hard, with Lemnos and Agios Efstratios showing alarming signs of aging populations.

You May Also Like

Sydney Olympic win puts Rockdale Ilinden’s premiership hopes on ice

It took a 95th minute winner from Sydney Olympic’s Teng Kuol that sunk the hearts of Rockdale Ilinden in their gusty 2-1 victory.

Greece resumes ‘difficult’ search on burning ferry as ten people still missing

Greek firefighters have resumed the search for 10 people still missing from last week’s ferry fire that killed a truck driver.

‘A Holiday in Greece’: Androula Matthews announces her debut children’s bilingual book

Androula Matthews' debut bilingual children’s book, ‘A Holiday in Greece,’ shares the vibrant Greek culture with young Greek Australians.