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Tracing the footsteps of the soldiers of the French colonial forces who served on the Macedonian Front during the First World War, AKROVOLISTES/SKIRMISHERS uncovers overlooked chapters in the history of Western Macedonia, and more specifically of the city of Florina. Drawing on original archival material, the exhibition at the Archaeological Museum of Florina brings together a photography installation by visual artist and photographer Yiannis Hadjiaslanis, a performance by musician and visual artist Maria Sideri in collaboration with trumpeter Antonis Kostopoulos, and theatre-based workshops for children and adolescents designed by Chara Lioliou.

The exhibition centres on the soldiers of the Tirailleurs Sénégalais (Senegalese Riflemen), who travelled thousands of kilometres from France’s West-African colonies, traversing geographical and cultural lengths before arriving in the unfamiliar landscape of Florina during a decisive period in the region’s
transformation throughout the First World War. While dominant accounts of modern Greek history have largely been framed through the geopolitical axis of East and West and the histories of powerful actors, how were these upheavals experienced at the local level, in collective and personal memory? Do great historical events leave their traces upon the mountains? Can the landscape itself become a living archive of historical rupture? The artistic and curatorial research sought to listen to testimonies that linger like whispers: those of water, forests, animals and mountain peaks; of their sounds, and of the voices of the human and more-than-human communities that inhabited or passed through this land.

On Friday, 10 July, and Saturday, 11 July, at 7:00 p.m., the performance Qui va vous chanter? will be presented by visual artist Maria Sideri in collaboration with musician Antonis Kostopoulos. On the same dates, at 11:00 a.m., theatre educator Chara Lioliou will lead a two-hour theatre workshop for children
and teenagers, titled Written in the Snow, at the Archaeological Museum of Florina. The workshop draws on original archival material from the collection of the Folklore Museum of the Florina Cultural Club. The production is presented as part of the Ministry of Culture’s “All of Greece, One Culture” 2026 programme.

ΑΚΡΟΒΟΛΙΣΤΕΣ/SKIRMISHERS

Archaeological Museum of Florina (3, Sidirodromikou Stathmou, Florina)
Οpening: 10-11 July 2026, 19:00
Duration: 10 July-30 August 2026
Photography Installation: Yiannis Hadjiaslanis
Performance: Maria Sideri in collaboration with musician Antonis Kostopoulos
Theater Workshops (10-11/7, 11:00-13:00): Chara Lioliou
Curated by: Christina Petkopoulou
Production Assistants: Efthymia Tseprailidou, George Toulios

*Christina Pektopoulou is ARTWORKS Fellow & Maria Sideri is ARTWORKS Grantee