Water and its management as art theme
Water is a natural resource that most of the Western world takes for granted but much of the Third World considers a luxury. The World Wetlands Day, celebrated annually on February 2, was established to promote the conservation and wise use of wetlands. It’s an occasion to sensitize the public to the smart consumption of water. To mark the day, a photography exhibition is being held in the center of Athens at 55 Mavromichali Street until February 11. Also, «Drops of Water,» a group show organized in part by the Goulandris Museum of Natural History will be held at the Syntagma metro station until February 6. Both exhibitions open today. Stefania Mizara’s photographs from Africa show women carrying water buckets. In many cases, they have to travel more than three hours to reach the water wells. Artist Danae Stratou, one of the participating artists in the Syntagma exhibition, presents a version of her work «River of Life,» which is based on her travels along the seven world’s largest rivers – the Danube, Amazon, Mississippi, Niger, Yangtze and Ganges. The theme «Wetlands and Fisheries» is the international theme for this year’s World Wetlands Day. The slogan «Fish for tomorrow?» raises issues related to aquaculture practices, the effective management of wetlands to protect and conserve fish populations and consumer awareness. World Wetlands Day marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention of Wetlands (Ramsar Convention) that took place in Iran in 1971. Since 1997, when it was first celebrated, goverment agencies, non-goverment organizations and community groups worldwide have participated in the event.
