Collage III, Poly Kasda, Pierre Chirouze
On the 30th of October, a memorandum of understanding was signed between UNESCO and IAU (International Astronomical Union), in which, IAU was to be integrally involved in the process of developing UNESCO's Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative, promoting astronomical sites of “Outstanding Universal Value”.
The promotion of sites with astronomical, historical and symbolic value which are involved in the observation of celestial and astronomical phenomena has a particular significance in our era. Not only because, according to UNESCO, it relates to the “more fragile aspects” of our common human heritage, since, “every human culture has a sky and strives to interpret what people perceive in there”, but, because it opens the opportunity for a new understanding of Astronomy. Astronomy is appreciated as a fundamental tool for the knowledge of the place of human kind in the cosmos. This is an opportunity for the unfolding of a living human network in 130 countries; a network that connects the efforts of the scientists that strive to answer the fundamental questions that humanity has raised from the beginning of time.
Within this dynamic framework, we, a core group of people, being aware of the importance of this direction, which is in accord with our inherent tendency of understanding our position in the Universe-through the interpretation of celestial observations, the study of myths and sky related ceremonies, the artistic (fine arts and music) expression and reflections on the cosmic being, the celestial cartography, the study of the history and development of cosmological models in various civilisations, of the representations of the sky and the stars in poetry and literature- we have decided to unite our efforts, with those of UNESCO, for the development of actions and reflections that will forge a cultural promenade; a trailing/tracking into the Gardens of Urania. Urania, the Muse of Astronomy, one of the nine daughters of Mnemosene (Memory), expresses in a symbolic way our endeavour to relate the Science of Astronomy with its human component: inspiration, innovation, creativity, the Arts and cultural formation.
Collage I, Poly Kasda, Pierre Chirouze
The expression in UNESCO's document: “every culture has a sky” is inviting us to look for this sky in every “locus” where it has left imprints like the Antikythera Mechanism in the sea wreck, in Plato's texts, in Orpheus's poems, in the artistic representations of Urania holding the celestial globe and of Atlas carrying the universe, in the cosmic dance of the Solar and the Lunar deities of Knossos, in the archaeological site of the Academy of Plato, in Lucian's Icaromenippos - the first science fiction novel narrating a journey to the moon- in the stardew falling on the verses of the poets…
In Uranias’Gardens, the sky in space/ the sky in our soul is mapped as an undivided whole.
We will walk here/there. Our actions, texts, artefacts, discussions will develop during the year of astronomy and Peripatites {walkers}, from all over the world are invited to join us. The project will be presented on the web, in Art exhibits, drama and musical performances and in a Cultural Conference held in Athens.
Poly Hatjimanolaki
Polyxene Kasda
Core team of Urania’s Gardens
Poly Hatjimanolaki, Educator, Writer, PhD in Physics
Polyxene Kasda, Writer, Artist I.A.A UNESCO
Roula Anagnostou, Educator, Artist I.A.A. UNESCO
Yannis Almirantis, Research Director, Institute of Biology NRC Democritus
Yannis Kontos, Professor of Artificial Intelligence, University of Athens
Apostolis Apostolou , Open Freetime University Executive Committee, PhD political sciences
Pierre Chirouze, President of the artists association K-Droz in Paris
Donatella Bisutti, Poet,Writer, Editor of interdisciplinary magazine Poesia e Spritualita, Milan
D Udaiyan, Cambridge Stuckist, member of the indian artists network
Collage II, Poly Kasda, Pierre Chirouze
