For the first time in the city of Thessaloniki, the multimedia exhibition of Caravan Project, opened the doors of its two yurts, welcoming everyone to another world. Images, stories, sketches, calendars and memoirs from their first travelogue (2011-2014) are presented in the big yurt, as well as projects from their second journey which continues on to the present. Meanwhile, repeated projections of the documentaries-short films that have been created so far, are being held in the little yurt.
Building a Mongolian Yurt…
One wonders…What is a yurt? Let me give you a brief description of those unique constructions and of the setup process, from my own perspective, as a member of the Caravan Projectvolunteer group.
These yurts are a modern version of the Mongolian shelters used for centuries. Its circular shape combined with the light parts, increase the construction’s durability, using only a few materials. It consists of a sturdy cover made of fabric, a wooden frame which includes a wall grid, radial beams, a central ring and – usually – a framed door. The time needed to build a yurt, really depends on its size and the number of people participating in the whole process. In our case, it took us only four hours, not only to complete the setup but place the interior fabric, the woollen insulation and the external, waterproof canvas.
Our Doors are Wide Open!
After days of intensive preparations, exchange of ideas, points of view, experiences, plenty of laughter and friendly spirit, our Caravan opened its doors to welcome all those who have embraced the whole venture and were introduced to the stories that have been recorded during all these years, by the regular members of the group: Stratis Vogiatzis, Thekla Malamou, Yannis Kostaris, Yannis Adrimis, Elsa Kudig, Christos Karakepelis, Antonis Thodoridis, Dimitris Kourtis and Alexandra Saliba.
Theyurts are filled with music, imagery and happy voices! Eventually, it is quite easy to create a different world and lodge in it, the soul of those people who shook down all stereotypes, created their own rules and inspired us to look beyond social norms. Apart from the extraordinary stories being projected during the nomadic journey of the cinematographers, a huge inspiration are the members of Caravan Project themselves, who have been engaged in a continuous relay of human stories, as a legacy of all those who not only live their own reality but share it with all of us.
Want to join the Caravan Project ? Click here and explore!
Published at ThinkFree Magazine
Μαρία Ελένη Βασιλειάδη 