Located in Chicago’s Greektown neighborhood, the National Hellenic Museum (formerly the Hellenic Museum and Cultural Center) presents the exhibition “Lives Afloat: The Greek Refugee Crisis through the Lens of Tasos Markou 2015–2017.”
Organized into three chronological sections—Arrivals, Waiting, and Borders—the exhibition follows the trajectory of the refugee crisis through Markou’s photographs. His images document perilous sea crossings, the daily realities inside refugee camps, and the hardships faced by those uprooted by escalating violence and persecution, including victims of the Syrian Civil War.
National Hellenic Museum
The exhibition, on view through spring 2019, is supported by public programs, docent-led tours, and a series of guest speakers. Curators paired Markou’s photographs—taken largely on the island of Lesvos—with data and reports from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to provide historical context and a deeper understanding of the crisis.
Tasos Markou, a native of Larisa, Greece, documented the movement of families and individuals as they sought safety, capturing both intimate moments and broader scenes that reveal the human impact of displacement.
The museum is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and closed on Monday.
The National Hellenic Museum’s mission is to collect, preserve, and present the legacy of Greek history and culture in America. Its collections include extensive oral histories and artifacts that reflect the experiences of Greek Americans across generations.