The Heraklion Municipal Art Gallery’s Polychoro-Gallery presents the solo exhibition of Nikos Basias, an award-winning photographer and visual artist with national and international acclaim. The exhibition is a rare journey through space and time, spotlighting the primary schools that shaped generations.

Under the title “From North to South – In the Footsteps of Memory”, the show runs until Friday, February 27, 2026, and features photographs of schools across Greece, Cyprus, and Smyrna, mapping history and memory through the buildings that once served as both community hubs and centers of learning.

Nikos Basias doesn’t just photograph buildings – he captures their soul.
Each image reveals a piece of collective childhood, from the days when chalk left its mark not just on blackboards, but on time itself.

Some schools are still in use, others have been left to decay, while a few bear the scars of fire and destruction. Every photo speaks of resilience – of memories, and of the people who passed through those halls, drawing a delicate line between past and present.

Before arriving at the Municipal Gallery in Heraklion, the photo series embarked on a cultural journey, exhibited in traditional cafés, from the northern villages of Chania to the southern coast of Sougia. The aim? To bring the images closer to local communities, sparking a direct and living connection with viewers.

Now, in Heraklion, the exhibition unfolds in full. New photographs, larger formats, a variety of print materials, and thematic sections all come together, enriched with texts and personal testimonies. The result is a deeply emotional journey into memory and loss.

But this is not a farewell.
It’s an invitation to return –
To the corridors we once ran through.
To the desks where we laughed.
To the windows where we stared out, dreaming of the world waiting beyond.

It’s a tribute to those schools.
To the ones that lived, that taught, that raised generations before falling silent.
And to the people who still remember them – who won’t let them disappear into oblivion.
Maybe it’s also a tribute to our own childhood memories.

The exhibition is accompanied by the photo book “Memories in the Dust”, published with the support of the Regional Unit of Chania, the Municipality of Kantanos-Selino, and the Municipality of Platanias.

Exhibition Details:
“From North to South – In the Footsteps of Memory”
Photography Exhibition by Nikos Basias
🔗 www.nikosbasias.com

📍 Polychoro-Gallery – Heraklion Municipal Art Gallery
8 Chrysostomou Street, Heraklion

🗓️ Dates: Monday, February 2 – Friday, February 27, 2026
🕒 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 10:00–14:00 & 18:00–21:00
🎟️ Admission: Free

📞 Contact Info: Tel. +30 2810 339067 | ✉️ artgallery@heraklion.gr