Culture Award – Polyxeni Adam-Veleni
For some people, culture is linked to their very existence. Say… and a fate gave them an anxious soul, to perceive at every step the cultural – aesthetic beauty and to serve it faithfully.
One such special personality who serves Culture with passion and dedication is Polyxeni Adam-Veleni, director of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki.
He was born in Thessaloniki, in a neighborhood full of flowers and trees. Ever since he was a kid, he showed that he had a flair for the arts. He danced, represented entire plays or films, loved acting, dancing, singing, and music. The constant supervision of the family in her choices did not allow her to claim what she really wanted, on the one hand acting art and on the other hand to become a painter. He graduated with a scholarship and honors from the Department of History and Archaeology of the Faculty of Philosophy as well as the Theatre Department of the School of Fine Arts of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
He continued with postgraduate studies and received a Doctorate in Archaeology. In addition to fulfilling a childhood dream, he studied acting art at Sorbonne III University in Paris.
At the age of 22 she became the youngest archaeologist of the archaeological service and was fascinated by the magic of uncovering ancient treasures. She worked as curator of antiquities at the Ephorates of Antiquities of Edessa and Thessaloniki. She was director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Pieria and from April 2006 until today director at the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, which managed to highlight with a series of actions, such as exhibitions, lectures, conferences, workshops, concerts, preservation of antiquities, educational programs.
One of the most important excavations he has conducted as an archaeologist is considered: 1) the excavation of the Hellenistic city of Petra Florina, 2) the excavation in Apollonia and 3) the excavation, promotion and formation of the Market of imperial times in Thessaloniki. 4) the promotion of the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki as a core of timeless culture with a national and international reach.
Polyxeni Adam-Veleni lives in Culture, spreads Greek Culture, teaches it, transmits it and at the same time creates the same culture. Its actions are varied and difficult to mention briefly.
Archaeological articles, studies, monographs, organization of countless archaeological exhibitions abroad and domestically. She taught as a visiting, or invited professor at Universities of France, Switzerland, Italy, Canada and other countries.
She is a professor at the Hellenic Open University and the Postgraduate Department at the International University of Greece. He teaches theatre history and dramalogy at the Centre for Theatre Research in Thessaloniki and Averto.
He is involved in publishing books, magazines and among others, he has undertaken the production, scripting and directing of archaeological documentaries that participated in the Festival of Agons, Roveretto and Montreal.
The radio show “The Mitos of Ariadne” was a station in culture and today conducts a show entitled “Coffee with the Archaeological Museum”.
He has published three poetry collections, the “Timeline” for which he was awarded, “Macedonian Decapolis of Jordan”, “The Little Time” and an articulated novel “I Am the Other”. and has been awarded for her children’s play “The Revolution of Statues” and has twice received the first short story award.
Her multi-reality includes an individual painting exhibition while she prepares others.
Among the distinctions she has received are the bronze medal for her contribution to the promotion of science by the Societé d’Encouragement au Progrés and the Medal of the Knight of Solidarity from the Italian Republic for her contribution to the promotion of Greek-Italian relations. She has been awarded the Medal of Arts and Letters of the French Republic and was honoured as a prominent figure in culture by the Unesco headquarters of the University of Macedonia (2012).
She is married to the Emeritus Professor of Archaeology of the University of Greece. Georgios Velenis and has three children, Themida, Michael and Konstantinos.
