Two events have marked this year's PHOTOSYNKYRIA in Thessaloniki: the installation of the Museum of Photography in the city's Port area, and the title of the exhibition, "A Picture of My Brother", which treats a diachronic and at the same time very timely subject, namely the relations between Humanity and the photographic image in today's world.

The Museum of Photography is one of the institutions bequeathed to the city by the "Thessaloniki '97" Cultural Capital of Europe Organisation, and is part of the Photography Network, one of eleven networks in the Cultural Domain. The Ministry of Culture has been affording considerable support to Photography in recent years, with a series of institutional and organisational initiatives that include the creation of basic infrastructures, the reinforcement of various bodies and actions and the provision of active support for important artistic events.

That certainly describes Thessaloniki's PHOTOSYNKYRIA, curated this year by one of its co-founders, Mr Eric Auzoux. Additional interest is generated by the choice of reference point: the major exhibition by the Director of the Photography Section of New York's Museum of Modern Art, Mr E. Steichen, entitled "The Family of Mankind".

The development of the art of photography, the different trends followed by its creative artists, and the role of photography as a powerful means of communication in the new world of digital technology continually lead it into new areas of exploration.

Let us therefore wish PHOTOSYNKYRIA 2002 every success, for its theme is of dramatically current significance; and let us hope that the important artists who are participating in this exhibition will provide new stimuli and indicate new paths for both Photography and Humanity.

EVANGELOS VENIZELOS