The Magic of Venice in an illustrious painter’s studio

On a beautiful spring afternoon, the painter Mina Kordalis invited her friend, author Barbara Athanassiadis, to her atelier to present with images and words her book "My Venice", creating an ideal match between writing and painting.

The author with painter Mina Kordalis to her right.

Inside the wonderful space, we appreciated the artistic evolution of the painter through her paintings, characterized by originality and artistic dynamism.  Mina Kordalis was invited to exhibit at the Palazzo Franchetti on the Grand Canal, which Barbara has often had occasion to admire from the Accademia Bridge during her walks in Venice.

With this in mind, she began to fascinate us too, offering us the possibility to travel with her to the magic of the lagoon city. The colours and shapes of the paintings were a treat for the eyes while Barbara adjusted her voice spontaneously to each image, conquering us with the theatrical verve of her personality and with the unexpected revelation of an innocence enclosed as a precious treasure. Her passion, her speech, her talent and the charming atmosphere made us travel to another world. A truly beautiful experience.

The Piazetta (little square) is an extention of the Piazza San Marco towards the lagoon of Venice.

Barbara is a person of great experience and maturity, with an innate tendency to broaden her horizons.  Her kindness, her courtesy, her knowledge and her love for writing and for travel have allowed her to introduce ourselves to the hidden jewels of Venice with great craftsmanship as she has had the privilege of observing them and conquering us with her charm. The visual and acoustic stimuli were such that we were literally hanging from her lips, while I drew inspiration from the modulation of her voice, in the name of accuracy and authenticity.

Reading the book "My Venice" I realized that the author deserves a prominent place in modern European travel literature, thanks to the smoothness of her writing and the way in which she addresses issues that lead to a happy outcome for the mind and spirit. The book offers much to the reader, and he becomes immersed in it like a sweet embrace. Lovers of good literature and fine travel cannot but be happy about it. The seriousness, the taste for details, the originality, the aesthetic passion and the great sensitivity of Barbara: all together for a book that transforms into a work of art.

The author on the Ponte dell’ Accademia, Venice.

I don’t know, maybe I was influenced by the ambience or by the emotion of the meeting. Or maybe by the oxygen that we exchanged and the words of the writer? In any case, all friends were left speechless and tried to hold back the uniqueness of those moments after they had already been transported. Because Art, in all its forms, provides a model and highlights the harmony of life itself.

Thanassis Spiliopoulos, writer, painter

Professor of Journalism, University of Athens

Discover more in the book: My Venice