The exhibition The Colonization of London, 1500 Years of Immigration from Abroad follows the tradition of the Museum of London, as regards special exhibitions on the various aspects of life in London, as well as its activity for the dynamic incorporation of the Institution in the society of this city, which makes it an active cell of London’s everyday life. A concise history of London, from its foundation in 50 B.C. until today, is presented as a narrative of the immigration of various ethnic, racial and religious groups. These groups are not approached isolated but as an entity that proves that the form of the capital and its development is the result of a common contribution of these numerous communities. Time is presented circularly. The problematic of the exhibition is not focused on the alive past and present. The exhibition does not simply make a presentation but it brings in light contemporary social issues, such as racism, through their historic consideration.
The museum objects of the exhibition are presented as media of a more general social, political, cultural and economic reality, and become participants and witnesses of a multifold past or present. For this reason even the common objects of recent periods demand an equal treatment with a work of art, in the historical-archaeological level. The objective of the exhibition exceeds the informational and educational limits and becomes a unique socio-political offer. The exhibition succeeds to connect yesterday with today and helps each community to find its place in the broader multinational society of London. It is obvious that the existence in Athens of a city museum, which will be undertaking similar to the Museum of London activities and will be functioning as a cultural and educational nucleus for its people, is an almost vital necessity.
