In 2024, Greece commemorates the 50th anniversary of the fall of its military dictatorship (1967–1974) with a series of exhibitions reflecting on the nation's journey from repression to democracy. These exhibitions explore the social, political, and cultural impacts of the dictatorship and its collapse, offering a window into this pivotal period in modern Greek history. Key exhibitions include “1974. From Dictatorship to Democracy” at the National Library of Greece, which chronicles the struggle against the regime and cultural and societal shift of the first years of the Metapolitefsi; “City of Athens 1974 & 1944 – Athens Celebrates its freedom” honoring two crucial milestonesons, the 50 years since the restoration of democracy in July 1974 and 80 years since the liberation of Athens from the Nazi occupation in October 1944 and finally, “Democracy,” an art exhibition at the National Gallery of Greece that explores artistic responses to the struggles against authoritarian rule and pursuit of democracy in 1960s-70s Greece, Spain, and Portugal.

National Library of Greece: "1974. From Dictatorship to Democracy"

The National Library of Greece (EBE), the General State Archives (GAK) and the Greek Broadcasting Corporation (ERT) are co-organizing an exhibition in celebration of the 50-year anniversary of the Metapolitefsi (post-dictatorship) period, entitled "1974. From Dictatorship to Democracy," taking place from July 17 to December 31, 2024 at the National Library of Greece.

The exhibition presents unique archival evidence and rich audio-visual material on the dictatorship as well as the anti-dictatorship struggle, outlining the major institutional changes of first year of the Metapolitefsi period, but also the grand scheme changes in the social and cultural landscape of the country, up to the first years of the 1980s.

National Broadcaster ERT participates in the exhibition with material from its archive, including, among others, 100 photographs, 240 minutes of audio-visual material, censored documents from broadcasts and news, 20 vinyl records, etc. The National Library of Greece participates with material from its Collections, which mainly includes newspapers, magazines and books (over three hundred items in total). The exhibition is accompanied by a 288-page color catalogue, which is a publication of the National Library of Greece, edited by Stavros Zoumboulakis.

The artistic curation of the exhibition has been undertaken by Vassilis Zidianakis and ATOPOS, who invited the visual artist Alexis Fidetzis to present the installation "Phoenix Canariensis" on the ground floor of the National Library, posing the question: How does one present the continuity of archives through the plastic language of visual arts?

As the president of the National Library of Greece, Stavros Zoumboulakis notes: “Let us repeat the undeniable: the unprecedented, in Greek history, period of untroubled democratic life spanning half a century, was entrenched in those first few months of the Metapolitefsi. The Metapolitefsi is not merely the restoration of a pre-dictatorship Republic, but also the transition to a new period of a full democratic life.

We all know its three most critical achievements: the army’s return to the barracks, the end of the Monarchy, and the abolishment of Emergency Law 509. It was all carried out swiftly and dutifully by the first post-dictatorship national unity government and the first Prime Minister, Konstantinos Karamanlis, who undoubtedly played a pivotal role, as well as by dint of the forceful demand of mass democratic movements.

But no one can appreciate the significance of the Metapolitefsi without knowing about the dictatorship, its violence and its vulgarity. We want our exhibition to be one of memory and education, aiming to convey to its visitors, and especially to school pupils, both the horror of the Dictatorship and, most importantly, the belief that the Metapolitefsi of 1974 is a major political achievement. In a country with such high rates of self-pity, let us hold that fact in mind with a certain amount of pride.

In the purely political and institutional field, the Metapolitefsi lasted a few months, until the end of the year or, at the extreme, until the passage of the new Constitution in June 1975. But beyond that purely political and institutional Metapolitefsi, there is also a social and, even more so, cultural Metapolitefsi, whose limits cannot ever be strictly defined. What is for certain is that the wind of political change began to blow strong in the final years of the dictatorship, as early as 1970-71, with that unprecedented publishing boom, but was brutally interrupted by the junta of Ioannidis that seized power on 25 November 1973. In the summer of 1974, the country’s intellectual world picks up the severed thread once again and extends it, dynamically and with optimism. In the field of cultural Metapolitefsi, the exhibits of our exhibition stretch as far as the early 1980s."

The President of the General Archives of the State, Dimitris Sotiropoulos commented that this exhibition brings together individual memory and the historiographic record. The exhibition, which spans the three floors of the EBE at the SNFCC, will run until 31 December 2024. Admission is free and the public can visit the exhibition every day of the week from 09:30-20:00.

City of Athens “1974 & 1944 | Athens Celebrates its freedom”: 50 years since the restoration of Democracy & 80 years since the Liberation of Athens

The year 2024 marks 50 years since the restoration of democracy in July 1974 and 80 years since the liberation of Athens from the Nazi occupation in October 1944. The City of Athens, in a spirit of unity and collaboration, is honoring these two crucial milestones for the country’s journey to freedom and democracy, as well as the struggles of the Greek citizens for national independence, by organizing a series of events called “1974 & 1944: Athens celebrates freedom”. The program, aiming to highlight the city’s vibrant historical memory and initiate a dialogue with our modern history is being designed and carried out by the City of Athens Culture, Sports and Youth Organization (OPANDA) and the Technopolis City of Athens, featuring a wide array of events and artistic and educational activities, which will take place until the end November.

The major historical exhibition “1974 & 1944: Athens celebrates freedom”, which is the centerpiece of the City of Athens’ celebrations, is hosted at the OPANDA Arts Center, in Eleftherias Park. The venue, with its buildings of profound historical and architectural value, is part of the memorial site of the old junta Detention and Interrogation centers. From July 22 to October 28, the grand historical exhibition, a joint effort of the Technopolis City of Athens, the Contemporary Social History Archives (ASKI), and the General State Archives, commemorates this double anniversary.

Divided into two major sections, dedicated to the events of 1944 and 1974 respectively, the exhibition narrates a journey from darkness to light, from the extreme cruelty of the Nazi occupation to the frenzied celebration of the first days of freedom, and from the brutality of the junta to expectations born of the fall of the authoritarian regime. Through rare photographs, audio-visual material, documents, newspapers, posters, works of art, notices, personal items and rich archival material, the more than 500 items in the exhibition "1974 & 1944: Athens celebrates its freedom" the exhibition highlights the collective historical memory and the popular struggles for freedom and democracy, focusing on the feelings of hope and joy that these generate and the same enthusiasm that accompanied the Athenians both on the festive days of 1944 and 1974.

At the same time, the exhibition cannot but to unite joy with sorrow, redemption with pain, relief with agony, as the double holiday outbreak was weighed down by both the shadow of the Decemberists and the fear of civil war in 1944, as well as the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974.

Visitors discover, among other things, evidence from the period of the great famine of 1941 in Athens, audiovisual material related to the arrest and torture practices of the junta, an installation with personal stories of three women of the Resistance who sacrificed themselves for the liberation, and also an installation dedicated to the 25 murdered activists of the Polytechnic Uprising.

And on the other hand, in the center, unique impressions from the river of people that on the day of liberation in 1944 flooded the flag-decorated streets of the capital with songs and dances, flyers, banners and improvised posters full of festive slogans, celebratory front pages for the triumph of democracy, snapshots of hugs with those who returned from places of exile.

Some of the bitterest moments of Athens' modern history join its happiest, in a unique exhibition that is a tribute to two different eras and two different worlds united by the same city, Athens, but the common demand of its inhabitants for democracy and freedom, the collective dream for a better life.

The exhibition, which ends on October 28 and has free entry, is surrounded by talks, discussions, screenings, special guided tours by the exhibition's curators, educational programs, exhibitions, theatre, music, dance, theatrical and historical tours, activities for children and schools as well as an insert of contemporary dance and dance performances. See here for the detailed program of events.   

National Gallery of Greece: “Democracy”

As nearly half the world goes to the polls in 2024 in a historic year of elections, the National Gallery of Greece in Athens unveils a timely exhibition on art, social change, and democracy. This is the first major exhibition to explore artistic responses to the struggles against authoritarian rule and pursuit of democracy in 1960s-70s Greece, Spain, and Portugal. It marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of democracy in Greece.

Featuring 140 works by 55 artists, brought together in collaboration with the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía – MNCARS, Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona – MACBA, Centro de Arte Moderna Gulbenkian, Centro de Estudos Multidisciplinares Ernesto de Sousa and private collections from Greece and Portugal.

Running from 11 July 2024 to 2 February 2025, this is the first major international exhibition to examine the political role of art during the pivotal period in Southern European history as Greece, Portugal and Spain transitioned from authoritarian to democratic rule during the 1960s to 1970s.

The large-scale presentation brings together 140 masterpieces by 55 artists and artist groups, showcasing a diverse range of styles, perspectives, and practices. It explores how artists were inspired by and depicted the struggle against the era’s dictatorial regimes and the new cultural expressions and creative practices that evolved during the pursuit of civil liberties, including the rise of critical realism and abstract art, as well as the emergence of performance and conceptual art.  The formation of artistic collectives, the art of protest in posters and prints, the politics of the body and the involvement of art in the public sphere all underscored the demand for democracy in the realm of the arts, providing a vibrant field for creative research and activity.

The National Gallery aims to reflect on the current socio-political state of the world and its resonance with the conflict and turmoil of 1960s and 1970s Southern Europe. Against the backdrop of a historic year of global elections and challenges to democratic values, the exhibition traces the shared cultural experiences, emotions, and trauma shaped by disruption, acts of protest, defiance, and resistance, that are just as relevant today as they were fifty years ago.

Syrago Tsiara, Curator and Director of National Gallery says “We proudly present our landmark exhibition on Democracy and Art in Greece, Spain, and Portugal, showcasing powerful artistic responses to repression and the fight for freedom. This exhibition prompts reflection on our historical experiences, achievements, and their impact on our collective identity and future. Amid rising extremist voices, declining voter turnout, and growing scepticism towards institutional credibility, it serves as a poignant reminder of the ongoing need to defend democracy. In these challenging times, museums and art play a vital role beyond solace, empowering profound engagement with imagery, ideas, and critical questions that shape our social interactions and coexistence.”

The exhibition explores themes of ‘Facing the Enemy’, ‘Resistance’, ‘Uprising’, and ‘Arousal’ through  a range of artistic mediums, including sculpture, painting, engraving, posters, video, performance art, as well as theatre and literature and runs until 02.02.2025

Read also from Greek News Agenda

Rethinking Greece|Christina Koulouri on half a century of Greek democracy: “The greatest achievement of Greek democracy is its resilience”

I.L.

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The 86th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) opens its doors on Saturday, September 10, 2022 bringing together professionals, buyers and visitors from Greece and many countries across the world. TIF is Greece’s largest trade event and is considered one of the leading business and industry fairs in Southeastern Europe, while it is of great political significance to the country. This year’s exhibition is focused on circular economy, education & entrepreneurship, startups & innovation, gastronomy & nutrition etc., while the United Arab Emirates is the honored country for 2022.

Guided by the new reality in the world economy, the changing environment in the fields of health and energy, but also the galloping developments in technology, the 86th TIF declares its strong presence through its multidimensional character.

Sections

In the field of Circular Economy, the 86th TIF will present the latest developments, solutions and products in the domains of clean energy and environmental protection. In view of a difficult winter ahead in terms of energy, the Circular Economy pavilion will present solutions regarding heating-cooling products, renewable and alternative energy sources, bioclimatic building design, environmental technologies, as well as waste management and recycling systems offering several options in the field of energy. Visitors can learn how to prevent waste production, how to plan in an environmentally friendly way, and how to reuse materials to reduce their environmental impact, aiming at saving consumers money and improving their quality of life.

In the field of Education, TIF is a meeting point for the educational community. Visitors are informed, among other things, about new activities, innovative ideas and educational programs, networking options for educational institutions, career opportunities, and consulting career services. Particular emphasis is given to the advanced English-language university programs offered in Greece attracting every year many foreign students in a wide range of study fields.

In the field of Digital technologies, the 86th TIF has created the “Digital Greece” thematic parc presenting more than 100 startups with emphasis in the domains of cultural and audiovisual industry, digital games, animation etc

United Arab Emirates, TIF’s honored country 2022

Every year a different country is honored as the most important guest, highlighting and strengthening trade but also cultural relations between Greece and the honored country. Considering the importance of approaching new markets, this year’s TIF welcomes the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the first “honored country” from the Arab world in the history of the TIF.

The UAE is coming to the TIF with an impressive participation of companies and organizations aiming to explore possible areas of cooperation with Greek companies, and further economic relations with Greece. Technology and investments will be the focus of the United Arab Emirates’ participation, which will present in pavilion 13 of the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre the most developed sectors of their economy.

Founded in 1971, the UAE is a federation of seven emirates. With Abu Dhabi as its capital and Dubai as its largest city, it is an important hub, of the international commercial and industrial world. They are ranked sixth globally in known oil reserves, 36th in terms of purchasing power of their economy, and one of the highest in the world per capita GDP, set at US $ 46,584.

The UAE is a founding member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and a member of the Arab League, the United Nations, the Islamic Council, OPEC, and the World Trade Organization.

Paying tribute to the centenary of the Asia Minor catastrophe

This year’s TIF is also organizing an exhibition paying tribute to the 100 years since the Asia Minor Catastrophe and the forced migration of ethnic-Greeks from their homelands. Through a video installation the exhibition spans moments in the lives of Greek refugees before the forced exchange of populations, the refugees’ harsh journey from Asia Minor, Thrace and Pontus to Greece, as well as moments from their settlement in Greece.

The audiovisual installation tells the story of the successful integration of Greek refugees presenting rather the positive changes that occurred in the Greek society than the mourning for the lost homelands. The arrival of almost one and a half million refugees from Asia Minor and the Pontus to the "new" homeland was a catalyst that modernized the Greek state making the country stronger.

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Greece´s Capodistrias Museum– Center of Capodistrian Studies is among the 60 nominees for the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) 2022, the ceremony of which will take place in Tartu, Estonia, from May 4-7, 2022. A significant distinction presented by the European Museum Forum under the auspices of the Council of Europe, the European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) was founded in 1977 with the aim to stimulate international interchange of ideas and pinpoint new approaches to the protection and interpretation of heritage, as well as new ways in which museums operate. The Award is given annually to a museum that has excelled in the European museum scene for attracting and welcoming its visitors by using high standards and innovative approaches.

It is worth mentioning that the Capodistrias Museum- Center of Capodistrian Studies is the only Greek foundation shortlisted for the 2022 Award, which is a remarkable honor for the museum itself as is also for Greece, as recently announced by the Ministry of Culture.

Founded in 1981 on the island of Corfu, the museum is dedicated exclusively to the life and work of the Greek state´s first governor and top European diplomat, Ioannis Capodistrias, aiming thus to take visitors on a journey through the history not only of Corfu and modern Greece but also of Europe. As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, stressed on the occasion of the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Museum:

“[…] The Capodistrias Museum is the only cultural foundation dedicated to his life, work and legacy. A legacy that goes beyond the country´s borders […]”.

More specifically, the museum is housed in Kapodistrias' summer residence - in the village of Evropouli - Koukouritsa area- which was donated, in 1979, to three historically significant Corfiot cultural organizations (the Corfu Reading Society, the Philharmonic Society of Corfu, and the Society for Corfiot studies) by one of Capodistrias´ descendants, Maria Desylla-Capodistria – former Mayor of Corfu (1956–1959) and the first female mayor in Greece.

Among others, the Museum includes family portraits and photos, Capodistrias’ family tree, and seals, religious artifacts, furniture, official documents, books from Capodistrias’ personal library, and honorary medals. It is worth noting that there are no texts on the walls in the halls of the museum; as Daria Koskorou, director and curator of the museum explained in a recent interview: “We didn’t want to lose that home feeling, hence all the enlightening and educational information is available free of charge on your mobile phone through a QR code. Additionally, the museum boasts a free audio tour service available to all visitors via a web application for smartphones and on a dedicated device. The audio guide to the permanent exhibition is available in four languages (English, Russian, French, and Greek)”.

Of particular interest to researchers and teachers is the Ioannis Capodistrias Digital Archive, an ambitious project that was completed in 2016 with the aim to offer an extensive, wide-ranging collection of material regarding Capodistrias’ legacy.

The Museum also collaborates with Greek and foreign museums and organizations in a joint effort to create networks of inspiration and cultural exchange. Within this context,  special mention should be made to the exhibition “Geneva and Greece – A Friendship serving Independence” running through February 13, 2022, at the Museum of Art and History in Geneva, in collaboration with the Hardt Foundation for the Study of Classical Antiquity. The exhibition highlights the relationship between Ioannis Capodistrias and two Genevans - Charles Pictet de Rochemont and Jean Gabriel Eynard – who all played a key role in Geneva joining the Swiss Confederation, and Greece becoming an independent state.

More info & photos:

Visit the Capodistrias’ Museum official website and social media

See also on GNA:

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The non-profit organization Greece in USA - a New York City-based organization that aims to promote contemporary Greek Culture in the United States – recently launched the second iteration of its program for the internationalization of Greek Culture in the USA with the group exhibition “The Right to Breathe”. Running through October 8, 2021, the exhibition - which is under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture - takes as a starting point the “shortness of breath” derived from the experience of social injustice, political pressure and economic austerity, exploring its connection with poetics, live art, and embodied politics.

The exhibition - which takes place virtually at Undercurrent with the participation of 100 Greek artists - is in dialogue with “The Right to Silence?” show, presented at Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery, John Jay School of Criminal Justice (CUNY). Thus, the topic of breathability that the exhibition identifies and aims to historicize also provides an insight into the ongoing revaluation of criminal justice reform.

Sarra Katerina “Untitled”, 2017, Oil on canvas, 165cm x 215cm (The Right to Breathe exhibition)

The exhibition is curated by Dr Sozita Goudouna, founder of “Greece in USA”, in collaboration with GIRES-Global Institute for Research, Education & Scholarship and Out of the Box Intermedia arts organization. More specifically, “Greece in USA” organization aims to convey a comprehensive and distinctive representation of Greece by producing cultural and educational programs that encourage intercultural dialogue. When it comes to shaping the image of contemporary Greece in the US beyond existing stereotypes, Goudouna’s view is that “Greek artists can stand as equals alongside their American colleagues” and that “as institutions in Greece are enhanced and the Ministry adopts a systemic approach to contemporary art, the more openness and cultural diplomacy will be strengthened and reinforced”.

“Our goal is to create the “third way” for cultural diplomacy between the state and major institutions that will always be in good cooperation with the institutions, ministries of culture and foreign affairs” stated Goudouna in a recent interview.

Dr Sozita Goudouna* spoke to Greek News Agenda** about the “Greece in USA” initiative, the organization’s plans and goals for the near future, the legacy of Greek Diaspora artists, as well as the importance of building cultural partnerships and a long-term strategy for contemporary art.

What has been the feedback - how have your colleagues and the public in the US received the two first exhibitions organized by the “Greece in USA” organization?  

"GREECE IN USA" was founded in March 2020 in New York, during the pandemic. The sleepless city had been transformed into a ghost town like all metropolitan centers. The only similar experience for New Yorkers was September 11th. In this "atmosphere of fear" and following my experience in promoting Greek artists in London and New York, I was inspired by the founding principles of Performa Biennale. Performa is the organization to which I owe my settlement in New York in 2015, which was founded in part against the fear caused by the terrorist acts of 2001. For a month, Performa changes the way New Yorkers experience the city and especially the downtown, after 9/11, which as a traumatic event transformed the relationship of residents with public space. The Biennale aims to "reclaim" public space and locations that have changed use due to the dominance of Real Estate. Performa takes place in different parts of the city, from Times Square and New York Customs to museums such as MoMA, Whitney, Guggenheim, BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music and Dance), galleries, and other cultural venues.

In this context and dynamic landscape, I envisioned GREECE IN USA as an organization that does not align with the contemporary phobias of social distancing and complacency, but that "reclaims" the importance of art in everyday life in public space and that primarily gives a voice to a specific nationality that previously had no substantial or influential presence in American cultural events. The main challenges, apart from the pandemic that completely shifts the way we perceive art, concern the shift of the reception of contemporary Greek art abroad in addition to overcoming the stereotypes about Greek nationality imposed mainly by the dominant culture. Our main intention isn’t to focus on “Greek topics” but to engage with international aesthetic and social issues. Thus, the inaugural exhibition dealt with issues of confinement and the American justice system, and the second exhibition focused on notions around the “I Can’t Breathe,” movement and the history of Seneca Village. I consider that despite the challenges in dealing with these sensitive topics the audience welcomed the initiative.

For my colleagues, curators and scholars I think the reception of the initiative was also positive because they felt that it is significant that Greek artists are invited to respond issues that they haven’t really reflected upon due to the geographical and political contexts that they haven’t experienced. African American artists would consider these issues in an entirely different manner and this is I think the contribution of these exhibitions, to introduce complexities and asymmetric knowledge or to provide versions of “uncomfortable knowledge” (Steve Rayner) on how artists from the “periphery” can make sense of the complexity of the social sphere in a global context and without aesthetisizing political tensions. The initiative is also focusing on building cultural partnerships, like with Undercurrent.nyc that had invited me as one the consultants for their EUNIC- European Union National Institutes for Culture project entitled UN/MUTE that brings together American with European artists and this is the reason I considered that the EU-USA cultural exchange could be relevant for the second iteration of the project and for contemporary Greek Artists.

Performance of Figures by Maria Hassabi,  (2019), with Oisín Monaghan, Alice Hayward, Mickey Mahar, Omagbitse Omagbemi Sound: Stavros Gasparatos. Outfits: Victoria Bartlett. At Aixoni Sculpted Theater in Greece designed by Nella Golanda curated by Sozita Goudouna powered by Onassis Foundation.

How easy is it for Greek contemporary artists to stand out on the international art scene, especially in competitive environments like the ones in the UK and the US in which you have personally lived and worked?

The Greek art scene has only evolved into a more international scene very recently owing to the broader interest of non-Greeks in Athens. That is partly a result of the financial and social crisis, and of art initiatives by younger, local, and international artists and curators who understand the importance of experimentation. You are probably aware of the expression “Athens is the new Berlin” and the lack of visibility of local art scenes especially of the so called “global south.” I am reluctant of terms like “global south,” but at the same time, I understand the necessity of using these terms. I am also very interested in the heterogeneous and even imaginary provinces of the world as they can be formulated in artistic and curatorial research. The expression “Athens is the new Berlin” in spite of its predictability, shows a promise and is justified despite the lack of a systemic and long-term cultural governmental policy for contemporary art, or perhaps owing to this lack. Working closely with Raymond Pettibon and David Zwirner, Regen Projects, Sadie Coles (the galleries that represent the artist), I am also trying to support Greek artists through the networks that I have access to, but also through other networks than the art market. Given that few Greek galleries manage to have access to the international art fairs, due to the logistics and lack of accessibility for emerging or regional galleries. Adding to this, I consider it is vital for these artists to receive more support whether from European or local networks to promote their work abroad. “Greece in USA” with its modest means, but with strong cultural capital, is trying to contribute to these efforts. It is principally the support of the artists that is helping us realize this goal even more than the systemic partners. The organization also aims to raise questions about stereotypes and different expressions or perceptions of the Greek “nationality.”

Greece has the unique advantage of people’s pre-existing emotional connection to its ancient world, but how are things for contemporary Greek culture? In your view, what is the way forward for Greece’s cultural diplomacy?

Greek contemporary art is more resistant to mass culture, either due to lack of resources or different concerns. The cultural perspectives of Greek contemporary art differ markedly from those of the international community, and this "Greek uniqueness" that isn’t limited to the ancient world and has not yet been mapped internationally sparked the idea and contributed to the decision to create the "GREECE IN USA." The Creative Economy is constantly evolving around the world, with the United Kingdom and the United States clearly outperforming the sector. In the US, in 2017, the arts and culture contributed $ 877.8 billion, or 4.5%, to the country's gross domestic product (GDP). In the same year, more than 5 million wage - and - wage workers were employed in the arts and culture, earning a total of $ 405 billion.

The creative economy is one of the sectors most at risk from the COVID-19 crisis, so a substantial and sustained national strategy for the recovery of the creative economy is required. I hope that the Greek government focuses on the importance of promoting art guided by both local and international partnerships that not only focus on the ancient world but also on the contemporary. Our cultural diplomacy should initiate from partnerships between municipal governments, arts and cultural organizations, community groups, and private sector charities. Major cultural organizations such as the Armory Art Fair and Museums such as the MoMA, Whitney, The Frick Collection, and the Performa Biennial are already planning their actions and strategy for promoting art in the post-COVID era. In this context, GREECE IN USA investigates topics that reflect contemporary concerns and attempts to map the way in which Greek artists approach the social and cultural changes that take place. For many of us, contemporary art is a kind of refuge from the superficial tendencies of the dominant culture - a place where alternative values, politics, and different identities could claim to some extent cultural autonomy. I consider that in view of the lack of infrastructure in our country, our cultural diplomacy should focus on this “alternative” cultural capital.

John Akomfrah “The Airport” Central Stage, Municipal Theater Pireaus, September, 2021.

To this end, how influential has the presence of the Greek community abroad been, especially when taking into consideration the work of worldwide renowned artists of Greek origin, such as Stephen Antonakos and Chryssa?

The Greek Diaspora has a strong legacy of artists such as Loukas Samaras, Jannis Kounelis, Chryssa, Gregory Markopoulos, Theodoros Stamos, Stephen Antonakos and among the younger ones Eleni Mylona, Zoe Keramea, Mark Hadjipateras among others. The essential problem lies in the inability of cultural institutions in Greece to export the domestic cultural production mainly of the performing and visual arts. The reasons are multi-faceted, but I would first identify the problem in the lack of a systematic cultural strategy, but this is a generalization that has been shared by many. I would also add that to some extent in the past we did not realize the value of cultural exchanges. Hence, the presence of few selected Greek artists abroad was influential however it was a result of the artists’ personal endeavors without state support.

Could you give us an insight into your platform’s plans and goals for the near future?

“Greece in USA" aims to activate the dynamics of contemporary Greek art with interventions in cultural spaces and in the public space of New York. In November, it will collaborate with Nektarios S. Antoniou, member of our board of directors, to present Arvo Pärt’s world premiere at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As a curator of Performa, I realized that Greek and Cypriot artists, like Maria Hassabi, were able to have a strong cultural exchange with American and international colleagues. I have the impression that fellow curators would like to learn more about the contemporary Greek scene and that is why the role of an organization like Greece in USA can be a catalyst for promoting the work of contemporary Greek visual and performing artists abroad through osmosis with international artists and curators. 

** Interview by Eleftheria Spiliotakopoulou

* Dr Sozita Goudouna is a professor, curator, and the author of "Beckett's Breath: Anti-theatricality and the Visual Arts" published by Edinburgh Critical Studies in Modernism released in the US by Oxford University Press. She is an Adjunct Professor at CUNY City University of New York and in 2019 she joined Raymond Pettibon Foundation as Head of Operations to curate "Whoever Shows" at New Museum NY, Performa Biennial.

More info: visit “Greece in USA” website

See also on GNA: Arts in Greece | Stephen Antonakos: The Greek-American Sculptor of Neon; Former Tobacco Factory Transformed into Athens’ New Cultural Hub; Arts in Greece | Elpida Rikou on the Learning from documenta project; Arts in Greece | Athens: Europe’s New Mecca for Street Art ; Arts in Greece | Katerina Koskina on the need for cultural dialogue & EMST’s role as an arts capsule for the city branding of Athens

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In the year 2021, Greece celebrates the Bicentenary of the Greek War of Independence, the Greek revolution against Ottoman rule, which led to the establishment of the Modern Greek state. The official celebration of the Greek Revolution of 1821 takes place on 25 March (one of the two national holidays of Greece), coinciding with the Feast of the Annunciation, since that was the day when the War of Independence was declared, according to oral tradition.

Ahead of the 25 March 2021 celebrations, many Foreign Embassies and institutions in Greece have announced their programmes and initiatives to commemorate the Greek Revolution bicentenary.

The United States Embassy in Athens has launched a year-long campaign, under the title "USA & Greece: Celebrating 200 Years of Friendship"highlighting the historic relationship between the two countries as well as their present and future partnership, illustrating the role of American Philhellenes in the Greek Revolution, but also putting emphasis on the contemporary strategic partnership between the two countries in the fields of education, research and digital technologies.

Throughout 2021, the US embassy will fund several programmes, partnering with Greek and American civil society, educational, and arts institutions. The planned events include:

The special exhibition "The American Philhellenism" at the newly established Museum of Philhellenism in Athens, featuring unique artefacts and historical documents capturing the birth and evolution of Philhellenism, US support for the Greek Revolution, and the impact of Greek culture on the values, institutions, artistic and architectural expressions in the US.

The exhibition "The Free and the Brave: American Philhellenes and the Glorious Struggle of the Greeks (1776-1866) " at the Gennadius Library, American School of Classical Studies at Athens, exploring the movement of Philhellenism that flourished in the U.S. in the 19th Century, influenced by Greek classical thought and democratic ideals.

An online report and seminar at the Delphi Economic Forum titled "Greek Fire" on the lasting impact that the Greek Revolution has had on American culture and politics, and more.

The programme also includes scholarships towards the establishment of an American Studies curriculum at a Greek university.

In a video message posted on the occasion, US Ambassador Geoffrey R. Pyatt stated that "the struggle for independence motivated early Americans to rally behind the Greek cause of democracy and self-determination.  As the inheritors of ancient Athenian traditions, American Philhellenes believed they had a civic duty to help Greece reclaim its birthright of democracy".

The British Embassy in Athens has also announced its programme in celebration of the bicentenary of the Greek Revolution marking Britain's contribution to the Greek Struggle.

British Ambassador Kate Smith, who presented the programme, explained that the activities planned aim to commemorate the shared history between the people of Greece and the UK, but also look to the future.

"Of course it was Greece’s revolution, and a triumph for the Greek people and its leaders. But we Brits too want to commemorate the thrilling events of 200 years ago, and the supporting role that Britain played – through the inspirational contribution of Byron and the London Greek Committee, the diplomatic dexterity of Lord Canning, the Royal Navy’s role in the struggle at sea that culminated in Navarino", stated Ambassador Smith.

The British Embassy will host throughout the year a new series of lectures – titled "The 2021 Lectures" – Britain, Britons and the Greek Revolution" via an online partnership with the newspaper To Vima. The talks and texts will be freely accessible to all.

Portrait of Lord Byron in Albanian Dress (detail), Thomas Phillips, 1813, Government Art Collection (GAC)

It was also announced that the British Navy’s flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth will pass through Greek waters as a show of solidarity with Greek armed forces and the two-century alliance between the two countries. Additionally, to honour the memory of Lord Byron, arguably the world’s most famous Philhellene, Great Britain lends the poet’s portrait by Thomas Phillips to the Benaki Museum for their "1821 Before and After" exhibition at the Pireos annex.

Ambassador Smith explained that youth is at the heart of the programme "alongside the guiding spirit of the Philhellenes: volunteerism" adding that the "soldiers, sailors, writers, administrators, doctors and journalists, adventurers of all types, who came to Greece in the 1820s and 1830s including from Britain were extraordinary individuals for many reasons. But especially because they were all volunteers".

Hence, hoping to channel that spirit of activism and personal responsibility into direct action to tackle today’s shared challenges, the Embassy will work to "develop capacity and capability in today’s UK and Greek not-for-profit and voluntary sectors, training future leaders, and bringing young Greeks and Britons together on Greek soil, to work for a more inclusive and sustainable future".

The German Embassy in Athens has launched an initiative on its social media in celebration of the bicentenary of the 1821 Greek War of Independence by highlighting the history of 21 important figures of German philhellenism.

According to the Embassy’s Press Release, not many Greeks are aware that, of the approximately 1,200 Philhellenes who arrived in Greece from the European North and West after 1821 to support the Greek Revolution, Germans constituted the vast majority, while the majority of the foreigners who died or were killed during the Greek liberation struggle were also from Germany. This relationship was not one-sided, as the Greek Revolution was also a source of inspiration for public debate and aesthetics in Germany, and influenced the creation of a national feeling among Germans.

As part of the #germanphilhellenes2021 initiative, created in collaboration with the National Historical Museum, the Society for Hellenism and Philhellenism and the Museum of Philhellenism, the embassy’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts introduce the public to 21 German philhellenes, famous or unknown, from painter Karl Krazeisen to architect Ernst Ziller, as well as testimonies of German philhellenism in Germany and Greece.

The French Institute of Greece has planned a number of educational and cultural activities, spanning the entire year, on the occasion of Greece’s bicentennial celebrations, under the general headline "France - Greece: 200 years of Franco-Hellenic friendship and partnerships".

The French Embassy and French Institute will commemorate the Greek Revolution placing emphasis on the lasting ties between the peoples of Greece and France, and the rich history of French philhellenism. The Greek insurgents were deeply inspired by the spirit of the French Revolution while the Greek struggle for independence has, in its turn, served as a source of literary, artistic and sometimes political inspiration for the French, as evidenced by works such Victor Hugo's famous poem "L'enfant" and Eugène Delacroix's painting The Massacre at Chios.

The virtual exhibition La Grèce, par amour ("Out of love for Greece", online since 8 March 2021), designed in partnership with the National Library of France (BnF) and its press site Retro News, reveals the dynamics and scope of the philhellenic movement and is based on over 100 visual aids, such as newspapers, books, drawings, posters, paintings, correspondence, maps, plays, paintings, etc. from the archives of the BnF, the National Museum of Athens, the Library of the Greek Parliament, the Louvre Museum and other institutions.

A cartoon competition (15 May – 15 November 2021) is organised in partnership with the BnF and the National Historical Museum of Greece; the French Institute invites the public to create their own comic strips or "memes" dedicated to 1821, through an innovative free online application.

The French Institute also collaborates with the Greek Film Archive to host "Greece – France: Cinematic meetings", a vast retrospective dedicated to the common cinematographic history between the two countries; it will be officially launched as part of the 21st French Film Festival in April, where Greek film directors will present French films that have touched and inspired them.

The Institute will also host educational programmes, where high-school students will be able to participate in online group projects with Greek and French educational partners, exploring the cultural ties between the two countries since the time of the Greek Revolution.

The Russian Embassy in Greece has also announced that, on the occasion of the bicentenary of the 1821 Greek War of Independence, and in the framework of the Russian-Greek Year of History 2021 under the auspices of President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, it will honour the literary aspect of Philhellenism, by frequently posting on social media verses (in Greek) by famous Russian poets of that period, such as Alexander Pushkin, Wilhelm Küchelbecker and Kondraty Ryleyev, who were animated by philhellenic sentiments and praised the uprising of the Greeks against the Ottoman yoke.

The Embassy also posts features on important figures of the Greek struggle who had connections with Russia or Russian personalities, such as Governor Ioannis Kapodistrias (former Foreign Minister of Russia) and Naval Commander Laskarina Bouboulina.

Read also via Greek News Agenda: USA & Greece: Celebrating 200 Years of Friendship; “Greece 2021” | The celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the country’s Independence War; Antiquarianism and Philhellenism | An emblematic exhibition to celebrate the Greek War of Independence bicentennial; American and British Philhellenes

M.V. (Intro image: Battle of Navarino, Ambroise Louis Garneray, 1827-30, Museum of the History of France)

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On this day, four years ago, the art world got poorer as Jannis Kounellis (March 23, 1936 – February 16, 2017), one of the founding fathers of the “Arte Povera” movement, passed away. Considered a giant of the postwar European art scene, Kounellis will be the subject of a major survey in 2022 -as it was recently announced- marking the first time the artist has been given such a large showcase in the United States in 35 years. More specifically, the exhibition is set to open at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis (in October next year), marking the biggest exhibition in North America devoted to Kounellis since his death in 2017.

Roughly five years in the making, the Kounellis survey will include some 80 works, offering the most comprehensive assessment of his career to date. Assembled with the full cooperation of the artist’s estate and featuring a host of international loans, the exhibition aims to revisit Kounellis’ innovative practice through key stages of his career, examining both iconic works and pieces rarely or never-before-seen.

Jannis Kounellis was born in Piraeus, Greece, in 1936; World War II and ten years of civil war were backdrops to his childhood. In 1956, he relocated to Italy to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome, where he held his first solo exhibition (1960). In his early works, clearly influenced by the Italian avant-garde spirit (Burri, Fontana, etc.), he portrayed symbols of mass urban civilization – numbers, and letters – on monochrome surfaces. Following a two-year hiatus from painting, in 1967 he surfaced as an influential contributor to the newly emerging ‘Arte Povera’ movement, and his art developed as a mixture of painting, sculpture, collage, and installation.

Coined by curator Germano Celant, the term “Arte Povera” means literally ‘poor art’ but the word “poor” here refers to the movement’s signature exploration of a wide range of materials beyond the traditional ones of oil paint on canvas, bronze, or carved marble. What these artists had in common was open-ended experimentation, working outside formal limitations. Thus, the Arte Povera term did not refer to impoverished materials, but to art made without restraints.

Within this context – though without ever ceasing to define himself as a painter- Kounellis embarked on a radical revision of the concept of the painting work, where form retains its aesthetic role and its interpretive power, but also acquires life and motion, demands the viewer's participation and intervenes in the spatial architectural structure. His work is characterized by the unusual combination of everyday material, including soil, wool, coal, iron, stones, sacks, wood, live animals, bed frames, and doorways.

His performative pieces rank among his most celebrated works, with 12 Horses (a 1969 piece involving a dozen live horses arranged in a gallery space and exhibited as an art object) regarded by some as a masterpiece. However, as Kounellis himself claimed, his works were like paintings, still, because they contained stories.

“Everything I do is painting, even if I don’t touch a brush. I tell my truth as a painter.”

Since 1960, Kounellis exhibited all over the world and his work is part of major public collections: Tate Modern, London; Centre Pompidou, Paris; MoMA and Guggenheim, New York among others. Recent solo exhibitions include his major retrospective at Fondazione Prada, Venice (2019); the Monnaie De Paris, Museo Espacio (2016); the Musée d'Art Moderne, Saint-Etienne (2014); MIMA, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern art; Parasol Unit, Foundation for Contemporary Art, London; Museum of Cycladic Art, Athens (2012); Today Art Museum, Beijing; National Centre for Contemporary Art, Moscow (2011); Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin (2007), and Greece’s National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) in 2004. He had also participated several times in group exhibitions and prestigious international events, such as the Paris Biennial, Documenta, and the Venice Biennial.

With a career spanning more than sixty years, Kounellis’s oeuvre remains resonant for contemporary audiences. Through his ambitious works, Kounellis challenges the traditional notions of both painting and the gallery space. Moreover, the use of antithetical media expresses the tension and alienation of our contemporary society; a contemporary society that on the one hand is built upon mass urban and industrial civilization and on the other retains a link to traditional, primitive, and individual values.

As Kounellis himself had described: inorganic elements provide structure, organic elements provide sensibility. This dichotomy culminates in installations that are simultaneously pensive and engaged, meditative and provocative, spontaneous and deliberate, succeeding in subtly positioning the audience so that they become active participants in the artist’s scene.

More info: Kounellis' estate is represented by Gavin Brown's enterprise, New York/Rome and Sprovieri, London.

E.S.

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The biggest annual art event of Athens and one of the oldest international art fairs in Europe, Art Athina, organized by the Hellenic Art Galleries Association since 1993, is returning for its 25th edition (running through October 31, 2020). Taking, however, into consideration the new pandemic reality, this year’s event, which was originally scheduled to be held at the Zappeion Hall, followed a different path; after a successful Art Athina Walk (13-20 October 2020), during which the Greek galleries were able to exhibit artworks in their natural spaces, the art fair kicked off its digital journey on October 15, 2020, via #AA20Virtual, a new platform designed by G Design Studio.

More specifically, the Art Athina Virtual platform - which is under the auspices of the President of the Hellenic Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou - will be available online until the end of the month, so as to showcase, in digital viewing rooms, 970 artworks by a total of 59 galleries and 300 artists, both from Greece and abroad. The aim is to bring galleries, collectors, and art enthusiasts from across the world closer, despite the adverse conditions that the Covid-19 pandemic has imposed.

“Covid-19 has raised awareness around living with a collective mindset,” says Art Athina fair director, Stamatia Dimitrakopoulos, adding that “it’s crucial to stay united to survive – in the art world, too”. After all, this is the main theme of this year’s Art Athina talks program; as mentioned in their press release: Art, its production, its dissemination, and most of all the collectivity that brings the creators together with each other and with the public, are values that have been tested unprecedentedly through the pandemic. This fact brings both a rupture and a pause that are worth to be discussed. How can we go further together? Perhaps through finding new ways and ideas, while learning from the past but also from our difficult present.

Within this framework, gallerists, artists, curators, and collectors are invited to discuss how we can move forward, now that our collectivity is being tested like never before. It seems that creative Athens is showing the way; shaped by the bitter financial crisis in the recent past, the Greek capital has learnt how to persevere in the face of adversity. In fact, Athens’ art scene is one to watch out for; as dealer Andreas Melas has put it: “Art in Athens is boiling because the city itself is boiling and changing. Coronavirus hasn’t erased that.” 

More info: visit Art Athina and AA20Virtual official websites (and FB page)

See also from GNA: Arts in Greece | Platforms Project goes digital; Arts in Greece | Panos Charalambous on the 180-year history of Athens School of Fine Arts; Arts in Greece | Katerina Koskina on the need for cultural dialogue & EMST’s role as an arts capsule for the city branding of Athens

E.S.

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For the eighth consecutive year, Platforms Project art fair (14-31 May 2020) presents the work of talented creators from the independent arts scene, aiming to function as an "incubator" for young artists, a site where they can join forces so as to seek answers to contemporary artistic questions. Traditionally held at the “Nikos Kessanlis” Exhibition Hall of the Athens School of Fine Arts, this year’s edition goes digital, taking into consideration the difficulty for many of the exhibitors to travel to Athens and the need to safeguard the health of artists and visitors alike.

Thus, a new approach to art viewing is established via the Platforms Project Net, a web-based art fair that enables the art-loving public to access the artists' work via a digital exhibition. More specifically, a virtual plan view of the “Nikos Kessanlis” exhibition hall showcases the platforms installed on their digital stands. The public can then click on a platform's number to learn more about the artists and their work (video-art, painting, photography, installations, etc).

“Platforms Project Net is not just an online version of the Platforms Project Independent Art Fair but an essential platform which will be a digital and networking meeting for artists’ groups from around the world. It will not only be the first online Art Fair for independent art groups but also a completely different logic in the way we look at art (…) The future may be the internet, and the art market may be moving fast in this direction.”

Artemis Potamianou | artistic director and co-manager of Platforms Project 2020

Featuring 63 platforms from 20 countries (Greece, UK, Germany, Canada, USA, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland, France, Panama, Finland, Indonesia, Turkey, Serbia, Russia, Cyprus, Italy, Hong Kong) and over 800 artists, Platforms Project aims to serve as a hub of creation, a register of the avant-garde trends in the international art scene and a forum for promoting interaction between artists’ collectives.

More info: visit Platform Projects official website

See also: Athens School of Fine Arts celebrates 180 years; Arts in Greece | Efi Kyprianidou on Art and Compassion; Art-Athina 2016: Greece’s Biggest Contemporary Art Show Grows Larger this Year; Arts in Greece | Nikos Gyftakis’ Liquid Reality

E.S.

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The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution and celebrated each year as a national holiday on March 25, is the foundational act of the Modern Greek State. It refers to the organized struggle of the Greek Orthodox population against the Ottoman Empire, mainly in the areas of the Peloponnese, Roumeli, and the Aegean Islands. The Revolution was the result of the Greek national movement, in line and under the guidance of a rising Greek merchant class and an even smaller intellectual elite (Hatzis 2018). All in all, the Greek national project was extremely pioneering and innovative, successfully relying on multisided diasporic networks, one of the first revolutions to follow the seminal American (1776) and French (1789) ones (Kalyvas 2015), while being constantly attuned to the expectations of Western European States and publics (Tziovas 2014). The Greek people’s armed struggle and diplomatic efforts finally led to the creation of the Greek State in 1830, after a long period of warfare, but also wasteful internal conflicts (Koliopoulos and Veremis 2010); the centrality of the Greek Revolution in the trajectory of the Greek State goes without saying. Ever since, its history has been a field of lively public debate and contestation that reflects Greek society’s ever-changing preoccupations and polarizations (Beaton and Ricks 2009, Kechriotis 2011, 2013).

A brief account of the historiography of the Greek Revolution

On a more academic note, the historiography of the Greek Revolution has been the object of arduous debates within the community of Greek historians throughout the 20th century. This ongoing debate involves different epistemological perspectives (idealism, materialism, post-modernism etc.) and different methodological premises (biographical method, statistics, linguistic turn etc.). The most influential School of thought can be traced back to the seminal work of K.Th.Dimaras and was labeled the “Modern Greek Enlightenment” thesis by Dimaras himself in 1945. This historiographical current emphasizes the fundamental role of Greek intellectuals and their ideology, which reflected the impact of the Enlightenment on Europe’s periphery. At the same time, one can note the importance attributed to personalities. Dimaras’ work was pivotal in establishing the well-known dichotomy between illuminated elites and conservative social forces as an overarching interpretative framework of Modern Greek history; it is in this sense that this thesis was incorporated in the last quarter of the 20th century in modernization theories (Diamantouros 2000). Another influential current in the study of the Greek Revolution has been the historical materialist paradigm, with Nikos Svoronos as its main exponent within academia. The so-called “New History” paradigm that rose to prominence in the 1970s, with Spyros Asdrachas as its most renowned advocate, followed a rather eclectic path, by incorporating materialist concerns and an outlook on the “history of mentalities”. This tendency borrowed methodological and argumentative approaches from the French Annales School.

More recent works have taken on a variety of approaches and subjects; a novel trend is the critical revisiting of the one-sided diffusionist model of Centre-Periphery relations in favor of a more nuanced “transnational” understanding of ideological processes, where e.g. “peripheral” intellectuals are contributing and interacting on an equal par with so-called “centre” intellectuals (Dialla in Kurunmäki et al 2018). The fixation on personalities still poses problems for our understanding of the Revolution, according to critiques that have questioned the incessant production of biographical studies related to the 1821 Revolution (Amorati 2013). Calls for a history focused on networks, practices, and conditions might accordingly reinvigorate the comparative and heuristic potential of historiographical studies (Avdela et al 2018); nonetheless, one is still faced with the ever-present danger of modern day historiography, which is a fragmented micro-empiricism lacking a larger argumentation.

2021: Greek academia meets the public again

The bicentenary of the Greek revolution of 1821 stands as an excellent opportunity for a new opening up of academia to the Greek public. Greek society itself seems eager to become engaged by supporting and valuing the work of professional researchers working on Modern Greek History. Inevitably, the celebration of the 1821 bicentenary could not be spared an important amount of historical debate and reflexivity, such as e.g. the one that took place in France on the occasion of the 1789 bicentenary; even more, it seems that in the case of Greece the prospect of the bicentenary has generated a critical mass of historiographical events, conferences and publications that –possibly in line with Dimaras’ argument– point to the exemplary intellectual nature of the Greek celebrations.

First and foremost, the National and Capodistrian University of Athens, an institution created in Athens in 1837 and thus itself an immediate offspring of the Greek Revolution, has announced a series of ambitious events for 2021; these involve the participation of a multitude of renowned Greek and foreign scholars and are aimed at both specialised and non-specialised audiences, within and outside Athens; the University is also planning to inaugurate a specialised Centre for the Study of the Greek Revolution and related research grants. In the same vein, the initiative undertaken by 14 private well known non-profit foundations called Protovoulia21 (Initiative21) has given heavy emphasis on academic research, education and historiography in its programming, inside and outside Greece. Both initiatives have stated their intention to contribute in the critical re-appraisal of the trajectory of the Greek State over the course of the last 200 years. This same concern can also be found in the rationale of the most imposing initiative, Greece2021, which has been endorsed by the Presidency of the Hellenic Republic and is headed by Ms Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki. The Committee Assembly has a strong academic component and comprises some of the most well-known Greek and foreign scholars of Modern Greek history and culture; accordingly, the impact of 1821 and the trajectory of Modern Greece over the last 200 years represent two of the Committee’s four main pillars, the other two being notable Greeks and 2021 as a window of opportunity to the future. Greece2021 has followed so far a participative bottom-up approach for the preparation of its programming with an open platform for the submission of proposals. By complementing already undertaken initiatives, this dynamic approach will possibly engender new forms of public involvement in the celebrations of the bicentenary, as well as incentivise historians to engage even more with the public and further challenge their own postulates.

*Intro photo: A Greek hoisting the flag on the walls of Salona, 1821, (detail) by Louis Dupré (1789-1837)

D.G.

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Would it be possible for a biennale to become the starting point for reflection on the crucial issues that contemporary societies are facing today? To examine, from a critical distance, people’s standpoint towards the world and the planet? The 7th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art (October 12, 2019 - February 16, 2020) aspires to act as a field for the redefinition of our values and priorities, a process which is more likely to happen when things are seen from a critical distance. This detachment aims to shape our positions, stimulate our vision and make us act.

True to its long-established international character with artists originating from Brazil to Australia, and to its extrovert philosophy and belief in the value of joining forces, “engrafting” its own team with outside curators, the Biennale’s core theme is STASIS. “Stasis” is a term with multiple connotations in Greek: depending on the context, it can refer to stillness, to a person’s stance or point of view, or simply to making a pause.

In this case, the audience is invited to make a stop at this year’s edition of the Biennale that is ready to welcome everyone interested in its proposition, which is summarized by its curators as: “a historical overview of the self, the world and life through art stances and artworks. With their questioning or enthusiasm, resistance or subversion, poeticness or realism, imagination or critical approach of reality, their probing or inventiveness, artists seek alternative perspectives of the past, present and future world, reconstructing it in the process”. Thus, the Biennale’s proposal involves pausing for reflection, detachment, silence, not for the sake of complacency and isolation, but in order to choose a standpoint, get actively involved and join voices in order to chart courses that require effort, thought and consistency.

Featuring more than 50 international and Greek artists’ work, under the direction of Syrago Tsiara and the supervision of 11 curators, this year’s Biennale –which celebrates twelve years of active involvement in the Greek and international art scene- is determined to expand its geographical horizons by going beyond Thessaloniki with one section travelling to Athens and the MOMus- Museum Alex Mylona.

The Metropolitan Organization of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus was born from the merger of four Thessaloniki-based museums/art venues (the State Museum of Contemporary Art, the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, the Thessaloniki Museum of Photography and the Contemporary Art Center of Thessaloniki) and the Athens-based Museum Alex Mylona. It is a Legal Entity of Private Law based in Thessaloniki and is under the oversight of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports.

The founding of MOMus followed a lengthy period of concerted effort, driven by the steadfast, shared ambition of creating synergies and setting common goals for the promotion of contemporary Greek culture at local, national and international level. The Institution aims to, among others, dynamically develop and promote visual arts and art education, as well as provide support to experimental and alternative art initiatives.

Read more on the 7th Biennale’s program, participating artists and venues here.

E.S.

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