Date archives Ιούλιος 2022

ΒΑΣΙΛΗΣ ΜΠΑΛΑΣΚΑΣ, “2291”

THERE IS NO SEA WITHOUT A LAND

THERE IS NO LAND WITHOUT A SEA

(«Δεν υπάρχει θάλασσα χωρίς στεριά»)

(«Δεν υπάρχει στεριά χωρίς θάλασσα»)

Αυτές οι φράσεις αποτελούν την νέα εγκατάσταση neon που παρουσιάζει ο Βασίλης Μπαλάσκας στον κήπο του Αρχαιολογικού Μουσείου Θεσσαλονίκης. Η εγκατάσταση αποτελεί μέρος ενός γενικότερου project με τίτλο ”2291”, το οποίο επιχειρεί μία ποιητική ανάγνωση της επετείου της Μικρασιατικής Καταστροφής (1922). Το έργο προτείνει μία περισσότερο στοχαστική ή ακόμα και αισιόδοξη προσέγγιση του ιστορικού τραύματος και πλαισιώνεται από δίγλωσση έκδοση, δύο δράσεις-εργαστήρια, συμβουλευτική υποστήριξη προς νέους καλλιτέχνες, ιστότοπο και διεθνή ημερίδα με συνδιοργανωτή το Πανεπιστήμιο του Kingston (Λονδίνο).

Ο Βασίλης Μπαλάσκας μας μίλησε για νέο αυτό project. Continue reading …

25 Ιουλίου 2022 by Ελένη Ζυμαράκη

News

ΒΑΣΙΛΗΣ ΜΠΑΛΑΣΚΑΣ, “2291”

Το “2291” της ERGON-CULTURE είναι ένα διατομεακό project του Βασίλη Μπαλάσκα το οποίο επιχειρεί μία ποιητική ανάγνωση της επετείου της Μικρασιατικής Καταστροφής. Κεντρικός άξονας είναι μία νέα εγκατάσταση neon μεγάλων διαστάσεων, που αποτελείται από τις φράσεις THERE IS NO SEA WITHOUT A LAND («Δεν υπάρχει θάλασσα χωρίς στεριά») και THERE IS NO LAND WITHOUT A SEA («Δεν υπάρχει στεριά χωρίς θάλασσα»). Το έργο προτείνει μία περισσότερο στοχαστική ή ακόμα και αισιόδοξη προσέγγιση του ιστορικού τραύματος και πλαισιώνεται από δίγλωσση έκδοση, δύο δράσεις-εργαστήρια, συμβουλευτική υποστήριξη, ιστότοπο (www.2291.gr) και διεθνή ημερίδα με συνδιοργανωτή το Πανεπιστήμιο του Kingston (Λονδίνο). Μέσω του project, το 2291 καθίσταται μία φανταστική χρονολογία που αναφέρεται όχι μόνο στον οικουμενικό και διαχρονικό χαρακτήρα των προσφυγικών καταστροφών, αλλά και στην ελπίδα αυτές να εκλείψουν νωρίτερα παρά αργότερα. Η παραγωγή πραγματοποιείται στο πλαίσιο του προγράμματος 2022, του θεσμού “Όλη η Ελλάδα ένας Πολιτισμός” του Υπουργείου Πολιτισμού και Αθλητισμού. Continue reading …

19 Ιουλίου 2022 by Ελένη Ζυμαράκη

Exhibitions / News

DESTE Foundation: Jeff Koons: Apollo

The DESTE Foundation is pleased to present Jeff Koons: Apollo, a solo exhibition on view at DESTE’s Project Space at the old Slaughterhouse in Hydra from June 21 to October 31, 2022. The exhibition is an installation presenting new sculptures by Jeff Koons along with readymade objects selected by the artist to engage the viewer in a metaphysical dialogue between the contemporary and ancient. The show marks over twenty years since Jeff Koons’s last solo exhibition in Greece.

At the center of the installation, within the Slaughterhouse, is the sculpture Apollo Kithara (2019–2022). The Apollo is playing a kithara, which is considered the origin of today’s guitar. The polychromed animatronic sculpture stands over 2.3 meters tall. The walls within the Slaughterhouse have been transformed by using as the base the ancient frescoes from Boscoreale, near Pompeii. The exhibition includes several other new works including a pair of bronze Nike sneakers, Gazing Ball Tripod (2020–2022), and Plato’s Solid Forms Wind Spinners (2020–2022). There are other elements that are corresponding to this installation, ranging from burning candles to a Duchampian reference of a urinal. Above the Slaughterhouse is Apollo Wind Spinner (2020–2022), a 9.1 meter (30-foot) wide reflective wind spinner that greets people entering the port of Hydra on one side and, on the other, welcomes people walking to the building housing the installation. The face of the wind spinner is that of Apollo.

The exhibition activates the senses through music, sage burning, and baked offerings reminiscent of ancient times. With the sounds of the ancient kithara playing alongside contemporary songs, the two musical formats are at times disjointed and at other moments find sublime beauty. The overall exhibition is metaphysical and celebrates human history and aspiration.

Mon. – Sun.
11–13:00 & 19–22:00
Tuesday Closed

PROJECTSPACE SLAUGHTERHOUSE HYDRA

10 Ιουλίου 2022 by Ελένη Ζυμαράκη

Γενικά Άρθρα

After Hellas – Santiago Calatrava in the Glyptothek

June 22 – October 23, 2022

“When I stood in front of the warriors at the Temple of Aphaia in the Glyptothek, I witnessed an unexpected modernity, and beyond the perfection of classicism”

—Santiago Calatrava

The Glyptothek is pleased to present After Hellas: Santiago Calatrava in the Glyptothek the first exhibition devoted exclusively to the sculptural and painting works of renowned architect Santiago Calatrava.

The main focus will be his new sculptural series, a body of work which has been in development for the last 20 years and comprises fourteen wrought iron large format sculptures on a base of aged oak, which appear as modern, almost abstract variations of the ancient warriors of the Temple of Aphaia. Complementing these sculptures will be a selection of 30 drawings, watercolors, and preparatory studies, in addition to sculptures from past series, which highlight Calatrava’s study of the human body and nature, a continuous inspiration to his architectural style. All works connect simultaneously with the general theme of Antiquity, which is intrinsic to Greek culture.

Curated by Cristina Carrillo de Albornoz, and Florian Knauss, director of the Glyptothek, the exhibition features an exceptional dialogue between the sculptural permanent collection of the Glyptothek, and Santiago Calatrava´s artwork. More than two decades ago, while visiting the Staatliche Antikensammlungen and Glyptothek, Santiago Calatrava was deeply enthused by the marble works from the Late Archaic temple of Aphaia in Aegina. These dynamic sculptural groups (Athena, with groups of combatants, fallen warriors, and arms), located at the east and west pediments of the temple, featured scenes of the epic Trojans Wars. This encounter led Santiago Calatrava to create a colossal corpus of sculptural work over the past 20 years, entitled The Aegineten, large format sculptures in wrought iron, and hundreds of drawings in the spirit of the circular dynamic compositions of the positions and the shields of the ancient warriors in the temple, but using a modern vocabulary.

This illuminating exhibition follows Calatrava’s career as a sculptor and elucidates how he has been influenced by the antiquity and heritage of “Hellas”, the term the ancient Greeks used to describe their lands, named after the founding father of all Greek tribes.

Beyond Hellas: Santiago Calatrava in the Glyptothek will be carried out in collaboration with the Santiago Calatrava studio.

A catalogue will be published to accompany the exhibition.

10 Ιουλίου 2022 by Ελένη Ζυμαράκη

Exhibitions / News

STEPHAN GOLDRAJCH, ARBRE À PALABRES

15.12.2021 – 22.05.2021 EMST Foyer

Following the social isolation due to Covid-19, the artist Stephan Goldrajch conceived the participatory project, entitled Arbre à palabres , a giant tree, six metres high, comprised of numerous pieces of knitting, crochet or weaving of any colour, pattern and yarn made by people of different ages and social backgrounds, particularly from neighbourhoods around the museum. Arbre à palabres, the palaver tree, is usually found in the centre of African villages and is a place where people meet and exchange ideas, elders share stories with children, and where important decisions concerning the village are discussed. In Greece we could compare the Palaver tree with the Platane tree found in Greek villages where people of all ages gather and partake in the daily social life. The knitted items that were selected – following the artist’s open call – have been placed on the tree, displayed in the EMST Foyer.

This collaborative, polyphonic work of art, encompasses all the stories involved in it’s making, marking a new era for the museum, one which is more open, inclusive and welcoming. It is the first presentation of the artist’s work in Greece.

Artist’s short bio

Stephan Goldrajch was born in 1985 in Ramat-Gan, Israel. He lives and works in Brussel, Belgiums. The artist’s practice creates links between people and social interaction between them. His work combines textiles, texts, drawings, installations and recycled materials Goldrajch often starts “from deficiencies to rewrite a story, recast it and create an elsewhere”. It is not uncommon for him to work with people outside the art world to conjoin their existence and his practice, thus generating a new creative dimension. His projects are part of his personal approach to ancestral techniques and traditions as well as his interest in human relationships, from which he draws inspiration to give a new dimension to heritage.

5 Ιουλίου 2022 by Ελένη Ζυμαράκη