Europe

AthenSyn I: Homemade Exotica

The Greek community promotes contemporary art

November 21st, 2019
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On November 14 2019, the group Athen SYN debuted an exhibition where artists presented their work and discussed the collaboration between Greek and German artists.

At the opening on November 14 2019, the Athen SYN displayed an exhibition called “HOMEMADE EXOTICA”, curated by Sotirios Bahtsetzis. Athens is a great setting for a global drama that has already attracted many people, some of whom are the curators of the recent exhibiton documenta14, due to the global financial crisis of 2009 today. The exhibition will run from 14 November until 1st of February 2020. It displays a cultural transaction and collaboration between Greek and German artists, and contains paintings, sculptures, drawing, engraving, video installations, photography and even video footage. At the exhibition opening there was an interesting discussion among the artists concerning their exhibits, while the Greek H.E Ambassador Theodoros Daskarolas, the Deputy Mayor of Berlin Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg Mr Knut Mildner Spindler and Mrs Carolina Mojto (director of FREIRAUM in der Box), Mrs Katja Ehrhartdt (director of Athens SYN) honored the exhibition with their presence. People from both Greek and German community attended the event.

The contemporary art exhibition “Homemade Exotica” was organized by the Athen Syn which is a group of artists, curators and cultural agents building an infrastructure and cultural network to promote Greek contemporary art at an international level, with focus on cultural exchange between Greece and Germany. What is left after the demystification of a country which has been subject to stereotyping since 18th century philhellenism, labeled as a tourist paradise and imprinted with the stigma of the financial crisis? The 16 contemporary artists from Greece tried to answer questions like these which remain after the documenta14 exhibition, and expressed the important cultural and political situation in Greece. The artworks of the exhibition included an experiential immersion, and invite the visitors to become a part of them. The combination of ancient and contemporary Athens life invites the visitors into a mythical place to find “the other” of the Athenian utopia.

This exhibition which was organised in cooperation with FREIRAUM in der box, and was promoted and supported by the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports and the Greek Embassy in Berlin, since the exhibition’s donations included not only Greek but also German contributors. It is an important opportunity for cultural exchange between the two countries, this art exhibition is an interesting opportunity for the German community to learn more about the political, social, economic and cultural situation in Greece.

References:

Stamatia Chroni and Marina Natsia
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