TO VIMA – REMOVEMENT ATHENS 2017
Athens Arcades Come Alive thanks to Art Performances and Interactive Events
Kairi Arcade | Praxitelous Arcade | Arsaki Arcade
2 – 30 June 2017
Three arcades in the heart of Athens (Stoa Kairi, Stoa Arsaki, and Stoa Praxitelous) come alive through performances and interactive events by prominent Greek artists.
Removement Athens 2017 focuses on and draws themes from Athens arcades. It traces the contemporary history of arcades in the city centre and their transformation over the last two years. Marked for decades by continuous human flows, in which unfolded the people’s dreams for success and interpersonal relationships, today these places fade into oblivion. With the change of use in the course of time, the individuals who helped create the city’s arcades and their stories were sidelined. These stories were used by Removement to inspire performing and visual artists to synthesise them into a series of interventions, installations, and performances for one month, from 1 to 30 June 2017!
The thematic backbone of Removement Athens 2017 is the re-use and revitalisation of stories involving three Athens arcades: Stoa Kairi, Arsaki, and Praxitelous. These projects seek to turn these arcades into living spaces once again. Research and collection of material from owners, tenants, and users of the three arcades provided inspiration for the artists to produce projects and events conceptually related to the history of the buildings and their environs. For Removement, bringing back to life these stories and reusing the arcades are key thematic elements. Events taking place on the map of Athens will become opportunities for inspiration, reflections of reality, voices of awareness and encouragement.
PRAXITELOUS ARCADE – 1 June 2017
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INFORMATION
33, Praxitelous str., Athens, Time: 19.30
KAIRI ARCADE / 2-30 June 2017
Stoa Kairi will host art interventions, installations, and video art on four different levels – in the basement, in the main arcade area, and on the first and second floors. Inspired by the history of the arcade, from the old sock shops to today’s packaging material stores and the surviving family-owned gun repair shop, artists Tzeni Argyriou, Konstantinos Dellas, Vassilis Gerodimos, Marianna Kavalieratou, Peggy Kliafa, Yorgos Maraziotis, Mariela Nestora, Andreas Savva, Christos Tolis, Panagiotis Velianitis, Natassa Zouka, using different media, transform the spaces of this arcade into labs for change, colour, emotion, evoking urban memory, or suggesting ways of reuse.
INFORMATION
6, Kairi street, Athens
Hours: Monday & Thursday, 10:00-20:00
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday: 10:00-18:00
ARSAKI ARCADE / 9-10, 21 & 30 June 2017
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ABOUT THE PROJECT AND THE CONCEPT
Inextricably linked to the place and time in which it unfolds, Removement aims to synthesise the concepts of movement and change that manifest themselves in various ways in different places.
It was first organised in summer 2015 at the Santorini Arts Factory (SAF), hosting renowned Greek and international artists (Zilvinas Kempinas, Stella Bolonaki, Giorgos Maraziotis, Georgia Damianou, Olga Bogdanou, Anna-Maria Samara), in an exploration of the island’s unique natural landscape, as well as the tourist boom and socio-political development in recent decades.
Removement in Athens is organised with support from Neon Organization and courtesy of the owners/tenants of the Kairi, Arsaki, and Praxitelous arcades, who enthusiastically embraced this project.
CONTRIBUTORS
Concept, Artistic Direction: Maria Vasariotou
Executive Producer, Artistic Consultant: Konstantinos Sakkas
Research & Social context: Polina Yoltzoglou
Curator Assistants & Line Producers: Yorgos Nomikos, Georgia Eleni Tigkinagka
Production Manager: Katerina Kotsou
Communications: Yorgos Katsonis
Graphic Designer: komodo
Photography: Christos Karnakis
Social Media: Flora Kopelou
Production Management: Delta Pi
source: To Vima
