EXHIBITION

ARK: A STRUCTURE OF CARE

10.12.2022
–26.03.2023

Contemporary artworks from the collections of MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art and the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (ΕΜΣΤ)

Artists: Dimitris Alithinos, Angelos Antonopoulos, Achilleas Aperghis, Constantin (Dikos) Byzantios, Dimitris Condos, Bia Davou, Lionel Estève, Aris Georgiou, George Gerontides, Leonidas Giannakopoulos, Daniel Gounaridis, George Gyparakis, Frascisco Infante-Arana & Nonna Gurionova, Marion Inglessi, Alexandros Isaris, Valerios Kaloutsis, Christos Karas, Aris Katsilakis, Antigoni Kavvatha, George Lappas, Sotiris Michou, Eleni Mylonas, George Osodi, Rena Papaspyrou, Pavlos (Dionysopoulos), Alexandros Psychoulis, Mario Prassinos, Omid Salehi, Sotiris Sorogas, Marios Spiliopoulos, Danae Stratou, Thomas Struth, Takis (Vassilakis), Theodoros (Papadimitriou), Yorgos Tsakiris, Karolos Tsizek, Costas Tsoclis, Dimitris Tzamouranis, George Vakalo, Manolis Zacharioudakis

Curators: Theodore Markoglou, Katerina Syroglou 

How can the unique survival project of the Ark function as a vehicle, means and symbol of the impending ecological disaster and reset the basis of the environmental awakening, bring back the reflections on the relationship of man with nature, environmental issues, ecological management policies and exploitation of natural resources?

Re-approaching the concept of the Ark, of rescue, of awakening, of survival, escape, hope by contemporary artists will identify the needs to reconstruct an effective plan to save that which is valuable in an increasingly fragile global ecosystem.

Environmental awakening and ecological justice reinterpret the theological narrative of the Ark every time extreme climate and weather phenomena hit populated areas and cause disasters. Questions resurface, such as could the situation have been prevented? How will life be restored after the disaster? Can I help?

Mankind is called upon to act in today’s imperative changing environmental problems, like the “faithful”, “environmentalist” Noah, who completed the mission to save mankind and all living creatures from an ecological catastrophe of global proportions. He operated with the utmost care, respect and consistency and was the “good guy” to restore hope. Caring for humanity became a “saving” act of universal value.

The Ark concept defines various applications, repositories, and banks and collection activities that aim to rescue, protect, and preserve data, objects, and information for future use. We know that irresponsible use and abuse has led to much of the climate change and environmental degradation we face today. Storms exist as part of natural weather patterns on the planet, but warmer oceans produce stronger storms and heavier rains, which in turn increase flooding.

The aim of the exhibition is to present the visual visions, searches and inventive ways of approaching the recently emerging conditions, such as the decline of the bee, deforestation, air pollution, overheating, desertification, the food crisis, overexploitation of water resources, consumerism and climate change which altogether fight against the environment’s dynamics to inspire, protect, breathe, heal, regenerate.

It is a group exhibition of contemporary art that brings together 40 Greek and foreign artists with more than 75 works of painting, sculpture, and new media from the collections of the National Museum of Contemporary Art and the MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art.

Artists: Dimitris Alithinos, Angelos Antonopoulos, Achilleas Aperghis, Constantin (Dikos) Byzantios, Dimitris Condos, Bia Davou, Lionel Estève, Aris Georgiou, George Gerontides, Leonidas Giannakopoulos, Daniel Gounaridis, George Gyparakis, Frascisco Infante-Arana & Nonna Gurionova, Marion Inglessi, Alexandros Isaris, Valerios Kaloutsis, Christos Karas, Aris Katsilakis, Antigoni Kavvatha, George Lappas, Sotiris Michou, Eleni Mylonas, George Osodi, Rena Papaspyrou, Pavlos (Dionysopoulos), Alexandros Psychoulis, Mario Prassinos, Omid Salehi, Sotiris Sorogas, Marios Spiliopoulos, Danae Stratou, Thomas Struth, Takis (Vassilakis), Theodoros (Papadimitriou), Yorgos Tsakiris, Karolos Tsizek, Costas Tsoclis, Dimitris Tzamouranis, George Vakalo, Manolis Zacharioudakis

Curators: Theodore Markoglou, Katerina Syroglou 

MAP

VENUE

MAIN EXHIBITION

BEING AS COMMUNION

The central exhibition of the 8th Thessaloniki Biennial of Contemporary Art aims to think critically about co-existence and collaborative practices as creative tools for handling the multiple crises that we face. Thinking through being as communion, 28 artists via their respective practices touch on various forms of more than human collaborations, with our spectral past and our challenging present, thinking of how we can co-exist with animate life around us, the land that we stand on, the food that we eat and the air that we breathe. Being as Communion will focus on inclusive practices that explore different forms of care, love and mutuality, whilst also proposing generous forms of support systems. Invited artists and artist collectives will explore the human impact on the eco-systems that we share, whilst suggesting forms of more equitable existence, for humanimal survival, probing to what extent we can learn new ways of being with, rather than dominating the world around us.

Ten key sites and museums of the city of Thessaloniki will host the exhibition’s works, in dialogue with the city’s layered history, allowing for a polyphonic reading of the exhibition in ten equal parts.

04.03 –
21.05.2023

MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, Museum of Byzantine Culture, National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation, Hamidie – Islahane Cultural Venue, Eptapyrgio, Yeni Jami, Thessaloniki French Institute, Glass Box “Scultures’ Garden” (seefront area), Thessaloniki Concert Hall (building M2)

The central exhibition of the 8th Thessaloniki Biennial of Contemporary Art aims to think critically about co-existence and collaborative practices as creative tools for handling the multiple crises that we face. Thinking through being as communion, 28 artists via their respective practices touch on various forms of more than human collaborations, with our spectral past and our challenging present, thinking of how we can co-exist with animate life around us, the land that we stand on, the food that we eat and the air that we breathe. Being as Communion will focus on inclusive practices that explore different forms of care, love and mutuality, whilst also proposing generous forms of support systems. Invited artists and artist collectives will explore the human impact on the eco-systems that we share, whilst suggesting forms of more equitable existence, for humanimal survival, probing to what extent we can learn new ways of being with, rather than dominating the world around us.

Ten key sites and museums of the city of Thessaloniki will host the exhibition’s works, in dialogue with the city’s layered history, allowing for a polyphonic reading of the exhibition in ten equal parts.

04.03 –
21.05.2023

MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art, Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, Museum of Byzantine Culture, National Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation, Hamidie – Islahane Cultural Venue, Eptapyrgio, Yeni Jami, Thessaloniki French Institute, Glass Box “Scultures’ Garden” (seefront area), Thessaloniki Concert Hall (building M2)

EXHIBITIONS

PROJECTS

09.02 –
30.04.2023

An exhibition collectively put together by curators of MOMus

21.12.2022 –
21.05.2023

ΜΟΜus-Museum of Modern Art-Costakis Collection

09.02 –
30.04.2023

An exhibition collectively put together by curators of MOMus

09.02 –
30.04.2023

An exhibition collectively put together by curators of MOMus

21.12.2022 –
21.05.2023

ΜΟΜus-Museum of Modern Art-Costakis Collection

BIENNALE 8

GEOCULTURA

The exchange of ideas, values and norms, within a context of a multitude of cultural, geographical and political debates and conflicts, is at the core of the concept of 'geoculture' in the political and social sciences. This is the rationale behind the decision of the 8th edition of Thessaloniki's Biennale of Contemporary Art to turn its attention to the terms 'land' (“geo-”) and 'culture', connecting the cultivation of land with culture, understood as a set of resources, texts and practices which are available to people, helping them better understand and more effectively act in the world. It explores issues of memory, history, and managing both the natural and man-made environment, under the conditions of the climate, economic and refugee crises.

The participating artists focus on histories of places and people; they touch upon issues of identity, ethics, equity and sustainability; they suggest improvised ecological technologies; they explore the potential for collective existence and question the systems by which production, consumption and profitability are organized; they put into practice ideas of resource sharing and equitable living, as well as ways of reassessing the commodification of human and non-human life. Through their works, imagination becomes a crucial factor in facilitating the audience to imagine different versions of the future.

Firmly believing that art broadens our understanding of the world, the 8th Biennale seeks not only to raise environmental awareness, but also to multiply future possibilities, with new claims and visions. The 8th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art aspires to serve as a means of communication with the world, as an act of justice and freedom, of trust and progressive thinking.

The Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art is financed by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) is organised by MOMus and implemented by MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art-Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art and State Museum of Contemporary Art Collections.

The participating artists focus on histories of places and people; they touch upon issues of identity, ethics, equity and sustainability; they suggest improvised ecological technologies; they explore the potential for collective existence and question the systems by which production, consumption and profitability are organized; they put into practice ideas of resource sharing and equitable living, as well as ways of reassessing the commodification of human and non-human life. Through their works, imagination becomes a crucial factor in facilitating the audience to imagine different versions of the future.

Firmly believing that art broadens our understanding of the world, the 8th Biennale seeks not only to raise environmental awareness, but also to multiply future possibilities, with new claims and visions. The 8th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art aspires to serve as a means of communication with the world, as an act of justice and freedom, of trust and progressive thinking.

The Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art is financed by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) is organised by MOMus and implemented by MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art-Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art and State Museum of Contemporary Art Collections.