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Symbiotics
Symbiotics, by the miss dialectic curatorial team, was chosen through an open call process by EMΣΤ | National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens, for the submission of proposals for a group exhibition. A contemporary narrative on coexistence, which focuses on the process of communication through female art practices, defines the conceptual core of the project, which comprises a group exhibition, framed by a broad programme of public events. The exhibition presents works by four contemporary Greek visual artists – Chrysanthi Koumianaki, Karolina Krasouli, Christina Mitrentse, and Maria Varela – as well as by the artist group Phantom Investigations (Giannis Delagrammatikas and Ino Varvariti). Compositions by Chryssa, Bia Davou, and Nausica Pastra, from the EMΣT collection, complete the exhibition, whose starting point, in fact, according to the curatorial team, is the series of drawings Serial Structures 2 – Odyssey by Bia Davou. The Symbiotic Discourses of the public programme include workshops and educational events (by Karolina Krasouli, Christina Mitrentse, and Maria Varela), performances (by Chrysanthi Koumianaki), and a performative lecture (by Phantom Investigations).
The use of the grid as a common structural component of the works in the exhibition functions in a unifying manner, defining a literal, or even an imaginary, space within which the concepts of equilibrium, seriality, repetition, succession and – potentially – liberation and expansion into the real and the public space, are dynamically imposed. The grid, in addition, is connected to weaving – an activity that has been traditionally linked to the place and role of women. Weaving is here elevated as a fine art practice, turning the process of handicraft into a tool of empowerment of the female in contemporary art and connecting it to different versions of the visual, textual, scientific, and technological language. This medium is common in the practice of the visual artists taking part in the exhibition, heightening the symbiotic and conceptual system of their coexistence. At the same time, they share features such as the reuse of motifs and symbols (also) from their earlier works, which are inherent in and converse with their subsequent proposals.
Emphasising the process of creation through fragmentary images and codes, using a broad range of art mediums, the works presented in the Symbiotics exhibition create space and rhythm, become poetic gestures and contemplations on contemporary reality and the history of art itself, and weave their own narrative on the female in art, “in a room of one’s own” (Virginia Woolf).
At the opening of the exhibition, three performances by Chrysanthi Koumianaki are presented from 20:00 in the exhibition space as well as in other common areas of the Museum.
Curated by miss dialectic
ARTISTS
Chryssa, Bia Davou, Chrysanthi Koumianaki, Karolina Krasouli, Christina Mitrentse, Nausica Pastra, Phantom Investigations (Giannis Delagrammatikas, Ino Varvariti), Maria Varela
MISS DIALECTIC CURATORIAL TEAM
Taking the reflection on the social impact and educational character of art as its starting point, the activities of miss dialectic aim to valorise the artistic process, empower the relation between research and artistic production, and bridge contemporary culture with education. Miss dialectic’s ultimate goal is to reconsider cultural heritage in current conditions, and to utilize it as a think tank for new knowledge, research and educational tools. Miss dialectic curatorial team was founded in Athens in 2019, and is currently run by Klea Charitou, Eleanna Papathanasiadi, and Kelly Tsipni-Kolaza.
PUBLIC PROGRAMME
PERFORMANCES-OPENING
Thursday 12 October at 20.00
In the framework of the exhibition, three performances by Chrysanthi Koumianaki are presented in the exhibition space (on the 4th floor) and in other common areas of the Museum. In these performative works, the artist looks at public sculpture and the monument as something ephemeral, ordinary, and ceremonial. The participating performers activate Chrysanthi Koumianaki’s work in the exhibition; they wear garments, move around the Museum, and interact with the visitors and the space itself. These performances have been presented at different times in the public space and different areas of Athens. In Enchanted Life, the actress Eva Vlassopoulou emulates a living sculpture that speaks the language of the streets. In The Stage is Empty, the actress Maria Tzani mimes activities that take place in public space and transfers them to the floors of the Museum, like a moving sculptural subject. In RSVP, the performer Marina Miliou-Theocharaki keeps a daily appointment with the Presidential Guard. At ΕΜΣΤ, that imaginary meeting takes place on Syngrou Avenue.
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS
12.11.2023, 12:00–15:00, Mezzanine, Maria Varela, Grid and Binary Patterns | The workshop is for adults of all ages.
18.11.2023, 12:00–15:00, Mezzanine, Karolina Krasouli, Words, Colours, Things | The workshop is for children aged 9–12.
19.11.2023, 12:00–15:00, Mezzanine, Christina Mitrentse, Book Destruction and Re-Birth | The workshop is for adults.
Participation is free upon reservation on a first-come, first-served basis.
To book a spot send an email at learning@emst.gr using the subject line “SYMBIOTIC DISCOURSES” and mentioning your details (full name, age, contact number), and the workshop’s title.
Maximum number of participants: 15. Language: Greek
PERFORMATIVE LECTURE
16.11.2023, 18:30–19:30, 20:00–21:00, ΕΜΣΤ Art Archive, 4th floor exhibition space, Phantom Investigations (Giannis Delagrammatikas, Ino Varvariti), Each Relation Belongs to Other Relations |The event is for adults.
Participation is free upon reservation on a first-come, first-served basis.
To book a spot send an email at learning@emst.gr using the subject line “SYMBIOTIC DISCOURSES” and mentioning your details (full name, age, contact number), and the event’s title.
The maximum number of participants is 20. Please, note that the performative lecture will be held in Greek.
Bia Davou, "Serial Structures 2-Odyssey", 1978–1981, Collection of ΕΜΣΤ