Anathena
20 October 2006-20 January 2007
Preview party: Thursday 19th October 2006, at 20:30.
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The Deste Foundation presents the group exhibition Anathena proposed by curators Marina Fokidis & Marina Gioti. Following an open call for proposals, Anathena, was selected by a committee comprising of Deste, Deitch Projects and The Wrong Gallery.
This exhibition inaugurates the programme of Deste´s
Yellow Project Room.
Anathena features Athens-based artists and intends to highlight a dynamic yet rarely shown aspect of the local contemporary artistic production that has affinities with street and music culture. The exhibition will present works by local artists largely unknown to the citys mainstream art world, as for many years now these artists have been using their self-devised production and distribution mechanisms and channels. This creative universe does not represent a movement or a self-manifested scene, but rather local undercurrents of small groups and individuals, who do not necessarily work together while in their vast majority they do not insist on labeling what they do as art. This self-exclusion from the local art establishment is, in a way, an anathema. Totally lacking the polemic and anger usually related to the term, this anathema is gentle, and suggests more an attitude of romantic indifference rather than one of dogmatic denouncement.
Most of the artists that Anathena presents work professionally as graphic designers, internet specialists, are film or media experts or DJs. Their work draws from different aspects of what is broadly termed visual contemporary culture and is frequently community-based. It usually grows from contacts and friendships, common influences and preferences.
Anathena will also feature a collaborative mural by artists related to street art. They shape the younger generation of artists who mainly use drawing as a medium and the street as their background to express their social participation. At the same time, an innovative internet radio program will be powered by most of the participating artists in collaboration with vinyl microstore, to run during the exhibitions length. vinyl microstore is a music store that acts as the major meeting, discussion, and creative venue for some artists of this community. Most important artists who belong to the underground music scene have performed there, usually at a small festival that takes place every year and it is called YURIA in honor of the owners (Nectarios) dog whos called Yury.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue designed by Christos Lialios, and the website www.anathena.com, which is designed by Angelo Plessas.
The logo and communications material have been designed by Black & Decker.
The architect Andreas Angelidakis has been a consultant for the exhibitions installation.
Special projects will begin on 19th October, 2006 and include:
An electronic fanzine designed and edited by Angelo Plessas. (It can be ordered at www.cafepress.com/anathenabook)
A radio program titled Deste ke Akouste (Look and Listen), featuring DJ sets, news, poetry and text readings and talk shows by the participating artists. Powered and hosted on the Internet frequency, of vm radio, www.vinylmicrostore.gr
Opening night with specially assembled DJ PROGRAM by participating artists including DJ Bwana, Davidopoulos, Dimitris Politakis, Nectarios Pappas and others
Participating artists: b., Black & Decker, Alexandros Dimitriadis, Dimitris Emmanouil, Erasers, Stelios Faitakis, Marina Gioti, Karatransavantguardia, Andreas Kasapis, Filippos Kavakas, Panos Koutrouboussis, Fotis Kouzinos, Christos Lialios, Lo-Fi, Dimitris Merantzas, Andreas Mouzakitis, Stavroula, Papadaki, Dimitris Papadatos, Fivos Papadopoulos, Pantelis Pantelopoulos,Marios Perrakis, Angelo Plessas, Natasha Poulantza, Dimitris Protopapas, Hercules Renieris , Ioakim Sidiropoulos, Giorgos Tourlas. Andreas Vais, VM Radio ( www.vinylmicrostore.gr ), Lefteris Yakoumakis
