ART ATHINA RESTARTS AND ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAMME
May 31 to June 3, 2007
Art Athina, Athens contemporary art fair, launches its 13th edition from 31st May to 3rd June 2007 (Preview 30th May). Under the auspices and with the support of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the Hellenic Art Galleries Association, Art Athina 2007, will take place at the Helexpo Palace, Exhibition and Conference centre. All five floors of the exhibition centre, totalling 8800 square meters, will be given over to Art Athina. The Fair will be under new management with ReStart General Director Michalis Argyrou and Artistic Director Christos Savvidis.
Athens contemporary art scene is undergoing a renaissance through the launch of major new arts venues such as the New Benaki Museum, a showcase for Greek Art, and of cutting edge artistic events such as the Thessaloniki Biennial (June 2007) and the Athens Biennial (September 2007). Along with these initiatives, and with the increased support by the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Art Athina will be able to both endorse and give a boost to the local market for contemporary art.
Since taking over Art Athina a year ago, General Director Michalis Argyrou, and Artistic Director Christos Savvidis have redeveloped the fairs format to create an event that will stretch the limits of the contemporary art fair. The fair is organised in three sections: the Basic Plan which will host international contemporary galleries; the Open Plan, an exhibition curated by Cecilia Canziani (Rome) and Sotirios Bahtsezis (Athens) where individual works contributed by cutting edge galleries will be shown; and the Parallel Plan, which provides a platform for a full program of curated exhibitions, performances, exhibitions, talks and encounters which hope to attract collectors and art market specialists, as well as academics, critics and curators from around the world.
Art Athina 2007 aims to set new standards in quality by selecting high profile innovative international contemporary galleries renowned for cutting edge projects. It will establish a platform for exchange by introducing a selection of curated exhibitions, performances and talks. In addition it will mobilize the citys art spaces and other unique locations so as to extend the platform for art.
Highlights of Art Athina include:
An invited country: Russia is this year s guest country and a number of contemporary galleries from Russia will take part. The prestigious Stella Art Foundation (Moscow) will also present a number of projects and publications.
An offsite exhibition at the Benaki museum: on Greekdom showing contemporary Russian artists active after the fall of the Berlin wall, curated by Viktor Misiano.
A far-reaching VIP program and Collectors Club.
Open Plan: in this section of the fair s program, curators Sotirios Bahtsetzis (Athens) and Cecilia Canziani (Rome), will offer an unprecedented varied selection of artworks providing new opportunities for buyers in comparison to those we normally encounter in art fairs.
New Arrivals: offers four young contemporary galleries, scheduled to launch in 2007, an opportunity to exhibit alongside more established contemporary galleries.
Critically in Between: an exhibition on the relationship between art practice and the art market, curated by Viktor Misiano.
Visual Kidnapping: a set of installations, interventions and performances investigating the process of obtaining a work of art and the relationship between possessor and possession, curated by Nadja Argyropoulou.
I SYGHRONI ELLINIKI SKINI (The Contemporary Greek Scene): a series of performances investigating the Greek arts scene, curated by Nadja Argyropoulou.
Art Scene – Art Seen: interactive installation by Artemis Potamianou.
A series of video projections: Me and the Others curated by Marina Athanassiadou and Margarita Kataga, and Entracte curated by George Drivas.
A site-specific project by the Guerilla Girls, curated by Artemis Potamianou.
A series of lectures, guided tours, educational programs and seminars.
General Director: Michalis Argyrou Artistic Director: Christos Savvidis
Under the auspices and with the support of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture.
Organising Insitiution: Hellenic Art Galleries Association
Organisation: W-Art Co-organisation: HELEXPO Contact: T. 30 210 756 7723; F. 30 210 752 6995; 217 Ymittou str, Mets, 116 32, Athens, Greece. Email: info@art-athina.com website: www.art-athina.com
Venue: HELEXPO PALACE, Attica Exhibition and Conference Centre, 39 Kifissias Avenue, 151 23 – MAROUSSI, ATHENS, GREECE
Press office, Athens: Alexia Korleti at Art Athina on 30 6944 888 777 or 30 210 7567737 email korleti@art-athina.com
Press Office, London: Arianne Levene at Brunswick Arts on 44 (0) 207 936 1281 email alevene@brunswickgroup.com . Brunswick Arts LLP, 16 Lincolns Inn Fields, London WC2A 3ED
