A Lecture & Film Retrospective
A Lecture
on a city bus:
October 29th 2008
Film Retrospective
at Mikrokosmos Cinema:
October 30th – November 5th 2008
Curated by XYZ
XYZ are proud to present A Lecture by John Bock. The Lecture will take place on board a city bus that will travel through the streets of downtown Athens, on Wednesday, October 29th 2008.
John Bock’s Lectures are performances where the artist uses his own sculptures as sets and props and his own manipulated words and invented language as a means to challenge and confront human relationships. Admittedly frantic and devoid of ‘proper’ syntax, his Lectures integrate theories and terminology from psychology to economics and from art history to popular culture, while Bock engages in a continuous role-playing of different illogical personae, interweaving stories and situations that emerge as absurd, often hilarious, sometimes threatening or violent, and poetic.
The Lecture will be repeated four times, during four bus rides, at 12.00, 13.30, 15.00, and 16.30. The Lecture is open to the public and free of charge, but seating on each bus ride is limited and registration is required. The bus will pick up registered passengers / viewers of the Lecture at the designated times, in Othonos Street, Syntagma Square, in the centre of Athens, and will return there at the end of the Lecture. The Lecture will be filmed.
The Lecture by John Bock will be followed by a Retrospective of films by the artist, from October 30th to November 5th 2008, at Mikrokosmos Cinema. A different selection of varied short and feature-length films will be shown each day. The selection will be screened twice daily, at 21.00 and at 23.00, with the exception of the screening of November 3rd, which will take place at 17.00 and 19.00.
A total of 29 films will be screened during the Retrospective, which covers most of the artist’s filmography, including such films as Meechfieber (2004), Salon de béton (2005), Skipholt (2005), Dandy (2006), Zezziminnegesang (2006), Palms (2007), and Inside Beyond (2007), as well as earlier ‘classics’ like Porzellan-Isoschizo-Küchentat des neurodermitischen Brockenfalls im Kaffeestrudel (2001), Alice Cooper (2001), Boxer (2002), and Gast (2004). The complete programme of the Retrospective is available at www.xyzprojects.org.
John Bock was born in 1965 in Gribbohm. He lives and works in Berlin.
XYZ are Xenia Kalpaktsoglou, Poka-Yio and Augustine Zenakos. Formed as a curatorial trio in 2005, they are interested in working closely with artists, selecting artworks, and manipulating the exhibition space, in order to create a narrative experience for the viewer. Recently, they curated the 1st Athens Biennale 2007 “Destroy Athens”. They are artistic directors for the 2nd Athens Biennale 2009 “Heaven”, opening in June 2009.
JOHN BOCK: A Lecture & Film Retrospective | A project curated by XYZ and produced by the Athens Biennale team | General Co-ordinator: Nicky Tsianti | Director of Photography: Rene Gorski | Art Assistant: Matti Blind | Light: Rene Gorski | Photographer: Jan Windszus | Production management: Peggy Kuwan, Lotte Moeller | Curatorial assistants: Eleanna Pontikaki, Glykeria Stathopoulou, Alina Spachidis
Please contact us at +30 210 5232222 or at xyz@xyzprojects.org to make your free of charge reservation for the Lecture. Reservations are essential. Tickets for the Film Retrospective are available, to book in advance or to purchase on the day, at Mikrokosmos Cinema (106, Syngrou Ave., Athens, tel. +30 210 9215305). Entrance to the Film Restrospective: euro 7.50, euro 5 (reduced), per screening. Week-long discount passes are also available.
For Media enquiries please contact Ms Vivian Efthimiopoulou at Stratego Communications on +30 210 7217771 or efthimiopoulou@stratego.gr
This project is kindly supported by the Hellenic Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Goethe Institute in Athens, Mikrokosmos Cinema, Highlights magazine, and the Athens Biennale Non Profit Organisation.
