1st Athens Biennial 2007
Destroy Athens
10th September – 18th November
Preview: 9th September
“Technopolis” of the City of Athens
100, Peiraios Street
Metro: Kerameikos
Entrance to the exhibition from Iakchou Street
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 12.00 – 22.00
www.athensbiennial.org
DESTROY ATHENS
Curated by Xenia Kalpaktsoglou, Poka-Yio and Augustine Zenakos
Destroy Athens tells a story. A story about ruptures and dead-ends, which emerges from a completely empirical observation: we, each one of us, the subject of every action and every conscience is built through the eyes of others. What is important is that it is not being constructed by others — it is all an internal affair: the subject builds its own self, but its building material is the perception of others. And this fact is the precondition of any recognition, collectivity, connection, participation, sense of community. This precondition is a necessity, but at the same time that the subject feels it, lives it and depends on it, it will never accept it: we never want to be what we are; we claim the right not to be what we are. Rupture is constantly lurking in the possibility of claiming refusal: at every instant, we are entitled to deny the precondition of collectivity and abolish any connection or relationship. The story is divided in six chapters.
Artists: FIRST DAY: Julian Rosefeldt & Piero Steinle, Void Network, Marc Bijl, The Erasers, Adbusters, hobbypopMUSEUM, Banu Cennetoglu | SECOND DAY: Omer Ali Kazma, Nikos Kessanlis, Jannis Savvidis, Florian Süssmayr, Ciprian Muresan, Chris Evans, The Otolith Group, Edward Lipski, Bernhard Willhelm, Yorgos Sapountzis, Eva Stefani, Stefanos Tsivopoulos, Olaf Nicolai, Folkert de Jong, John Kleckner, Jannis Varelas, Eva Vretzaki, Stelios Faitakis, Pablo Picasso | THIRD DAY: Olaf Breuning, Gregor Schneider, Thanassis Totsikas, Bjarne Melgaard, Annelise Coste, Lotte Konow Lund, Jan Freuchen, Kajsa Dahlberg, Robert Gober, Georgia Sagri, Pierre Joseph, Sean Landers, Mark Manders | FOURTH DAY: Assume Vivid Astro Focus, Torbjorn Rodland | FIFTH DAY: Aidas Bareikis, Kimberly Clark, Narve Hovdenakk, Martin Skauen, Vassilis Patmios Karouk, Erkan Ozgen, John Bock, Yiannis Adamakos, Terence Koh | SIXTH DAY: Elodie Pong, Temporary Services & Angelo, Peter Dreher, Christian Marclay, Derek Jarman, Eleni Mylonas
DESTROY ATHENS — APPENDIX
How to endure
Curated by Tom Morton
How to endure borrows the idea of magic where rituals have two — apparently unrelated — actions, that is to change the world and at the same time to keep it as it is. Featuring references from Alistair Crowley to Parmenides and Harry Smith, nine artists are invited to create new artworks rituals that will change the world by preserving it, or to exhibit works that are related to this theme. The picture of Athens they are interested in “preserving” is not that of historical past but the one of contemporary Athens of present, at a time when the world’s eyes are elsewhere.
Artists: Charles Avery, Miguel Calderon, Allen Ginsberg, Loris Greaud, Roger Hiorns, Matthew Day Jackson, Germaine Kruip, Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely, Olivia Plender, Maaike Schoorel
10th September – 18th November
Exhibition hosted by RemapKM
Venue: Former Hotel “Galini” | 38, Leonidou Street | Metro: Metaxourgeio
Young Athenians
Curated by Neil Mulholland
Young Athenians, presents a group of artists that live and work in Edinburgh. The title forms an ironic reference to the infamous cliché of Edinburgh as the Athens of the North. This — unrealistic — relation of the two cities is used by the artists as a vehicle of commenting on the urban
environment they live in.
Artists: Tam A, Kim Coleman, Craig Coulthard, Keith Farquhar, Tommy Grace, Jenny Hogarth, Darius Jones, David MacLean, John Mullen, Ellen Munro, One O’Clock Gun, Lee O’Connor, Katie Orton, Kate Owens, Sophie Rogers, Robin Scott, Cathy Stafford
10th September – 18th November
Exhibition hosted by RemapKM
Venue: 43, Kerameikou Street | Metro: Metaxourgeio
DESTROY ATHENS FILM
Open Air Screenings
A selection of films and videos by artists participating in the 1st Athens Biennial Destroy Athens.
9th – 10th September
Screenings hosted by RemapKM
Venue: 8, Iassonos Street | Metro: Metaxourgeio
On the Edge Screenings
Films by Nina Menkes, Benedek Fliegauf, Pavel Medvedev, Velasco Broca, Eva Stephani, selected by the Athens International Film Festival and the Athens Biennial.
20th – 30th September
Screenings hosted by the Athens International Film Festival
Venue: Apollon Cinema, 20, Stadiou Street | Metro: Panepistimio
DESTROY ATHENS — LIVE
Live at Public Opening
Curated by Chloe Vaitsou
Artists: Antifamily, Infinite Livez vs DJ Tendraw, 7000 Dirhams
10th September
Venue: “Technopolis” of the City of Athens
Destructive Sound Events
Curated by Ilios
Artists: Costes, Antimatter/ Z. Karkowski, Scott Arford, V/VM, Dave Philips, Michael Gendre
13th – 14th October
Live hosted by RemapKM
Venue: “417″ Club, 53, Kerameikou Street | Metro: Metaxourgeio
Main Sponsor: Deutsche Bank
Under the Aegis of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of Athens
With the collaboration of “Technopolis” of the City of Athens
Creative Advisor: Deste Foundation Centre for Contemporary Art
Partners: ReMapKM | Athens International Film Festival
Major Sponsors: J&P Avax | KM
Sponsors: Athenaeum Intercontinental Hotel | Papasotiriou | Athanasios Bergeles | Boutari | Gregory’s | Coffeeright | Netsmart S.A. | Michalakis Travel
Media Sponsors: Lambrakis Press S.A | Athens Voice | MEGA Channel | MAD | Velvet Magazine | Attiko METRO S.A.| Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos | CLEAR CHANNEL Haidemenos | Athina 9.84FM | madradio 106.2 www.mad.tv | www.e-flux.com | www.go.culture.eu
With the support of: Mondriaan Foundation | Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State and Embassy of the United States, Athens | OCA | IFA | The J. F. Costopoulos Foundation | British Council | The Henry Moore Foundation | Pro Helvetia | N.I.A | Embassy of Mexico | IASPIS | Royal Netherlands Embassy of Athens | Cervantes Institute | Istituto Italiano di Cultura di Atene | Goethe Institut Athen | The Friends of the Athens Biennial
