ART ATHINA strikes again, in its 31st edition, and with 71 galleries from Greece and abroad gathering under the roof of Zappeion Megaron, in the heart of Athens’ National Gardens (Ethnikos Kipos). After the official inauguration on Thursday, September 19, the annual art fair will run through Monday, September 23. And it yet again proves to be a great and thought-provoking outing for art lovers both young and old, with lots of parallel programmes: kids workshops, talks, videos, performances, a design section and an artist’s award (which last year went to Stefania Strouza, and this year goes to Panos Profitis), plus a Hermes pop-up stand. And for those who want to find out a bit more about the art on show, there is also the Art Volt app that can be downloaded.
Art Athina was first established in 1993, by the Hellenic Art Galleries Association. This year the fair focuses through art on ecological issues and our relationship with nature, but inclusion, sustainability, extroversion and innovation also characterize Art Athina of 2024, which is under the aegis of the President of Greece, Katerina Sakellaropoulou. And above all, Art Athina still remains the best place to get a look at the vista of contemporary Greek art in particular, with some interesting additions of galleries from abroad. The nearby open-air cinema Aigli will also be hosting some screenings for Art Athina, while the non-profit organization Life is for All will be offering art workshops for kids, focusing also on the inclusion of neurodivergent children.
Also of interest is the section with the independent art spaces, run by artists or non-profit organisations. Curator of this section is Loukia Thomopoulou who has called this section ‘Exodus’. The talks, organized by Olympia Tzortzi, are also of interest, especially for artists, seeing as they include a focus on the relationship between the artist and the gallery or the artist-run space. Many of them will be in English (with Greek translation). The Videos section has been curated by Panos Giannikopoulos and is titled “Expulsion from the Garden: Humus as a lens for being-in-the-world”. Video screenings will take place outside Zappeion Megaron, but also at Aigli cinema. The performance section is entitled “Happy me, Happy we”, and is curated by Nikolas Vamvouklis, with the support of Flux Laboratory Athens.
With many new sponsors and a plethora of events, Art Athina 2024 is dedicated to the memory of Julia Dimakopoulou, who recently passed away (director of the historic Nees Morfes gallery, and of the Institute of Contemporary Greek Art, the first President of the Hellenic Galleries Association who held the position for 18 years), and who was a major figure in the progress of Greek contemporary art, playing a pivotal role in the founding of Art Athina.
Points of interest
Be sure to stop by Crux Galerie, where Jan Fabre’s works incorporate writings in his own blood, but there’s also a work of his which boasts real gold mosaic pixels, inspired by Byzantine art but also the blood spilt by human warfare, especially during the mediaeval period. Spazio b5 from Italy is a newcomer this year, and presents a solo exhibition of works by Mons Jorgensen, where the owl of Athena meets the green man, or bearded man from the North. Also, the eerie paintings of London-based artist Sophie Milner at Arusha Gallery, which has travelled all the way from Edinburgh for its third participation in Art Athina. A newcomer from Paris, the galerie LJ, features the works of Allyson Mellberg, with their ‘disturbing strangeness’, created with paints that the artist manufactures herself from her garden. At Callirrhoe gallery’s stand, artists Ileana Arnaoutou and Ismene King have made use of industrial debri such as a Wind turbine blade that was destroyed by lightning, combining found materials with their own take on polyester resin casting. Some interesting ceramic works also to be seen, such as the ceramic mural by George Hadoulis at Skoufa Gallery, or the organic ceramic forms at Igni art space, by Despina Charitonidi. Nata Togliatti’s blue-and-white works on cardboard boxes explore concepts of migration, at Francoise Heitch gallery.
But there’s lots more to explore at Art Athina 2024, where every artist adds their own concepts, perspectives, aesthetics and views about the world we live in today.
- Open September 19-23, Zappeion Megaron, Athens, 12-9pm. Tickets at 10 euros, or 7 euros. Free for children, people with disabilities, members of AICA, members of the Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece.
‘Art Scene Athens’ is written/run by artist/journalist Stella Sevastopoulos. Dedicated to presenting what is happening on the Greek art scene (but not only), and also to giving Greek artists an international voice on the internet. For more on Stella Sevastopoulos’s art, click here If you would like to be featured in Art Scene Athens, please send email (stelsevas@yahoo.com).
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