ART CITIES: Athens Cheapart 2022-Desire for Art

For 25 years the Cheapart team has been inviting artists to freely develop the directions of their works, without getting involved in the issue of sales. Its purpose is the implementation of exhibitions with an experimental and research character, developing a constantly expanding artistic network and a platform for the exchange of ideas.

Photo: Cheapart Archive

CHEAPART was initiated in 1995 as one of the earliest artist-run spaces in Greece, later established as a Non-Profit Cultural Organization in 1999. The following 25 years mark a long course of research connected to experimental, creative practice, and the development of national and international networks of art communities and audiences. CHEAPART’s activity created a large impact on the latter half of the 90s in Greece, leading the organization to its second phase of innovation. With over a quarter of a century of sustained presence, CHEAPART has defined an entire era and continues to lead through its pioneer cultural program, empowering the next generations. The first CHEAPART in Athens opened in December 1995, 16 artists from varied backgrounds bring together small sized artwork to create a large, colorful puzzle, an Art Supermarket on demand. The pioneer exhibition model disrupted the existing art landscape. Artists are freed of commercial pressures of their work, expressing and sharing ideas with a wide audience. Artists will present new sections of works, curators and organizations will introduce their artistic potential to the public, but also inform about their future plans. In the auditorium of the building and beyond, a core of meetings of artists, curators, people of the spirit and the public is created in a series of actions, performances, presentations and screenings. At the same time, a special tribute is shown to 11 CHEAPART personalities from 1995 to the present day who participated in the organization’s exhibitions in recent years, presenting the course of their work from the CHEAPART project to its current development. The public will be welcomed with new entities of artworks by artists: Stefanos Alafouzos, Christos Alatsakis, Dorothy Amenta, Anmslynx, Sotirios Antoniadis, Sophia Argyrou / Maria Gyftopoulou, Anthia Mega Chavre, Papamali Christiana, Aggeliki Chrysou, Phaedra Crespi, Eleni Dimopoulou, Elizabeth Dionyssopoulou, Nikolas Dorizas, Makis Fioros, Georgios Fytas, Evie Kaplani, Nicholas Karathanasis, Eleni Kastrinogianni, Stella Kechagioglou, Dimitris Kiriakos, Nina Kotamanidou, Giannis Koutroulis, Ioulia Ladogianni, Elli Lampadaridou, Lars* Kollros / Mudesto F. / Carrot Root, Tasos Liakopoulos, Myrto Liostou, Ioulia Makri, Ntia Manesi, Erietta Markadonatou, Valentini Mavrodoglou, Helen Mesadou, Vasiliki Nikolaidi, Marcello Nyktas, Despoina Pantazi, Eleni Papadopoulou, Jenny Petropoulou, Leftheris Plakidas, Ioannis Polyzos, Alexandra Sarah, Tania Siopi, Vassiliki Sofra, Giuseppe Tiberini, Eleni Tsimidou, Eleni Tsoni, Monika Maria Vamvoura, Anastasia Voutsa, Konstans Zafeiri, Maria Zygomala. There are also Curatorial presentations and a special tribute to 10 CHEAPART personalities from 1995 until today, who have been part of the recent exhibitions, the artists present their current work and the course of their development since their early presentations at CHEAPART. The auditorium and various locations within the building host a creative hub for performances, discussions, presentations and screenings by artists, curators, culture and arts professionals, writers and the public, with Filippos Tsitsopoulos, George-Icaros Babassakis, Nikos Giavropoulos, Dimitris Athanitis, Lars* Kollros, Alexandros Atlidakis (Underathens), Stratos Sterianos, and more.

Curatorial presentations:

“Oneirogony” Text-Curated by Aias Christofis: The dispersing condition of the industrial metropolis completely transfigures the inner constitution of human existence. Psychological reactions do not arise organically, through the element of emotion, but rather technically, through intellection, whilst human relationships inevitably transform from sentimental to mechanical. However, despite the technological monotony of metropolitan life, fundamental human functions do not disappear, but instead, are rapidly metamorphosed, like a dream. The monochromatic works of James C. Lane, Georgia Pilali and Marina Stavrou visually interpret the various aspects of an oneiric state within a contemporary, urban environment, while the protean dream changes continuously, at times, into an expressionistic delirium of Kafkaesque tones, where repressed urges, remorses and traumas, are roughly poured into uncanny figures, or at other times, into various secret loci of a brutalist alienation, and finally, into a mythical daydream, where unconscious traces of memory resurface through the murky tides of a divided consciousness. “MEDEA SHOOTING” Curated by: Dimitris Athanitis: The photographic presentation of Karol Jarek and Toula Akrivou reaches beyond an expected shooting coverage, the two photographers “capture” invisible aspects of people and places or even reinvent situations, in the same way Dimitris Athanitis’s film “MEDEA” reinvents Euripides’ masterpiece. “Rituals” Curated by: Antigoni Kapsali: “Rituals”, 6 entities by 6 artists whose work is characterized by different artistic styles such as cut outs, visual ceramics, sketches, textile art and photorealistic painting. Despite their diversity, they connect through reflecting via conceptual thought. The artists approach the concept of ritual imaginatively, through the perspective of documentation, as a ritual of worship and a set of behaviors and images that constitute everyday life. Participating artists: Alexandra Dalaka, Demetra Exarchou, Sofia Kyriakou, Athanasia Papatzelou, Theodora Tsiatsiou, Vivi Tsiogka. Pow Wow Art Space: The artists of Pow Wow Art Space present a series of artworks that focus on social issues that have concerned Pow Wow since its formation in 2018. Participating Artists: Valbona Çanaku, Vasiliki Pantazi, Eleutheria Rapanaki, Mima Razelou, Eirini Roumpi, Mary Roussioti, Socratis Sandman Sapounas, Grigoria Vryttia.

Special tribute to 11 CHEAPART personalities from 1995 until today:

The video installation “Victory” by Nikos Giavropoulos is a commentary on the sufferings of war. The work is part of the trilogy of his solo exhibition “Peace in the years of war – a reversal of terms” curated Konstantinos Basios and showcased at CHEAPART Gallery in May 2022. “Peace is a period during which war is absent, but in reality, such a period has never existed in the history of mankind.” with this comment the artist questions whether culture can overpower savagery and the most aggressive instincts. Nikos Artemis presents his audiovisual installation entitled “V” as part of Opera di Bestia, a project by the artist that combines visual arts and electronic music. Andreas Vousouras creates an in-situ installation entitled “FALL”, preserving the English word untranslated as it refers to both autumn and fall (descend-decline). He uses materials and elements of the surrounding space together with selected objects from his workshop. The artwork is a personal commentary on the decline of Europe and the war, adding yet another dystopian dimension to the overall situation. Irini Diadou’s “landscapes from screens” started during the Covid19 quarantine, when there was ample time and tranquility. These are landscapes inspired or “borrowed” from photos on social media (Facebook, Instagram), from Nordic Noir series on streaming services or just from the TV. The majority of the works was created on unstretched canvases, which offer more freedom for experimentation and less limitations. Naturally the works embody the feeling of futility and melancholy triggered by the fear and insecurity of not knowing if and when solutions would be given to the global pandemic. The installation of Babis Karalis consists of two burnt sarcophagi and a smaller one, as a direct reference to the memory of his warrior grandfather. Key features of the installation are the verbal and acoustic elements and writing, means by which the warrior’s stories – and personal experiences of M. Karalis – are communicated to the public. Natassa Poulantza presents a selection of artwork from THEN and NOW. “All the dreams together”, a selection of artworks by Christos Kehagioglou developed in the last years, with reference to the poems of Sotiris Kakisis. Nikos Kryonidis presents a set of small and large works under the title “Zooting”. In regard to the animals, their color and shape, he creates non-joining painting and sculptural compositions, pencil drawings on paper and acrylic paints on canvas, wall-mounted small sculptures on white surfaces. George Lintzeris creates an installation consisting of 4 sculptures – metal houses framed by 40 engravings with the same theme. The house-residence-home, is the main concept of his work through which he comments on shelter and protection, and social isolation and confinement caused by the pandemic. “Circe’s Garden” by Fiona Mouzakitis is a series of 14 digital artworks and their animated versions. Circe’s garden, beautiful and magical, like the world surrounding us. The artworks are symbolical and allude to the beauty and mystery of nature. The unexpected can happen anytime and we are far from knowing all of nature’s powers and mysteries. It is a reminder of our duty to preserve our environment, otherwise it will transform into another world, as a punishment for ignoring all warning signs, like Circes magic. The artworks also allude to the struggle between the female and male existence. Elio Samaras’ installation consists of various constructions that combine two contradictory materials, iron and charcoal. In this way he specifies the coexistence of unrelated elements and substances. Fragile – resistant, organic – industrial, light – heavy. Most of the contrasts of each material are expressed during the sketch development, the stage in which roles are reversed – iron takes on an organic form while charcoal takes on more geometric forms.

Photo: Ioulia Ladogianni

Info: Curators: Georg Georgakopoulos and Fotini Kapiris, Cheapart 2022, 2 Rethymnou & Vasileos Irakleiou str., Athens, Greece, Duration: 11-23/12/2022, Days & Hours: Daily 14:00-21:00, www.cheapart.gr/