Monday, March 11, 2019

Corona muralis



Corona muralis (Walled crown),  2019
Zinc, iron, cement, ceramics, acrylic, oil, wood
36 x 27 x 43 cm 

Reading Matter

Reading Matter 


 Hydrogeny by Evelina Domnitch & Dmitry Gelfand

Atoms and particles, rare earth minerals and hybrid composites, precious metals and microwaves, matter is commonly perceived as a passive commodity ought to be mobilised to become material. But when approached through a lens of human productivity, only certain facets of matter get recognised as valuable part of the market. In this event, Evelina Domnitch will address strategies for expanding the human perception of the material forces and agency of matter, from chemical and quantum to micro-gravitational. Through performative environments and phenomenological experiments that exceed the scope of applied science and challenge the disciplinary boundaries, Domnitch invites to rethink the nature of human relationship with matter.

Using material and the concept of conductivity as a lens, Füsun Türetken will explore a range of instances where conflict and capital can be read through matter, more precisely metal. Acknowledging ‘metal as conductor of all matter’, her work proposes a theory of the complicity of metals as quasi-agents that influence and register events, and addresses metal’s role in shaping the world of finance, belief systems, geopolitical relations, (digital) bodies, even the stratosphere and the ‘climate-engineered’ weapons. Türetken will screen her latest film ‘Alchemic Desire’, which examines the parallels between the practice of trading metals at the world’s biggest physical metals exchange, the London Metal Exchange (LME), deleuzo-guattarian models of psycho-social dynamics, and the practice of alchemy.

The evening is moderated by design critic and curator Alice Twemlow.
The event is part of ‘Matter’ series, exploring the relationship between design and matter. It imagines different forms of engagements with materiality, and inquires what it means to design with social and ecological sensitivity in the age of escalating environmental crisis. The event is organised in conjunction with the Neuhaus programme for more-than-human knowledge, opening at Het Nieuwe Instituut in May 2019.

Thursday, March 7, 2019

Pomp, Circumstance, and the Performance of Politics: Acting 'Politically Correct' in the Ancient World



Pomp, Circumstance, and the Performance of Politics:  Acting 'Politically Correct' in the Ancient World

When we imagine ancient political life, we think of powerful rulers and awe-inspiring monuments, not grassroots movements. But if the cacophony of our modern political discourse can teach us anything, it's that negotiating power and legitimacy is an ongoing conversation, not a monologue. This conference investigates moments and spaces in the premodern world where audiences had the opportunity to weigh in on the messages their leaders were sending. How did ordinary people experience and contribute to their political realities, and what strategies did rulers use to gain support?
Bringing together scholars working in a wide variety of disciplines and time periods, from prehispanic Mesoamerica and early historic India to the Assyrian Empire and papal Rome, this conference takes a bottom-up approach to evaluating the risks and rewards of acting 'politically correct'—or incorrect!—in the ancient world.
March 7–8, 2019

The Oriental Institute, University of Chicago

Organized by Kathryn R. Morgan,
Postdoctoral Fellow


Wednesday, March 6, 2019

"Λυπημένες μέρες πια ποτέ δεν θ' ανατείλουν..."


"Λυπημένες μέρες πια ποτέ δεν θ' ανατείλουν..." 




 

Saturday, March 2, 2019

Voyage around my Room


Voyage around my Room

The particular exhibition embarks from Virginia Woolf’s legendary essay “A Room of One’s Own”, written in 1926, and its relevance to newly introduced sociological and political concepts like digital feminism and the #metoo movement. The room (ma chambre), personal space as described in Xavier de Maistre's classic book "Voyage Autour de Ma Chambre" (1794), where the title derives from, as well as concepts such as privacy, autonomy and self-expression are key points of reference to the exhibition works created by international contemporary artists and writers. The exhibition attempts to initiate a new discourse on the notion of room and personal space in continuation to the discussion that originated in classic essays and works of literature.

How to guarantee conditions of contemplation to the older feline population, 2006, wood, 310 x 165 x 52 cm

Participating artists: Sophia Al Maria, Theodoros Chiotis, Dora Economou, Philomena Epps, Jeanne Graff, Juliana Huxtable, Dimitris Ioannou, Sharon Kivland, Sylvere Lotringer, Jonas Mekas, Maro Michalakakos, Eva Stefani, Amalia Ulman, Kostis Velonis 

Exhibition curator: Kika Kyriakakou

Duration: March 18 – April 21, 2019
Location: Athens Municipality Art Center


Athens World Book Capital 2018 City of Athens, of which major donor is Stavros Niarchos Foundation, organizes the group exhibition “Voyage around my Room” in partnership with the City of Athens Cultural, Sport & Youth Organization (OPANDA).