Photograph: Katerina Paraskeva

All of Greece, One Culture

 

In the framework of the emergency measures taken in Attica, the performance PHRASIS of Tzeni Argyriou that would be presented at Olympieio on 20.09 is postponed.

 

EMST participates in the program All of Greece, One Culture of the Ministry of Culture & Sports

The National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens participates in the program of the Ministry of Culture and Sports All of Greece, One Culture with four events from August 29 to September 20, 2020 in four archeological sites of Attica:

  • August 29 Clothes at the Lyceum of Aristotle
  • September 4 LAURIUM at the Archaeological Museum of Lavrio
  • September 12 Deeper than Silence in the Roman Agora
  • September 20 Phrasis at the Olympieio

AUGUST 29
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF “LYKEION” (ARISTOTLE’S LYCEUM)

Clothes
A theatre/archaeology performance by Efthimis Theou, on clothing from 3000 B.C. until today

Time: 19.00
Duration: 75 mins

Admission with the archeological site’s ticket, at least half an hour before the beginning of the performance:
Full: € 4, Reduced: € 2

It is necessary to book and present an admission ticket at:
https://digitalculture.gov.gr/2020/07/ta-roucha-apo-to-ethniko-mousio-sigchronis-technis/#eventora

Starting from a group of prehistoric loom-weights, Clothes directed by Efthimis Theou is a theatre/archaeology performance on vesture and its diachronic meanings, presented for one day on August 29, at the archaeological site of “Lykeion” (Aristotle’s Lyceum).

Clothes are used as a means of personal expression, an eloquent element of identity, a field of social encounter and a constant witness to every biography. Christening, school, wedding clothes, the military uniform, the suit, sleep wear, the thread, the fabric, sewing, clothes on the body, all these are intertwined and compose a highly musical performance.

The performance is based on archaeological finds connected with textiles and clothing, and specifically those that came to light at the archeological site of “Koimisis”, excavated since 2014 by the Ionian University, the University of Crete and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades at the islet of Therasia, across Santorini. This is a Bronze Age settlement that partly collapsed during the great Minoan volcanic eruption.

As part of the creation process, the artists visited Therasia, and conducted interviews with the archaeologists and members of the local community, worked at the excavation, documented the local ways of clothing, and then used this rich material to create a performance – that also records life on this unique and captivating small insular world.

Creation team
Concept, direction, performance: Efthimis Theou
Dramaturgy: Elektra Angelopoulou, Efthimis Theou
Music: Kamien Case
Costume design: Pavlos Thanopoulos
Choreography: Nikoleta Xenariou
Production: Georgina Chriskioti
Assistant director: Elektra Angelopoulou
Co-ordination (EMST): Anna Mykoniati
Sound: Vangelis Nannos

With the participation of the archaeologist Iris Tzachili.

With the support of the Prehistoric Therasia Archaeological Project, conducted by the Ionian University, the University of Crete and the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades.

4 SEPTEMBER
ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF LAVRIO

LAURIUM
An on stage live documentary about the history of Lavrio narrated through music

Time 21:00

Free entrance. It is necessary to book and present an admission ticket:
https://digitalculture.gov.gr/2020/07/oli-i-ellada-enas-politismos/

Through a performance – poetic historical journey to the mines of Lavrio from antiquity to the present day and to the industrial activities of the area, a depiction of the substantial contradictions which shaped the city along with its social, political and cultural life is attempted. With music always being present. With the choir and philharmonic becoming an essential part of a rich tradition and heritage. In the courtyard of the Archaeological Museum of Lavrio we unravel the thread of the unique (hi)story of the city: we listen to extracts of personal testimonials, narrations of certain events and facts, and to rebetiko and other old songs – searching for the modern identity of Laurion nowadays and our personal connection with it.

Creation team
Concept and direction : Argyro Chioti
Dramaturgy, research : Argyro Chioti, Efthimis Theou
Video, visuals : Baubo Productions
Music collaborator and drums : Jan Van de Engel
Music collaborator, guitar and bouzouki : Giorgos Nikopoulos
With (singing, narration) Giorgos Nikopoulos and Georgina Chryskioti
Associate assistant : Katerina Kotsou
Coordination (EMST) : Anna Mykoniati

SATURDAY 12 SEPTEMBER
ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF THE ROMAN AGORA, ATHENS

DEEPER THAN SILENCE
A series of sound works on silence, pause and waiting

Artists: Manolis Manousakis, Michalis Moschoutis, Acte Vide (Yannis Kotsonis and Danae Stefanou), Nicoleta Chatzopoulou

Curated by: Daphne Vitali, Curator EMST

Time: 18.00-20.00

Admission with the archeological site’s ticket, at least half an hour before the beginning of the performance:

Full: € 8, Reduced: € 4

It is necessary to book and present an admission ticket:
https://digitalculture.gov.gr/2020/07/deeper-than-silence/

Last spring, when the whole planet was in lockdown, we experienced a standstill. This pause was accompanied by a silence, but at the same time by a wait. For many, it was undoubtedly a moment of reflection and thoughtfulness, at a time when the present seemed to have been suspended and all seemed to have frozen in time. Life went on outside without the human race and we, through our homes, listened to this deafening force of silence that for some of us was revealing. For others though, it was unbearable. How can we think of silence through sound? Does silence exist and how is it interpreted? What is left when we are absent? What sounds do we humans leave behind us, and what are the sounds of the natural environment? How can we listen to the pause? Can we be silent and listen to the silence? Assimilate instead of consume? Ponder instead of produce? Turn waiting time into a fruitful and precious time?

Sound is a vibration that is instantly absorbed by our body, and offers to the listener a subtle and subjective experience and memory. Sound artists have been invited to interpret silence and play live in their own unique way, urging audiences to rethink slowness instead of rush, stasis instead of movement, concentration instead of inconsistency, hearing instead of speech, silence instead of noise. Inside the archeological site, the ancient ruins that stood empty though imposing in the silence of the quarantine days, will once again welcome the public to listen to the silence and meditate on concepts such as pause and waiting. Visitors will be invited to be active listeners and to surrender to the frequency of sound and emotional arousal.

SUNDAY 20 SEPTEMBER
OLYMPIEIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE

PHRASIS
A performance by Tzeni Argyriou

Time: 18.00-19.00

Admission with the archeological site’s ticket, at least half an hour before the beginning of the performance:
Full: € 8, Reduced: € 4

It is necessary to book and present an admission ticket:
https://digitalculture.gov.gr/2020/07/phrasis-apo-to-ethniko-mousio-sigchronis-technis/

Living in a time where physical distance and digital alienation have become fundamental parts of our social life, this project seeks to keep alive the human necessity of physical presence, communication and interaction. Expectantly, the project might become the occasion that brings our bodies in a common space, and connects us through an ancient land and a natural surrounding throughout the past, the present and the future. The starting point of the focus, study and research during the creation of the performance Phrasis by Tzeni Argyriou is the triptych “speech – body – space” and the relationships and interpretations that occur by the interaction of these three elements. The performance draws its inspiration and materials from phrases, known or unknown, such as proverbs and ancient sayings, as well as from ancient and contemporary artworks, raising the question of how such condensed information embodied in timeless phrases may be attributed and interpreted today, physically, verbally and vocally.

What happens when knowledge is interpreted in such a way that it is able to feed the experience of body movement? How can movements be translated into images, words, notions and vice-versa?
Phrasis by Tzeni Argyriou is constituted from fragments-phrases that are interconnected, not by a linear continuity but rather as autonomous parts of a whole project. Two of these fragments will be presented on Sunday, September 20, 2020: Phrasis to go, a quartet inspired by sacred geometrical formations, architectural symmetries and repetitions of motives, and Phrasis to build, a solo inspired by sculptures and paintings that represent various different eras, with strong use of gestures, as well as classical, contemporary, abstract and religious figures.
These two fragments are part of a broader ongoing research conducted by the artist and new fragments will be presented within the frame of a new performance series at EMST, in dialogue with artworks from the museum’s collection.

CONTRIBUTORS
Concept – Choreography: Tzeni Argyriou
Performers: Nancy Stamatopoulou, Ermis Malkotsis, Nikos Dragonas, Chara Kotsali, Joseph Nama
Scientific collaborator – Curator: Daphne Vitali
Dramaturgical support: Armin Kerber
Costumes design Artistic collaborator: Olga Brouma
Space & set design: Vassilis Gerodimos
Original music: Maria Sideri
Choreographer’s Assistant: Olga Maroudi
Production coordination: Delta Pi
Production: Amorphy

 

SPONSORS

Phrasis was created with the financial support of the Greek Ministry of Culture & Sports

 

and NEON Organization for Culture and Development.
Supporting Creativity


The events are offered free of charge by the Ministry of Culture and Sports.The only price is the archeological site’s ticket, when there is one.
Reservation is mandatory.
It is noted that spectators should follow the instructions and recommendations of the Committee of Experts COVID-19 of the Ministry of Health for safe attendance at archeological sites and museums.
The rule of distance of at least 1.5 meters for open spaces and 2 meters for closed spaces applies.

For safety reasons and to avoid delays and overcrowding, it is recommended to arrive early, 1 hour before the beginning of the event.
The use of a non-medical mask is essential throughout the event.