Symbiotics, by the miss dialectic curatorial team, was chosen through an open call process by EMΣΤ | National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens, for the submission of proposals for a group exhibition. A contemporary narrative on coexistence, which focuses on the process of communication through female art practices, defines the conceptual core of the project, which comprises a group exhibition, framed by a broad programme of public events. The exhibition presents works by four contemporary Greek visual artists – Chrysanthi Koumianaki, Karolina Krasouli, Christina Mitrentse, and Maria Varela – as well as by the artist group Phantom Investigations (Giannis Delagrammatikas and Ino Varvariti). Compositions by Chryssa, Bia Davou, and Nausica Pastra, from the EMΣT collection, complete the exhibition, whose starting point, in fact, according to the curatorial team, is the series of drawings Serial Structures 2 – Odyssey by Bia Davou. The Symbiotic Discourses of the public programme include workshops and educational events (by Karolina Krasouli, Christina Mitrentse, and Maria Varela), performances (by Chrysanthi Koumianaki), and a performative lecture (by Phantom Investigations).
The use of the grid as a common structural component of the works in the exhibition functions in a unifying manner, defining a literal, or even an imaginary, space within which the concepts of equilibrium, seriality, repetition, succession and – potentially – liberation and expansion into the real and the public space, are dynamically imposed. The grid, in addition, is connected to weaving – an activity that has been traditionally linked to the place and role of women. Weaving is here elevated as a fine art practice, turning the process of handicraft into a tool of empowerment of the female in contemporary art and connecting it to different versions of the visual, textual, scientific, and technological language. This medium is common in the practice of the visual artists taking part in the exhibition, heightening the symbiotic and conceptual system of their coexistence. At the same time, they share features such as the reuse of motifs and symbols (also) from their earlier works, which are inherent in and converse with their subsequent proposals.
Emphasising the process of creation through fragmentary images and codes, using a broad range of art mediums, the works presented in the Symbiotics exhibition create space and rhythm, become poetic gestures and contemplations on contemporary reality and the history of art itself, and weave their own narrative on the female in art, “in a room of one’s own” (Virginia Woolf).
At the opening of the exhibition, three performances by Chrysanthi Koumianaki are presented from 20:00 in the exhibition space as well as in other common areas of the Museum.
Curated by miss dialectic
ARTISTS
Chryssa, Bia Davou, Chrysanthi Koumianaki, Karolina Krasouli, Christina Mitrentse, Nausica Pastra, Phantom Investigations (Giannis Delagrammatikas, Ino Varvariti), Maria Varela
MISS DIALECTIC CURATORIAL TEAM
Taking the reflection on the social impact and educational character of art as its starting point, the activities of miss dialectic aim to valorise the artistic process, empower the relation between research and artistic production, and bridge contemporary culture with education. Miss dialectic’s ultimate goal is to reconsider cultural heritage in current conditions, and to utilize it as a think tank for new knowledge, research and educational tools. Miss dialectic curatorial team was founded in Athens in 2019, and is currently run by Klea Charitou, Eleanna Papathanasiadi, and Kelly Tsipni-Kolaza.
PUBLIC PROGRAMME
PERFORMANCES-OPENING
Thursday 12 October at 20.00
In the framework of the exhibition, three performances by Chrysanthi Koumianaki are presented in the exhibition space (on the 4th floor) and in other common areas of the Museum. In these performative works, the artist looks at public sculpture and the monument as something ephemeral, ordinary, and ceremonial. The participating performers activate Chrysanthi Koumianaki’s work in the exhibition; they wear garments, move around the Museum, and interact with the visitors and the space itself. These performances have been presented at different times in the public space and different areas of Athens. In Enchanted Life, the actress Eva Vlassopoulou emulates a living sculpture that speaks the language of the streets. In The Stage is Empty, the actress Maria Tzani mimes activities that take place in public space and transfers them to the floors of the Museum, like a moving sculptural subject. In RSVP, the performer Marina Miliou-Theocharaki keeps a daily appointment with the Presidential Guard. At ΕΜΣΤ, that imaginary meeting takes place on Syngrou Avenue.
EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS
Educational workshop with Maria Varela, Grid and Binary Patterns
Sunday, 12.11.2023, 12:00–15:00, Mezzanine
The workshop is for adults of all ages
Workshop participants will produce their original compositions using the Rugs of Life project glossary (algorithmically deconstructed traditional weaving motifs). The grid will be studied as a geometric structure and organisation tool before we experiment with various tapestry knots to create binary patterns using yarn as our main primary material. Those patterns will act as linguistic units, and their arrangement will generate new narratives. By the end of the workshop, all participants will have produced unique woven textiles that continue the Rugs of Life project.
Educational workshop with Karolina Krasouli, Words, Colours, Things
Saturday, 18.11.2023, 12:00–15:00, Mezzanine
The workshop is for children aged 9–12
In this creative workshop, participants will focus on the notion of repetition across various art forms, including music, theatre, fine arts, literature, and mathematics. Examples of artworks from different periods will help us comprehend how repetition – concealed or overt – often lies at the core of the creative process. To approach this concept and appropriate it so as to produce our works, there will first be a brief presentation on artworks related to it. Then, the children will be given a sentence, a specific system, and instructions to follow in order to produce a work of their own. How can we use repetition, seriality, and systems to evoke emotions and desires and accomplish something magical? How can we always achieve a different outcome by starting from the very same springboard, using the same materials, and abiding by the same rules? The main objective of this workshop is for participants – through repetition in the form of a game – to stimulate their imagination while discovering the pleasure of connecting with materials, colours, and words.
Educational workshop with Christina Mitrentse, Book Destruction and Re-Birth
Sunday, 19.11.2023, 12:00–15:00, Mezzanine
The workshop is for adults
We live in an era of successive climate disasters – destruction of forests, floods, etc. Can books act as a means of environmental awareness, encouragement, and education? This workshop will focus on the relationships among the forest, books, people, and creation. Bring some (4–5) of your old illustrated books. In the workshop, we will eventually transform them into sculptural designs. Participants will examine how creation can stem from ‘destruction’ and learn more about book art’s practical techniques, such as Re-cycling, Cut-Out, Folding, and Pop Up.
Participation is free upon reservation on a first-come, first-served basis.
To book a spot send an email at learning@emst.gr using the subject line “SYMBIOTIC DISCOURSES” and mentioning your details (full name, age, contact number), and the workshop’s title.
Maximum number of participants: 15. Language: Greek
PERFORMATIVE LECTURE
Thursday, 16.11.2023, 18:30–19:30, 20:00–21:00, ΕΜΣΤ Art Archive, 4th floor exhibition space, Phantom Investigations (Giannis Delagrammatikas, Ino Varvariti), Each Relation Belongs to Other Relations
The event is for adults
Alongside their participation in the Symbiotics exhibition, Phantom Investigations (Giannis Delagrammatikas and Ino Varvariti) present a performative lecture focusing on the work and lives of the artists Chryssa, Bia Davou, and Nausica Pastra – based on the ΕΜΣΤ Art Archive. Each Relation Belongs to Other Relations (2023) aspires to create a new archival pattern resulting from new collations and connections between the archive’s materials and engage with the works of the exhibition. Such a temporary, dynamic archival sequence serves as an intervention for critical reflection and dialectic transformations.
Participation is free upon reservation on a first-come, first-served basis.
To book a spot send an email at learning@emst.gr using the subject line “SYMBIOTIC DISCOURSES” and mentioning your details (full name, age, contact number), and the event’s title.
The maximum number of participants is 20. Please, note that the performative lecture will be held in Greek.
TEXTS FOR ARTWORKS & BIOS
IMAGES & PRESS MATERIAL
