The 3W Biennial

The group show The 3W Biennial forms the eighth action of the 2nd edition of Public Art Festival and presents the artworks of ten Greek and international artists who have developed a presence in public space.

The collective Critical Art Ensemble (1987, Tallahassee), the artists: Alexandros Psychoulis (1966, Volos), Theopsy (1968, Boston), Ada Petranaki (1977, Athens), Vasilis Markosian (1980, Athens), Phil America (1983, Sacramento), D! (1984, Athens), Dorian Lynde (1989, Toronto), Thisisopium (1990, Athens) and the artistic duo Blaqk (2011, Athens) are participating with unseen works, selecting video, drawing, photography, performance, text and moving image as their medium, approaching Survival indirectly, directly, literally and metaphorically.

As the title implies, the exhibition The 3W Biennial takes place on the world wide web and hosts artworks that have taken their final form under that principle. An exhibition that will present artworks for the web (internet art) and will take place during each edition of Public Art Festival will have a substantive role, as the world wide web forms an incorporeal space, which entails a fortune of information and is open to everyone. Additionaly, its daily use by a large percentage of citizens has been established and continues to have an upward tendency, covering an expanding age spectrum. Consequently, it could only be part of the public space and we could only perceive the act of artists who produce works for the world wide web as a public act.

Curatorial Statement

As “public”, may be perceived any place –tangible or intangible, outdoor or indoor, private or public, underground or overground, central or peripheral, mobile or immobile, terrestrial or aerial– which any one can have –visual, acoustic, physical or other– contact with, sans terms.

The thematic of Public Art Festival derives from the current social and economic treaty of the Greek area, which –despite the fact that it lies several decades back– was widely understood during the year 2010, when the Hellenic Democracy used the mechanism of: the International Monetary Fund, the European Commission and the European Central Bank, to postpone the possibility of bankruptcy.

In April 2010, Nikos Koundouros told me: “For tomorrow, we do not know. Some are frightened, some are hopping and some are pretending that nothing is happening”.

Survival has multiple uses and different readings.

It refers to the citizens of Greece, to Greece as an area, to Athens as the centre of Greece, and to the art the public space hosts, as its organic content.

World Wide Web • Οpening: Friday 7 July 2017, 20.00 • Duration: Undefined • www.publicartfestival.gr

An endless loop; a –most likely– lonely case, slightly dystopic. The zeibekiko of an allegorical construction with agricultural references within an urban background. It expresses the sorrow, which is externalized in an odd fashion. The problematic of the artwork –which functions as a parody– is coming from the role of the peer today, being in the middle of an intensifying problem, which amongst other, brings about a widespread decadency, which would create a feeling of aversion to anyone. The agricultural element, which does not become evident right away, refers to the relationship between metropolis and province. It makes visible the contrast between the period 1950-1980 –when there was an intense urbanization phenomenon– and today’s period, where the potential decentralization has already started and besides the survival of the urban groups, aims to improve their quality of life.

 

Τheopsy, The Butterfly-elephant, 2017. Video, Duration: 2’ 14’’

For this piece Ι was inspired by Kimon Friar’s introduction of Kazantzakis “Odyssey – A Sequel”. The concept of survival bears to me the idea of a passage, which I associate in contemporary Greece with the route of the migrants crossing the Mediterranean sea. The multiple layerings of contrasted human experiences in a same geological context (tourists, migrants, locals) is overruled by the intensity of the experience of survival. This experience is the main character of this movie and is represented by the spirit of a free paper elephant.

Theopsy

 

Ada Petranaki, In the Old Mine, 2016. Digital photo

A race to go forward; to accomplish your path amongst dry forest with unobtrusive traps whilst keeping balance, as it happens in our everyday life, which tears us apart. The image of the landscape is initially enigmatic. As you go forward it tempts you, forming a challenge to continue on the same path, despite the fear of the unknown. As a metaphor, it resembles an attempt of survival on an unmapped and uncertain route. An attempt to surpass the risks and to win the life. To win the “view”. In reality, when you come to view the hopeful wet element of the lake, you’ve reached the edge of the cliff. Allegorically, the uncertain step of survival is decisive. The real fighters try this dilemma. Contemporary examples, alike the Greek immigrants, or the refugees who arrive to Greece, or Greece itself in crisis, are portraying the effort at the limits of survival, as if they were standing in a tumbling trench, which demands unwavering attention and claims all your efforts in order to manage to stay upright; to be saved.

Ada Petranaki

 

Vasilis Markosian, Α Journey into Νowhere., 2017. Moving image, Duration: Loop

In this digital artwork, I present “the man of the city”, who –even though he thinks he has harnessed the wild nature– is still on a burdensome route in order to survive, since monsters of numbers are now chasing him every day. In his attempt to dominate over these enemies as well, his daily rhythm gets out of control. He calms down only when he stays still and does he understand that all of this, is a journey into nowhere.

Vasilis Markosian

 

Phil America, Multiple Occupancy, 2017. Video, Διάρκεια: 2’ 14’’

Multiple Occupancy is a video piece, depicting myself holding a hand-made, hand-painted flag emblazoned with the Greek for “Survive”. It is filmed in the women’s bathroom of the Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh, North Carolina. This state has become infamous for The Public Facilities Privacy & Security Act commonly known as the House Bill 2 which forbids individuals from entering the bathroom that does not match their sex at birth. This bill has created an unsafe space for tens of thousands of trans people across North Carolina. While it may seem like a mundane location for some, it is a highly politicized and charged area. Every day, trans people struggle just to survive, and this space is a key site where their gender is mediated by external forces. Trans people experience an extremely high level of violence in the United States. The Contemporary Art Museum of Raleigh was one of the first places in North Carolina to create “gender neutral” bathrooms, in open defiance of the law. My goal is to draw attention to this and to the many people who have to work simply to survive and exist in this extremely conservative state.

Phil America

 

D!, Ηere is how we come to the condition that “the politicians” want us to call “crisis”. My fofeword on the Gradual Degradation Scheme of Greece., 2017. Text in the form of a survey

This piece is not translated because it is intended for citizens who can at least read Greek.

Τελευταία μου φαίνονται κάπως ρηχά τα εικαστικά έργα που δεν έχουν κάποιο νοηματικό σκέλος, ειδικά με όσα συμβαίνουν γύρω μας. Γενικότερα, όχι μόνο στην Ελλαδίτσα. Δεν τα σνομπάρω, ούτε είναι και πολλά, ποιο είναι όμως το νόημα ενός έργου τέχνης εάν η προσέγγισή του είναι απλά αισθητική; Ακόμη και μια αφίσα από το Ikea θα μπορούσε να είναι εξίσου καλαίσθητη ή κακόγουστη όπως ένα έργο της σύγχρονης τέχνης. Τι το διαφορετικό από ένα αντικείμενο διακόσμησης, πέρα από την οικονομική αξία του και το γεγονός ότι είναι χειροποίητο; Έτσι αποφάσισα αυτό το ψηφιακό μου έργο να είναι αποκλειστικά εννοιολογικό, επιλέγοντας το κείμενο ως μέσο μου. Πάντα συμπαθούσα το κείμενο γιατί είναι αρκετά δύσκολο να διαστρεβλωθεί ο γραπτός λόγος, σε αντίθεση με τον προφορικό.

Το κείμενό μου αφορά το κοινωνικό και οικονομικό μείζων πρόβλημα που αντιμετωπίζει τόσο η χώρα μας όσο και οι πολίτες της (δύο διαφορετικά πράγματα που παραδόξως, συχνά συγχέονται ως ένα κοινό πρόβλημα). Αναφερόμενος σε πολίτες της χώρας, προφανώς θέλω να συμπεριλάβω κάθε πολίτη, όχι μόνο όσους έχουν την ελληνική εθνικότητα, στους οποίους περιορίζονται τα Μ.Μ.Ε. χρησιμοποιώντας τους όρους “οι Έλληνες”, “ο μέσος Έλληνας” κ.λ.π.). Αυτό το σύνθετο πρόβλημα, κατά τη γνώμη μου αποδεικνύει ότι έχουμε μία εικονική δημοκρατία, κάτι που μας οδηγεί στο λογικό ερώτημα «εάν ισχύει αυτό, τότε πως μπορούμε να αποκαλέσουμε το πολίτευμα που πραγματικά έχουμε;». Νομίζω δεν έχει ιδιαίτερη σημασία αν θα το πούμε Γιάννη ή Γιαννάκη, αλλά η ουσία. Όπως και να το πούμε δηλαδή δεν αλλάζει. Δυστυχώς αυτό που έχουμε δεν είναι δημοκρατία.

Το κείμενό μου έχει τη μορφή δημοσκόπησης. Οδηγήθηκα σε αυτήν την επιλογή για αρκετούς λόγους, νομίζω όμως πώς οι δύο κυριότεροι είναι ότι έτσι θα μπορέσω να δω τόσο εγώ, όσο και ο υπόλοιπος κόσμος, τι περίπου συμβαίνει με «τον κόσμο», και φυσικά έτσι ο καθένας έρχεται αντιμέτωπος με κάποια γεγονότα και ελάχιστες απόψεις, τα οποία οδηγείται να ζυγίσει, να πάρει μία απόφαση και στη συνέχεια να καταλάβει και ο ίδιος κάτι που ίσως να μη γνωρίζει ακόμη: Τι άνθρωπος είναι. Εάν έχει κάποια χρησιμότητα για το κοινωνικό σύνολο ή απλά αποτελεί ένα ισόβιο βάρος, αναμφίβολα επαχθέστερο και επικυνδυνότερο και από αυτό των κατσαρίδων.

Έχω κουραστεί να ακούω βλακείες για πολύ σοβαρά θέματα, τόσο από αδαείς όσο και από καλλιεργημένος ανθρώπους. Σε ένα βαθμό έχω πάθει ανοσία και δεν μου κάνει εντύπωση ότι και να ακούσω. Για παράδειγμα: «για να δούμε τώρα, (με τον τάδε πολιτικό) τι θα γίνει;». Τι λες να γίνει; Δες λίγο τα γεγονότα. Τα “facts” όχι τις ειδήσεις, έτσι κι αλλιώς δεν σου κάνει καλό η τηλεόραση. Είναι δύσκολο να παραμένει κανείς στο επίπεδό του όταν περιτριγυρίζεται από όντα τα οποία δεν αποκαλώ ζώα, σεβόμενος τα διάφορα πραγματικά είδη ζώων. Όσο πλούσιος και αν είναι ο μικρόκοσμος του καθενός μας, υπάρχει αλληλεπίδραση σε ένα βαθμό. Αν βρεθείς με ιθαγενείς, αναγκάζεσαι να κάνεις κάποια πράγματα που υπό φυσιολογικές συνθήκες δεν θα έκανες, για να μπορέσεις να τους αντιμετωπίσεις.

Η πολιτική είναι κάτι που με εξοργίζει γιατί είναι σαν το νερό –δυστυχώς τη χρειαζόμαστε για να επιβιώσουμε– αλλά είναι πάντα στο χέρι κάποιου άλλου, σε αντίθεση με το νερό. Και σαν να μην έφτανε αυτό, την επιδοτούμε αυτεπάγγελτα από πριν καν γεννηθούμε και υποχρεωνόμαστε να την ακολουθούμε σε καθημερινή βάση από το Σύνταγμα της Ελλάδας. Άρα φτάνουμε να πληρώνουμε αδρά διάφορους τύπους που δεν ενδιαφέρονται ούτε για τον τόπο μας, ούτε και για τους πολίτες που διαμένουν σε αυτόν, για να επωφελούνται οι ίδιοι και οι κύκλοι τους. Δεν υπάρχει καμία λογική και κανένα πραγματικά δημοκρατικό στοιχείο σε αυτό που συμβαίνει για τουλάχιστον εικοσιπέντε χρόνια, για όσο δηλαδή μπορώ να θυμηθώ και να κρίνω.

D!

 

Dorian Lynde, No Damsel: Time and Place, 2017. Video, Duration: 4’ 33’’

I created a new piece for this exhibition, entitled “No Damsel: Time and Place”, a video work in which I took footage of myself painting in the Macarthur Park area of Los Angeles (a notoriously dangerous area known for its gang violence) and projected it into a parking lot at night. Through the streaming of my work at a time later than its production, I intend to represent the three temporal spaces of past, present and future. The ghost of myself painting, projected onto the wall and its later streaming on the internet, engages a type of liminal space that is between any states of being. The ephemeral nature of the moment of myself painting and the permanent nature of the video converge into something that “survives” and lasts online, perhaps into perpetuity.

Dorian Lynde

 

Thisisopium, Adexame, 2016. Digital Photo

A local bar, used the letter balloons of the image as decoration for a party, celebrating its third year of operation. Some days later, I found the balloons in the recycling bin and decided to repurpose them by placing them back in public space, yet, by creating a new word, with a much different meaning. Thinking of “survival” and the economic, social and political situation in Athens during the past years, I decided to declare that “we survived”, at least for the time being. The title of the piece refers to the survival of the object itself as well. The practice of object expropriation in order to save money, time and materials, is evident in the activity of marginalized people all over the world and typical in the Athenian urban landscape.

Thisisopium

 

Blaqk, Untitled, 2017. Digital Drawing,

In the midst of the current sociopolitical situation in Greece, where everything seems to go down, the average citizen is oppressed more and more financially and psychologically, in a moment that the coverage even of some basic needs, is not possible on various occasions. This drawing depicts two lines that entangle with each other, symbolizing the support and solidarity that we must provide to each other during the situation we are experiencing.

Blaqk