BIDA 2005 is the third chapter in the new phase of the International Biennial of Sports in Art, which celebrates its 16th edition in 2005. The entity in charge of organising BIDA 2005 is the Sports Council attached to the Ministry of Culture of Spain. For the first time, the Biennial is presented outside of Spain.
Art vs. Sport: A Tie
Marta Moriarty first proposed the participation of Greek artists in BIDA 2005 in October 2004 in Seville. Her proposal was for two Greek and one Cypriot artists to take part in this Biennale that has been held in different cities in Spain since 1967. The response of the Deputy Ministry of Sport was immediate and effective. Discussions with Marta Moriarty and a meeting between the representatives of the Greek Deputy Ministry of Sport and Spain’s Supreme Council on Sport in Madrid were carried out in a spirit of enthusiasm and frankness on both sides. The result was that Greece was to take part as the country being honoured and ten Greek and one Cypriot artists were to exhibit their works. Indeed, BIDA travelled outside the borders of Spain for the first time and was presented in Greece within a broader context of events organised by the Deputy Ministry, entitled “Sport in Contemporary Art”, as a tribute to the International Year of Sport 2005, one year after the Athens Olympic Games.
The Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art responded with enthusiasm to the challenge of hosting part of the exhibition and incorporating it in its programme. Following a proposal by the Deputy Ministry of Sport, a sports venue, the "Kaftantzoglio" Stadium, was also chosen as an exhibition venue. This was a particular challenge for the artists, the curators and the architect of the exhibition, Ioannis Epaminondas, both in terms of managing the site, and in terms of the potential for presentation that arises when an exhibition exceeds the narrow, traditional boundaries of a Museum. A more suitable space could not have been found for a Biennale whose aim was to link sport with contemporary art. The presentation of the works at the Stadium reinforced the dialogue carried out between the works and the site; at the same time, it also attracted segments of the public interested in sport rather than contemporary art. Proof of this is the large number of schools from the area that visited the exhibition, at the initiative of physical education teachers, and attended guided tours, conducted by museology graduates of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Projects by Konstantinos Rigos and Sia Kyriakakos were carried out within the framework of the “Sport in Contemporary Art” events. The works of the artists were original, made especially for these events. The photographs of Konstantinos Rigos were presented at the Kaftantzoglio Stadium, at the Deputy Ministry of Sport’s pavilion during the International Thessaloniki Trade Fair and during the 17th European Conference on Sport held in Athens. The photographs were taken at the Olympic venues of Athens (OAKA) by Tasos Vrettos. The work of Sia Kyriakakos was held at sports venues in Thessaloniki. Children and members of local sports clubs took part in this photo shoot, which was carried out by Ingo Duennebier. Sia Kyriakakos’s photographs were also presented at the Deputy Ministry of Sport’s pavilion during the International Thessaloniki Trade Fair. The presentation of BIDA 2005 in Thessaloniki and the parallel projects were originally documented in a free publication distributed to the audience. The graphic designer Stefania Chatzichristou who created it managed in a wonderful way to render the dynamism of the exhibition by creating a leaflet that not only promoted the events, but could also stand as an independent project. The publication contained interviews with artists conducted by the co-curator of the exhibition, Sania Papa, with photographs from the preparation of the works and the parallel projects. Towards the promotion of the exhibition many media were used (banners, posters, pennants, ads on public transport buses, leaflets, etc.). It was a very well designed campaign, well targeted and penetrating, that achieved a significant increase in the number of visitors. The year following the first meeting with Marta Moriarty in Seville until the presentation of the exhibition in Thessaloniki in September 2005 passed with many surprises, unexpected events, challenges and emotional moments and, naturally, with intensive work and enthusiasm by all those who worked to realise the events in Greece. I would particularly like to mention Iro Orfanou and her associates from the Deputy Ministry who, taking care of even the slightest details, ensured exceptional conditions for all the artists to work in. Collaboration with Marta Moriarty and Tono Aréan and all the staff at the Spanish Supreme Council on Sport was both exceptional and warm. I would particularly like to note the absolute professionalism and dependability of the Greek artists and, naturally, the exceptionally high level of works that were presented. Looking forward to the next stage, the presentation of BIDA at the amazing site that will host the exhibition in Seville, and looking back, I think that if the concepts of ‘game’, ‘dream’, ‘ambition’, ‘perseverance’, ‘team spirit and noble competition’, ‘constant expenditure of effort’ and ‘exceeding one’s limits’, are inherent in sports, then all those who contributed to the realisation of the exhibition are true athletes in the field of culture. The score in the match between Art and Sport is a tie and the game goes on. Christos Savvidis Coordinator and Co-Curator of the Greek Participation of BIDA 2005 Director of ArtBOX.gr | Arts Management Introduction to the Greek catalogue Exhibition in Thessaloniki: Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art & "Kaftatzoglio" StadiumExhibition in Seville: Las Atarazanas |
Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art                                            The two exhibition catalogues
"The Soma The Psyche The Spirit The Self" is a video installation by Danae Stratou produced for BIDA.
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Parallel Projects in GreeceSia Kyriakakos / Ingo DuennebierKonstantinos Rigos / Tasos Vrettos |
PARALEL PROGRAM in GREECE |
