ArtBOX
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ArtBOX is an experimental agency that conceives, develops, implements and curates contemporary and public art projects, non-formal educational programmes, and digital technology ventures in culture.

​Our mission is the exploration of art as an agent of social change based on long-term strategic planning in dialogue with cutting-edge creative industries and communities. We introduce solutions and alternative strategies for the production of culture with the contribution of the artist as catalyst and the citizen as co-producer.
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​We are a laboratory and instigator of applied creativity that responds to society’s needs and problems.
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Methodology

​In a series of projects since the early 2010s, ArtBOX has been coherently and systematically developing a methodology of socially engaged art that introduces a new conception of creativity and invents new activities and practices, engaging artists, creative citizens, and institutions with new forms of "social practice".

ArtBOX's approach combines the methodologies of art for social change, post-industrial design and commoning, to propose an alternative model for social and spatial practices, production and distribution of creative services and content, that lead to desirable and sustainable changes in the behaviour of individuals and communities.  

Depending on each project, ArtBOX builds trans-disciplinary teams of experts and institutions that can engage with creative citizens to establish temporary or long-lasting communities that work towards a collectively defined common goal. Each stakeholder that participates in ArtBOX's projects is involved according to their unique competences enabling equal relationships to form based on non-formal education, collaborative learning, and learning by doing.
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A Case-study

​An example of this methodology, project LABattoir (2015-2019) focused on an individualised enhancement of capabilities and offered education on novel, informal professional skills, leading towards the establishment of self-organised groups (LABs), which carried on designing and implementing long-term projects, within and beyond LABattoir. LABattoir offered those groups the possibility to co-design, use and train on special tools — a mobile studio, mobile stage and evaluation toolkit which were developed through participation in the workshops offered. It also created possibilities for practical training within a controlled, safe environment or in partnership with existing structures and cultural activities aiming to test the proposed model and its resilience. LABattoir’s ultimate goal was to include creative individuals into the city’s network of production through new approaches to practices and innovative work models.
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Tools

​The tools (mobile stage, mobile studio, evaluation toolkit) designed and developed with the participation of  participants  and institutions function as platforms that activate collaborative learning. They are used as platforms for communication, experimentation and reflection in public space, physical or digital.
​The ArtBOX Tools are conceptual tools that activate peer learning, critical reflection and artistic thinking in search of new formats rather than to specific equipment and infrastructure. more
  • Team
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Christos Savvidis
[founding director]
Currently Artistic Director of Tale of X Cities, an innovative programme for community making and local development through art and creativity, and executive director of the FREIRAUM Platform.
Christos Savvidis has been Artistic Director of large-scale events such as: Art Athina - Athens international art fair (2006-2008); Action Field Kodra visual arts festival (2004-2008); XV Biennale de la Mediterannee in Thessaloniki (artistic direction and organization, 2011). Between 2010 and 2012, he was Co-Director of Arts Management of the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art (Thessaloniki, Athens), and Artistic Director of the Museum's Project Space. Between 2014 and 2019, he was Artistic Director of ARTECITYA by Goethe-Institut Thessaloniki and Co-organizer of the  ARTECITYA by Helexpo. Between 2017-2019 he was Artistic Director of the project LABattoir, funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
In 2020-2021 he was Artistic Director of Common Lab, a programme based on a concept by ArtBOX, realised in partnership with Goethe-Institut Thessaloniki and in collaboration with Helexpo, in the context of Goethe-Institut’s Excellency Initiatives 2020. 
He has organized and coordinated projects, such as: Forum European Cultural Exchanges (founding member and coordinator, 2000-2009); Greek Pavilion in the Venice Biennale (coordination, 2001 and 2006); exhibition "Roaming Images" in the framework of the 3rd Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art (project leader, 2011). In 2017, he co-organized and coordinated the documenta 14 project Symphony of Resonances by O+A (Bruce Oldman and Sam Auinger). 
​He has also curated projects and exhibitions, such as: "Moscow Poetry Club / Making Words", within the framework of the international art exhibition of the 53rd Venice Biennale "Making Worlds" (co-curator and co-organizer, 2009); Greek participations in BIDA - International Biennial of Sports in Contemporary Art, Spain (curator and coordinator, 2005 and 2007); and "Europe Exists", curated by Harald Szeemann and Rosa Martinez (assistant curator, 2003). 
Christos Savvidis is a member of IKT (International Association of Curators of Contemporary Art) and AICA (International Art Critics Association).
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Lydia Chatziiakovou
[co-director]
Lydia Chatziiakovou is a curator. Since 2004, she co-directs ArtBOX. In this context, she conceives, curates and coordinates projects that emphasise on art for social change and the relationship between art and technology, bringing together communities, artists and institutions from Greece and abroad. Recent examples include “The New New” - Art Science Technology Festival by TIF - Helexpo, which she artistically directed (2014-2018), and “Artecitya. Envisioning the City of Tomorrow” by Goethe-Institut Thessaloniki, which she curated and coordinated (2014-2018). Between 2017-2020, she was curator and project administrator of Project LABattoir, an initiative of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, based on a concept by ArtBOX, implemented through a founding grant from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). In 2020-21, she curated Common Lab, a programme implemented by Goethe-Institut Thessaloniki and ArtBOX, in collaboration with Helexpo, in the context of Goethe-Institut’s Excellency Initiatives 2020. Since 2020, she is a member of the curatorial committee of Freiraum Platform. In 2020 and 2021, she co-curated and co-hosted Freiraum Platform's Hybrid Festival, a 3-days' event that included online talks and exhibitions and 20 physical events across Europe. Currently she curates Tale of X Cities, an innovative programme for community making and local development through art and creativity.
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Dr. Sotirios Bahtsetzis
[research director]
Sotirios Bahtsetzis is a curator, essayist, and educator. He is Associate Professor in Contemporary Art Theory and Curating Practices, Department of Culture, Creative Media and Industries, University of Thessaly (GR). He is also a Visiting Professor at the European Culture Program, Hellenic Open University, Patras (GR), and the International Postgraduate Program Museology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki (GR). He is a Fulbright Research Scholar (2009) at Columbia University, New York. He has curated exhibitions, such as Homemade Exotica (2019), Roaming Images, 3 Thessaloniki Biennale (2011), Open Plan - 13 Art Athina (2007), Women Only (2008). Bahtsetzis has chapters in various scholarly books including Semiotics and Visual Communication III: Cultures of Branding (2019), Meta- and Inter-Images in Contemporary Visual Art and Culture (2013), and Inaesthetics (2012) as well as articles in journals such as E-flux and Afterimage. Bahtsetzis research interests include installation art, theory of curating, socially engaged art, image theory, post-industrial design, media phenomenology, and posthumanities. 
​Artists
Christian Boltanski, Tania Bruguera, Luchezar Boyadjiev, Candice Breitz, Maurizio Cattelan, Eric Ellingsen, Liam Gillick, Guerrilla Girls, Mona Hatoum, Damien Hirst, Jeanne van Heeswijk, Pablo Helguera, IRWIN, Joseph Kosuth, Ivan Mudov, Nikos Navridis, Christodoulos Panayiotou, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Pedro Reyes, Wael Shawky, Mark Titchner, Vadim Zacharov, and many others. 

Curators
Harald Szeemann, Rosa Martinez, Viktor Misiano, Iara Boubnova, Roger Buergel, Ruth Noack, Hans Belting, Daniel Birnbaum, Henry Meyric Hughes, Marta Kuzma, Nato Thompson, Mark Beasley and many others. 
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Museums, Collections, Contemporary Art Centres
>Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art (Thessaloniki, Greece)
>State Museum of Contemporary Art, Kostakis Collection (Thessaloniki, Greece)
> Contemporary Art Centre of Thessaloniki (Greece)
> BOZAR, (Brussels, Belgium)
> Benaki Museum, (Athens, Greece)
>Nicholas P. Goulandris Foundation - Museum of Cycladic Art (Athens, Greece)
>Stella Art Foundation (Moscow)
>Santral Istanbul (Turkey)
>Essl Museum (Austria)
>Hulda - Ilhan Koman Foundation (Sweden)
>Archaeological Museum (Thessaloniki, Greece)
>ARTos Foundation (Cyprus)
>Borusan Gallery (Turkey)
>Tutun Deposu (Turkey)
>Hellenic American Union (Athens, Greece)
>ICA Sofia (Bulgaria) 
Biennales & large-scale exhibitions
>Venice Biennale (2001, 2006, 2009)
>Documenta 12 (2007)
​>Documenta 14 (2017)

>Alexandria Biennale 2009
>BJCEM - Association Internationale pour la Biennale des Jeunes Créateurs de l' Europe et de la Méditerranée
>Art Athina - international art fair
>Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art
>BIDA - International Biennale of Sport and  Contemporary Art (2005 - 2007) 

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Universities and academic institutions
>Hyperwerk Institute for Postindustrial Design - Academy of Art and Design - University of Applied Sciences and Arts - Northwestern Switzerland
>Bilgi University, Istanbul
>Hellenic Institute for Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies, Venice
>Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
>Athens Fine Arts School
>Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem
>University of Applied Arts, Vienna
>International Univ., Venice, San Servolo

Collectives, projects, etc
> Arte Util by Tania Bruguera
> Apollonia, Strasbourg
> Bellastock, Paris
>Moscow Poetry Club, Moscow
> Raumlabor, Berlin
> ZKU, Berlin




Public and private institutions
>Hellenic Ministry of Culture (Greece)
>Council of Europe
>Ministry of Education and Culture (Cyprus)
>Ministry of Education and Culture (Spain)
>Hellenic Culture Organisation (Berlin, London, New York, Athens)
>Heinrich Boell Foundation
>Goethe-Institut: Thessaloniki, Athens, London, Brussels, Munich.
>Institut Français (Thessaloniki)
>British Council (Athens, London)
>9th Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities (Thessaloniki, Greece)
>Municipalities (Thessaloniki, Kavala, Athens, Patras, Kalamaria - Greece)
>Cultural Olympiad 2004 (Athens, Greece)
>HELEXPO (Athens, Thessaloniki, Greece)
> SNF (Stavros Niarchos Foundation)

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Middle East
>Anna Lindh Foundation
>Bidoun Projects
>Maraya Art Centre (UAE)
>Zico House (Lebanon)
>Omani Fine Arts Society (OMAN)
>Mass Alexandria (Egypt)
>Townhouse (Egypt)
>AIN (Syria)
>Palestinian Art (Israel) ​
​>Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design, Jerusalem
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Current logo, designed by designersunited.gr
Previous logo, used until 2009, 
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designed by architect Giannis Epaminondas
Data protection notice for ArtBΟΧ online board meetings, conference calls and webinars via ZOOM
​We use the Zoom tool to conduct conference calls, online meetings, video conferences and/or webinars (hereafter referred to as ‘online meetings’). Zoom is a service provided by Zoom Video Communications, Inc., headquartered in the USA. In the following, we would like to provide you with information about how personal data is processed in connection with the use of Zoom.
The entity responsible for the data processing directly associated with running online meetings is ArtBOX 
Note: If you access the Zoom website, the Zoom provider is responsible for data processing. However, accessing the website is only necessary to download the software for using Zoom. You can also use Zoom by entering the meeting ID and any other meeting access information directly in the Zoom app.
If you are unwilling or unable to use the Zoom app, the basic functions can also be used in a browser version, which you can find on the Zoom website.

What data is processed?
When you use Zoom, different types of data are processed. How much data is processed depends partly on what information you enter before and during an online meeting.The following types of personal data may be processed:
User information: First name, last name, phone number (optional), email address, password (if Single Sign-On is not used), profile picture (optional), and department (optional)
Meeting metadata: topic, description (optional), participants’ IP addresses, device/hardware information
For recordings (optional): MP4 file of all video, audio and presentation recordings, M4A file of all audio recordings, text file of the online meeting chat.
When calling in by phone: Information about the incoming and outgoing phone numbers, country, and start and end times. Other call data may also be stored, e.g. the IP address of the device.
Text, audio and video data: In an online meeting, you may have the option of using the chat, question or survey functions. Any text you input will be processed in order to display it and, where relevant, log it, during the online meeting. To enable video display and audio playback, the data from the microphone on your device and from any video camera on your device will be processed for the duration of the meeting. You can switch off the camera or mute the microphone yourself at any time via the Zoom app.
As a minimum, in order to take part in an online meeting or enter the ‘meeting room’, you will have to provide some information about your name.

Extent of data processing
We use Zoom in order to carry out online meetings. At ArtBOX Board Meetings are recorded in order to enable minute takers to fulfil their task or to enable meeting participants (or non-attendees) to access a recording of a meeting. .If we want to record online meetings, we will inform you of that fact clearly in advance and – where necessary – ask for your consent. An indication that a meeting is being recorded will also be displayed in the Zoom app.
In webinars, we may also process the questions asked by webinar participants for recording and follow-up purposes.
If you are registered as a user with Zoom, Zoom may store reports on online meetings (meeting metadata, telephone call-in data, questions and answers in webinars, and the survey function in webinars) for up to a month.
There is no automated decision-making within the meaning of Article 22 of the GDPR.
Depending on how the meeting is held this may include the recording of audio or video of the attendees. Parts of that recording could count as personal data according to data protection laws. Personal data in recordings would include images of you (i.e. your webcam footage of you) and any opinions you contribute and anything you say about yourself.
This privacy notice is to tell you how that personal data is used and protected by ArtBOX. The lawful basis for processing this personal data when a board meeting is run, is legitimate interests. This applies when the data processing is not required by law but is of a clear benefit to the organisation or the individual, there is limited privacy impact on you as the individual and we think you would reasonably expect us to use the personal data in the way that we wish to. You will not be requested to give consent for the recording as that is not the lawful basis. If you do not want to be recorded you could mute your microphone, turn off your webcam or choose not to contribute.
The recordings will be kept securely on the ArtBOX server, which is in the EU. Once the need for the recording has been completed the recording will be deleted. The technical assistant (if applicable) and meeting administrator / minute taker need to delete the recordings but the Chair is also responsible for checking that this deletion is carried out in a timely way. Newman will not share the recordings with any other organisation unless required to by law. If you are given access to the recording, you must not make duplicates. You must not download any recordings to your personal device or a cloud storage facility.
Otherwise, the legal basis for data processing when running simple online meetings is Article 6 (1) (b) of the GDPR, provided the meetings are carried out in the context of a contractual relationship. If there is no contractual relationship, the legal basis is Article 6 (1) (f) of the GDPR. Here too, our legitimate interest is the effective running of online meetings.

Recipients/data transfers
As a matter of principle, personal data that is processed in connection with participation in online meetings is never transferred to third parties unless it is specifically intended to be shared. Please note that, as is the case with in-person meetings, content from online meetings is often specifically intended to communicate information with customers, interested parties or third parties and is therefore intended to be shared.
Other recipients: The provider of Zoom is necessarily informed of the data mentioned above, where this is provided for under our data processing agreement with Zoom.

Data processing outside the European Union
Zoom is a service provided by a company in the USA. This means that personal data is also processed in a non-EU country. An appropriate level of data protection is guaranteed through EU standard contractual clauses.
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ArtBOX ​| 120 Tsimiski street | Thessaloniki | Greece | tel: +30.2310.224626 | info@artbox.gr | © ArtBOX