FORUM #3
European Cultural Exchanges 2002

[conference] [workshops] [exhibitions] [focus Caucasus] [ongoing 2000-2010]

About FORUM European Cultural Exchanges

Ongoing platform for the development and promotion of European cultural exchanges –with emphasis on Southeastern Europe– aiming towards the support and diffusion of contemporary artistic creation. Founded in 2000 in Thessaloniki by Apollonia european art exchanges (Strasbourg) and ArtBOX, and coordinated by ArtBOX, Forum includes annual events, conferences, meetings, exhibitions and networking activities, as well as the Forum Artists-in-Residence program (F.A.R., 2005-2008).

2000 - 2010
Organized by:
ArtBOX, Thessaloniki, Greece
Apollonia, Strasbourg, France
Founding Directors:
Dimitris Konstantinidis (Apollonia)
Christos Savvidis (ArtBOX)
Coordination: ArtBOX
Advisory Committee:
Efie Strousa, Denys Zacharopoulos, Nikos Xydakis

Mobility & Utopia in the Arts
[conference]

Forum 2002 focuses on mobility and utopia in the arts. Intellectuals, historians, philosophers and institutional administrators are invited to analyse the geopolitical dimension of artistic exchanges. The exhibitions and parallel events programme, hosted by all the main exhibition and culture venues in Thessaloniki, showcases artists and projects from the Caucasus area. 

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
State Museum of Contemporary Art
Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art
Thessaloniki Museum of Photography
Thessaloniki Cinema Museum
Institut Français de Thessalonique
 Thessaloniki, Greece
29 November - 1 Decemeber 2002

Organisers:
Hellenic Ministry of Culture
FORUM European Cultural Exchanges

Co-organisers:
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Faculty of Fine Arts - School of Plastic & Applied Art
State Museum of Contemporary Art - Contemporary Art Centre
Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art
Thessaloniki Cinema Museum
Thessaloniki Photography Museum
Institut Français de Thessalonique
Municipality of Veroia

Coordination:
ArtBOX.gr (Thessaloniki)
Apollonia european art exchanges (Strasbourg)

Supported by:
Hellenic Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace
Cultural Olympiad
Culture 2000 Programme of the EU
COCOP Programme of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Parallel program / Exhibitions

Wounded Land: Max Sivaslian and Mirnaib Hasanoglu
[photography exhibition] [focus Caucasus]

This project is the fruit of several long trips to the Karabakh Upland by photographers Max Sivaslian and Mirnaip Hasanoglu between April 1992 and May 1994. During these two years, spent among Armenian and Azerbaijan militiamen, the photographers covered all the major military campaigns and shared the daily lot of those determined to defend their homes. Their photos show the life of the combatants, their sufferings and at times their despair. This exhibition is a symbol of hope and fraternity. 

State Museum of Contemporary Art
Thessaloniki, Greece
29 November - 20 December 2002
Espace Apollonia
Strasbourg, France
25 October - 20 November 2003

Artists:
Max Sivaslian, Mirnaib Hasanoglu

Curators:
Shalva Khakhanashvili, Dimitri Konstantinidis

Organisers:
Apollonia european art exchanges & the partners of the AVAN network Rémi Gaudet
Forum European Cultural Exchanges

Coordination:
ArtBOX.gr

Supporters:
Culture 2000 Programme of the EU
French Ministry of Culture, DRAK, DAP
Hellenic Ministry of Culture
Région Alsace

Catalogue:
French/English/Greek, colour, 90 p. 

Yerevan, Baku, Tbilisi: eyes of yesterday and today 
[photography exhibition] [focus Caucasus]

This exhibition is of a dual series of photographs of the capitals of the new Caucasian republics. Guram Tsibakhashvili, Max Sivaslian and Agayev Hadji Akif present a contemporary vision of their towns, while with the 19th century photographs of Alexander Roinashvili (1846-1898) we travel back in time. With its simple yet poignant vision of artisans, traders, family portraits and casual passers-by, this exhibition bears timeless witness to the Caucasian peoples left now to fend for themselves.

Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art
Thessaloniki, Greece
10 November - 2 December 2002
Relais Culturel de Haguenau
Haguenau, France
29 March - 3 April 2003

Artists:
Guram Tsibakhashvili, Max Sivaslian,
Agayev Hadji Akif

Curators:
Shalva Khakhanashvili, Dimitri Konstantinidis

Organisers:
Apollonia european art exchanges & the partners of the AVAN network Rémi Gaudet
Forum European Cultural Exchanges Thessaloniki

Coordination:
ArtBOX.gr

Supporters:
Culture 2000 Programme of the EU
French Ministry of Culture, DRAK, DAP
Hellenic Ministry of Culture
Région Alsace

Catalogue:
French/English/Greek, colour, 90 p. 

Aspects of Contemporary Photography in South Caucasus
[photography exhibition] [focus Caucasus]

The exhibition groups together a multitude of approaches, visions, schools and styles. It bubbles with ideas and projects on themes such as the environment, identity and utopia, which are central to and inspirational, mobilising force behind the works of Armenian, Georgian and Azerbaijani artists.

Thessaloniki Museum of Photography
Thessaloniki, Greece
30 November - 12 December 2002
Espace Apollonia
Strasbourg, France
5 April - 30 June 2003
Centre d'Art Contemporain
Brussels, Belgium
6 November - 20 December 2003

Artists:
I. Abjandadze, H.A. Agayev, S. Aleskerov,
M. Deisadze, M. Hasanoglu, A. Hasanov,
H. Ibadulayev, D. Kareyan, I. Kurmaeva,
F. Mamedova, Y. Mechitov, A. Nijaradze,
L. Osepaishvili, A. Roinashvili, M. Sivaslian

Curators:
Shalva Khakhanashvili, Dimitri Konstantinidis

Organisers:
Apollonia european art exchanges & the partners of the AVAN network Rémi Gaudet
Forum European Cultural Exchanges Thessaloniki

Coordination:
ArtBOX.gr

Supporters:
Culture 2000 Programme of the EU
French Ministry of Culture, DRAK, DAP
Hellenic Ministry of Culture
Région Alsace

Catalogue:
French/English/Greek, colour, 90 p. 

Cinema & Video Art from Caucasus
[film festival] [focus Caucasus]

Fifteen films by filmmakers from Armenia and Georgia, and parallel exhibition of photos by Yuri Mechitov dedicated to the films by Serge Paradjanov.

Thessaloniki Museum of Cinema
& Mylos Visual Art Projects
Thessaloniki, Greece
15 November - 2 December 2002
Centre Culturel La Castine
Reichshoffen, France
11 April - 25 May 2003
Espace Senghor
Brussels, Belgium
26 November 2003

Curators:
Shalva Khakhanashvili, Dimitri Konstantinidis

Organisers:
Apollonia european art exchanges & the partners of the AVAN network Rémi Gaudet
Forum European Cultural Exchanges Thessaloniki

Coordination:
ArtBOX.gr

Supporters:
Culture 2000 Programme of the EU
French Ministry of Culture, DRAK, DAP
Hellenic Ministry of Culture
Région Alsace

Catalogue:
French/English/Greek, colour, 90 p. 



subREAL - Interviewing the cities
[residency] [exhibition]

A selective retrospective of the project Interviewing the Cities by the Romanian artists' group subREAL, that began in 1999 and that will enable an analysis of diverse levels of the artistic situation in several towns. The project stages photographs offering three different yet complementary approaches to the towns studied. A series of portraits are drawn up by the artists working in collaboration with the local artistic community to interrogate public monuments and give themselves up to the fascination of urban landscapes. subREAL are invited to take up a residency in Thessaloniki and to continue their work exploring European towns.

Institut Français de Thessalonique
Thessaloniki, Greece
2 November - 1 Decemeber 2002

Artists:
subREAL - Călin Dan, Iosif Király

Coordination:
ArtBOX.gr (Thessaloniki)
Apollonia european art exchanges (Strasbourg)

Gazet’art #1 & Forum Publications
[publication]

A parasitic, nomadic review first released in 2001 within the framework of the South-East European Contemporary Art Network (SEECAN). 

The first issue of the parasitic, nomadic Forum magazine Gazet'art is published as an insert of the Austrian magazine SPRINGERIN (www.springerin.at). This issue features a report on Jezevo Motel, a discussion on illegal migration of artists and a tribute to artistic creation in the countries of Caucasus. Also, Serbian artist Uros Djuric shares his point of view on artistic mobility in Europe, Dan Perjovshci relates the history of Contemporary Art Archive in Romania and Natasa Ilic draws a portrait of Croatian artist, Andreja Kuluncic. 

Hosting magazine:
Springerin, Austria, p.20 (English)
December 2002

Editorial chief:
Dimitri Konstantinidis

Editorial committee:
Judit Angel, Nada Beros

General coordinator:
Daria Evdokimova

Texts:
Rahman Badalov, Tusia Beridze, Nada Beros, Milana Christitch, Markita Franulic, Natasa Ilic, Zarko Paic, Dan Perjovski

Thanks to the kind collaboration of
Georg Schöllhammer

Networking

CONTACT: Contemporary Greek Artists 
[networking] [studio visits]

In collaboration with art historian/curator Dorothea Konteletzidou and the Institut Français, the participants of FORUM get acquainted with the work of contemporary artists based in Thessaloniki.

Institut Français de Thessalonique
Thessaloniki, Greece
November 2002

Coordination:
ArtBOX.gr (Thessaloniki)
Apollonia european art exchanges (Strasbourg)

SEECAN Meeting in Ohrid
[networking] [Ohrid] [SEECAN]

The idea for SEECAN, the South Eastern European Contemporary Art Network, came into being during the Forum 2000 and its creation was announced in Sofia, Bulgaria, where the Forum working group met in April 2001. In a meeting in Orchid a new board of seven members was elected.

Board of Directors
- Shalva Khalikashvili (Georgia - artist)
- Zoran Eric (Yugoslavia - Museum of Cont. Art in Belgrade)
- Melentie Pandilovski (Macedonia, Contemporary Art Center)
- Christos Savidis (Greece - ArtBox)
- Judith Angel (Romania- based in Mucsarnok/Kunsthalle Budapest)
- Dimitris Konstantinidis (France, Appolonia Network)
- Vasif Kortun - (Turkey - Platform Garanti Contemporary Art Center).

The Consultative Committee is made up of 21 members who represent the basis of the network. This is the only body with decision-making powers.
Judit ANGEL, Mucsarnok, Budapest, Zdenka BADOVINAC, Moderna Galerija, Ljubliana, Nada BEROS, Museum of Contemporary Art, Zagreb, Iara BOUBNOVA, Institute for Contemporary Art, Sofia, Uros DJURIC, artist, Belgrade, Zoran ERIC, art historian, Belgrade, Lilia DRAGNEVA, Centre for contemporary art, Chisinau, Fabienne DUMONT, CAC Brussels, Theodoulos GREGORIOU, artist, Nicosia, Enver HADJIOMERSPAHIC, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sarajevo, Lorand HEGYI, Museum moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig, Vienna, Shalva KHAKHANASHVILI, artist, Tbilissi, Dimitri KONSTANTINIDIS, Apollonia, Strasbourg, Beral MADRA, Centre for contemporary art, Istanbul, Gianfranco MARIANELLO, art critic, Siena, Henry Meyric-HUGHES, freelance curator and consultant, London, Heike MUNDER, Halle fur Kunst, Luneburg, Mihai OROVEANU, Artexpo Foundation, Bucharest, Melentie PANDILOVSKI, Center for Contemporary Art, Skopje, Sania PAPA, Centre for contemporary art, Thessalonika, Nicolas PETROVITCH, Cetinje Biennial, Cetinje

Orchid, FYROM
December 2002

Coordination:
Melentie Pandilovski
Apollonia european art exchanges (Strasbourg)