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Workshop of productive ideas and practical applications for finding happiness
Papacharalambous's project has to do with an exploration for the discovery of the basic pillars that support, preserve, or even challenge what we all desire: happiness. An ideological opening that aspires to more substantial and anthropocentric approaches. The new does not constitute an end in itself, but, on the contrary, a focus on mechanisms of escape from the contemporary dark ages of our everyday lives. New combinations of existent knowledge and experience can lead to new sociopolitical practices. A game of subversion not only of the sense of the gallery, but also of art itself with regard to its aims and objectives. According to the artist, the project is “a journey embarked upon in order to seek the meaning of my own existence and self-realization (with accordance to Maslow's hierarchy of needs) through art and the glossary that I have developed during all these years. […] We are always part of a result, but holding a conscious and impulsive stance before this approach sets a new landscape, a new view that can be defined as art, or maybe as 21st century art. Where the sciences for once more meet the arts, philosophy, and poetry”. This alchemical workshop of ideas, images, and sensations looks forward to causing encounters (either physical, by distance, or virtual) with philosophers, psychologists, theorists, scientists, historians, art critics, artists, poets, radio producers and the public in general, with the aim of approximating the meaning of happiness through modern positions or even acrobatics. Might art be superfluous in a happy environment? The environment/installation takes the shape of a non-space where the idea of a traditional coffee shop, of a refuge of the soul and the body, as well as of a park of free expression peacefully coexist. The artist will present a variety of her works, as well as photographs, poems, maxims, books, music, and whatever makes up her artistic and philosophical world during this period of her life. At the same time, she invites professionals from various areas of interest (composers, actors, poets, and writers, among others) in order to initiate, with the aid of impromptu elaborations and positions, conversations with reference to the search for happiness. In the meantime, visitors will be able to leave behind their own thoughts in the form of a text or in any other way they deem appropriate. The project is in perpetual progress. In Cyprus, it started with the title “Here & There”, where it was presented as a trilogy at APOTHEKE Contemporary Arts, at the ARTos Foundation, and at Argo Gallery. Before it is presented at the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, it is shown at the Cairo Biennale and, after that, at [m]ARTos in Madrid. It is documented in a bilingual, colour catalogue of 128 pages. Program of events and performances: Saturday, 18/12/2010 “Happiness Runs”: Giannis Kosmidis (Verbal Delirium) presents his compositions for piano and vocals, while Antonis Boskoitis reads his texts on happiness, in a joint, specially conceived performance. “Here & Now. Happiness”: performance by Maria Papacharalambous “I got lost in the way; please let me stay the night” (part 1): Workshop-discussion in 2 parts with art historian, curator Thalea Stefanidou and young artists and students of the Fine Arts School of Thessaloniki. Tuesday, 4/01/2011, 16.30 “Blissful”: a monologue-improvisation by actress Despina Gatziou, based on 2 texts: the second stasimon of Sophokles’ “Antigone” and an excerpt from Dimitris Hatzis’ short story “The Murder of Isabella Molnar”. “The Sound of Happiness”: Maria Papacharalambous and Achilleas Kentonis present video art works, as well as the installation “The Sound of Happiness” – a device that produces a sound vortex, patented by Achilleas Kentonis. The presentation includes conversation with the audience. “I got lost in the way; please let me stay the night” (part 2): Workshop-discussion in 2 parts with art historian, curator Thalea Stefanidou and young artists / students of the Fine Arts School of Thessaloniki. Saturday, 15/01/2011, 12.00 “First Move”: Georgia Sylleou, vocals, texts; Sakis Papadimitriou, piano, texts. A performance on creativity using words and sounds; the starting point and evolution of an artistic activity throughout time, emphasizing on improvisation and intuitive communication. The course of a "first move". “Unroll / not to consume happiness without producing it”: performance by director and scriptwriter Eleni Theodoridou. “Happy Food”: performance by Maria Papacharalambous, with the participation of curator Maria Kenanidou. Two Marias, an artist and a curator, experiment with edible materials, in order to find a response to the question: to what extent does one achieve "happy" results, when forgeting flavor and focusing on appearance? Tuesday, 25/01/2011, 15.00 “Design & Happiness”: workshop/discussion with students of the Fine Arts School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in the frame of the class "Industrial Design 1" (teacher: Yiorgos Liamadis, lecturer). Friday, 28/01/2011, 18.00 “The Little Secret of Life”: interactive performance by GAIA (Georgia Velivasaki and Kostas Athiridis), inspired by their new book/cd, a story around man and nature. “The cheerful disposition of Eduardo Mascarponia”: a visual arts and performative intervention. Direction - video art: Elisavet Antapasi. Text - installation: Eftihis Efthimiou. Performative action: Elena Pavlidou. “My Garden” & “A Stage for a Dancer”: composers Andreas Moustoukis and Tasos Stylianou present two specially composed synthesis for marimba. Performed by Marios Nikolaou. |
Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art
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