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HEAD2HEAD
05. 11. 2021 - 14. 11. 2021
 
The bilateral exhibition project Head to Head connects the two dynamic and ever expanding visual art scenes of Athens, Greece and Reykjavik, Iceland. The project aspires to connect artists and artist-run venues in both places, building bridges and networks through an artistic dialog and exhibition exchange.
The initial phase of the project will be taking place in Athens in November 2021, where Greek artists will be paired with Icelandic artists exhibiting together in various artist-run spaces in Athens. The project reaches its first peak on the opening weekend 5 - 14th of November 2021, where a variety of exhibitions, performances and events will take place in spaces and venues all over Athens.
The second phase of the project will take place in Reykjavík in the fall of 2023 with a parallel exhibition program in various artist-run exhibition spaces around Reykjavik, bringing Greek artists to Iceland and connecting them with the local art scene, both artists, curators, collectors and venues. The following artist-run initiatives and institutions have confirmed their participation in 2023; besides the curatorial partner Kling & Bang, The Living Art Museum, Museum of Perceptive Art, Open, Gallery Port, Midpunkt, Reykjavik Association of Sculptors/ Reykjavik Sculpture Garden.
The driving force of these two art scenes is their artist-run community. Both Athens and Reykjavík have an astounding amount of artist-run initiatives and exhibition spaces that fuel their dynamic and vibrant art scenes. This distinct culture is not typical in a global context and should be celebrated. As they are often the result of DIY approaches within an artist society that have gone through changes within their social and political landscape. The exhibitions will open during the week 5 - 14th of November 2021, a core schedule will be released detailing the events and happenings that will open in symphony with each other creating a robust synchronicity between the spaces, mainly to highlight the projects already recognised dialog and collaboration.
The artist-run Greek exhibition space A - DASH in teaming up with the 16 year old artist-run exhibition space Kling & Bang from Iceland to connect the two artist-run scenes and create this bilateral-exhibition project, connecting and strengthening the relationships between the two cities and their art scenes.

 
THE PARTICIPATING ARTISTS
Almar Atlason, Alexandra Saliba, Andreas Brunner, Anastasis Palagis Meletis, Anna Papathanasiou, Ásta Fanney Sigurðardóttir, Ásdís Sif Gunnarsdóttir, Eleni Papazoglou, Elísabet Brynhildardóttir, Erling T.V. Klingenberg, Erica Scourti, Eva Ísleifs, Florence Lam, Giorgos Tserionis, Hekla Dögg Jónsdóttir, Hildigunnur Birgisdóttir, Ingibjörg Sigurjónsdóttir, Kolbeinn Hugi Höskuldsson, Konstantinos Kotsis, Konstantinos Yiotis, Kosmas Nikolaou, Logi Leó Gunnarsson, Marina Velisioti, Nikulás Stefán Nikulásson, Petros Papanas, Ragnar Kjartansson, Rakel McMahon, Rebecca Erin Moran, Sara Riel, Selma Hreggviðsdóttir, Sigurður Atli Sigurðsson, Leifur Ýmir Eyjólfsson, Sirra Sigrún Sigurðardóttir, Styrmir Örn Guðmundsson, Steinunn Gunnlaugsdóttir, Sigurður Ámundason, Una Margrét Árnadóttir, Una Björg Magnúsdóttir, Ólöf Helga Helgadóttir, Örn Alexander Ámundason, Vasilis Zarifopoulos, Vassilis Noulas & Kostas Tzimoulis (VASKOS), Yorgia Karidi og Yorgos Yatromanolakis.

ABOUT THE COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS & VENUES (GR)
The collaborative partners are artist run initiatives in the heart of Athens Greece. The spaces were all founded by artists and are currently being run with short and long exhibition programs. Each space has a coordinator that we work with in relation to the project.


EIGHT
A critical institute for arts and politics
Eight is a collective space activated in the centre of Athens that attempts to explore anew the possibilities of a critical intervention in an ever-changing precarious landscape. Bringing together forms of artistic, political and theoretical production, urban research and social action and building on radical experiments of recent years it seeks to investigate forms of continuity and instituting that challenge neoliberal demands of sustainability. Eight years after the beginning of the economic crisis in Greece that produced a series of radical transformations in social/cultural frameworks and after a series of public mobilisations that included cultural and political experiments and occupations, activist/direct interventions, DIY contexts, spaces and public programmes we seek to reimagine anew forms, tools and practices for the current and upcoming paradigm shifts. Through forms of unconventional collective study, research, critical intervention and cultural action we aim to repeatedly produce instituent moments of response implicated in the here and now of our city that we also hope reflects global challenges at this moment in time.


KEIV

Run by Konstantinos Lianos
http://keiv.space/

Keiv is an artist-run space founded by Konstantinos Lianos (GR). It is located in Athens, in the neighborhood of Agios Pavlos. Keiv is an artist-run space created by Constantine Lianos. It is located in Athens, in the neighborhood of Agios Pavlos. While mainly being a personal studio, its aim is to open to the public several times during the year and to host creative artistic works and ideas, in a non-profit context.


[matter]HYLE

Run by Georgia Sagri & Georgios Papadopoulos
http://hyle.gr/

[matter]HYLE is a semi public, semi personal space in the center of Athens, at Omonia that aims to bring together art, politics and sciences as if their coexistence is a new undisciplined field of thought, action and living, yet without knowing its name. It ́s run by Georgia Sagri (GR) and Georgios Papadopoulos (GR). Although discussions regarding [matter]HYLE between artists, activists and scientists who live in Athens and internationally, started through the building of its virtual platforms in 2013, its physical manifestation took place in the spring of 2015. [matter]HYLE is not supported by any private institution, state organization or the municipality of the city of Athens. [matter]HYLE is an independent organism of people, animals, machines and ideas. In greek the word 'Υλη sounds like hyle and in english it means matter. [matter]Hyle’s websites hyle.gr and hyle.mobi gather and share knowledge, interactions, news and discussions in the form of a textual transmitter and receiver that is distributed freely and ongoing.


Backspace

Run by Katerina Botsari & Eleanna Balesi
https://www.facebook.com/backspace.athens/

Backspace is an experimental space for visual arts run by Katerina Botsari (GR). Based on a studio/lab in Polyviou 6 behind Kallidromiou Street in Exarchia, it aims to host for more or less 10 days, every 2 months, art projects, installations, music events and talks of new artists to bring art in everyday life as a common good, a tool for inter-connection, a field to explore new boundaries.


SPACE52

Run by Dionisis Christofilogiannis
https://www.space52.gr/

Space52 founded by the artist Dionisis Christofilogiannis in 2017 and supports Athens based artists and continuously seeks collaborations with art spaces and professionals from abroad. Our community and network grow by facilitating collaborations, exchanges and research-based project. Space52 serves as a hub for local and international creatives, intellectuals and theoreticians. Main focus of all our engagements is the current inquiries of our growing dynamic community. Space52 is the Athens incubator of ideas and experimentations.


Zoetrope

Run by Alexandra Saliba & Yorgos Yatromanolakis
https://www.zoetropeathens.net/

Zoetrope is an artist-run space aiming to explore, nurture and support participatory and collaborative artistic practices with a special focus in photography, film and artist’s book. Zoetrope wishes to catalyze the creation of intimate and inclusive creative communities. Zoetrope is inhabited by images, machines, plants, prints, books, projects and ideas. Zoetrope is an ongoing experiment. A place yet to become.


PS:

Run by Maaike Stutterheim & Angel Torticollis
https://www.facebook.com/pscommunitism/

PS: is a vibrant and diverse collective of visual artists that aims to enhance communication between artists, art lovers and those who happen to stumble upon the work presented at PS: . We use a model of exhibition- making that focuses on the importance of facilitating artists with an open space to present their work and work-in-progress to a diverse audience. The selection of participants and projects is based on the independent, experimental and communicative attitude artists express through their work. PS: encourages surprise, flexibility, and self-organisation and offers a space to present fresh ideas and discuss their further development. PS: is not a temple but a platform that functions as a vivid laboratory with its own dynamics, making it worthwhile to visit regularly.


Sunday Narratives

Run by Thodoris Prodromidis
https://www.facebook.com/SUNDAYNARRATIVES/

The screening program, SUNDAY NARRATIVES, observes, along with the contribution of international artists, filmmakers, curators, thinkers and creators, the changes in the global and local society.


ONE MINUTE SPACE (OMS)

Run by Nadja Geer
Is an independent artist run space for art and artistic research in Athens. They work with concepts of time situation(s) knowledge(s) materiality and the corporeality of agentivity.


Stoa 42

Run by Eleni Tsopotou
https://www.stoa42.com/

Stoa 42 is a non profit, experimental cultural space with aim to support emergent artists and is run by Eleni Tsopotou. At the edge between a private and a public space, Stoa 42 invites each time one artist to show one work. A mini solo show which is open and accessible to everyone who passes by.


 
 
 
 
Grandagarður 20 - 101 Reykjavík kob@this.is