Artemis Potamianou

20 februari 2020

Excuses voor het achterlopen van dit dagboek/kunstblog, maar mijn solotentoonstelling bij Ruimtevaart neemt veel tijd in beslag.

Vorige week was Artemis Potamianou uit Athene bij STROOM te gast als gastcurator en zij bezocht gedurende die dagen een behoorlijk aantal ateliers van Haagse kunstenaars. Dit gebeurde op voorspraak van EX-MÊKH’s Ellen Rodenberg die mede verantwoordelijk is voor het educatieve gedeelte van Platforms Project, de beurs voor onafhankelijke platforms die jaarlijks in Athene wordt georganiseerd.

Educatie tijdens Platforms Project gebeurt met behulp van studenten van Artemis en vrijwilligers.

De laatste dag gaf zij een lezing voor geïnteresseerden waarin zij over haar Griekse praktijk in de kunstwereld vertelde. Die praktijk is veelvormig en internationaal en zij verdeelde haar activiteiten in die van curator, kunstenaar en organisator. Van huis uit is zij kunsthistorica en ook praktiserend kunstenaar èn medewerker aan de universiteit waar zij les geeft. Als curator maakte ze tentoonstellingen met Joseph Kosuth, Damien Hirst ,Joseph Beuys, Terry Atkinson, Peter Greenaway, Candice Brietz, Guerrilla Girls, etc. Als kunstenaar zou je haar conceptueel appropriation-artist kunnen  noemen: zij neemt onderdelen van kunstwerken en verwerkt die in collages. De manier waarop EX-MÊKH met haar te maken kreeg was door deel te nemen aan Platforms Project: eerst als sideshow bij de belangrijke Levantijnse kunstbeurs Art Athína die Platforms Project op den duur als een bedreiging begon te ervaren. Toen zij werden uitgesloten van de beurs organiseerde Potamianou op zeer korte termijn en in financieel onzekere omstandigheden Platforms Project als zelfstandige beurs midden in Athene in een groot kantoorpand. Nadat dit een succes werd tijdens het jaar dat de Documenta deels in Athene plaats vond kreeg ze het jaar daarop de beschikking over een van de ruimtes waarin de Documenta te zien was: de Nikos Kessanlis Exhibition Hall van de Athens School of Fine Arts, een perfecte ruimte waarin de beurs in een bijzonder open opzet plaats vindt.
De lezing werd onverwacht goed bezocht en was voor ieder een interessante en geslaagde gebeurtenis.

Voor de lezing liep het aardig vol

De geweldige Jane Hultman die STROOM binnenkort nog gaat missen introduceerde de spreker voor het publiek.

Waarna Ellen Rodenberg over haar betrokkenheid bij het bezoek van Artemis vertelde.

Vervolgens nam de spreekster na een korte video het woord met een gedreven en enthousiast verhaal.

Over een ontwerp voor de Turbine room van de Tate Modern

De concepten achter haar curatoriele activiteiten werden verduidelijkt

Zoals hier een route die een kunstenaar in een tentoonstelling aflegt, en die van een curator en die van een gewone bezoeker

En dan nog een collage die in de begeleidende PowerPoint getoond werd.

Tot slot nog een beeld van Platforms Project 2018, altijd erg goed bezocht met enthousiast publiek.

STROOM

 

Platforms Project 2019 – The Opening Day

16 mei 2019

After a morning of finishing touches, a press-conference by directors Artemis Potamianou and Michalis Argyrouat the press makes a round. At 19.00 h the fair is opened for invited guests and even before the crowd starts streaming in. The amount of visitors is twice that of last year which is what you would expect seeing people strolling by.
EX-MÊKH’s Ellen Rodenberg has been asked to manage the children’s educational department and instruct the volunteers for workshops, tours of the fair and preparing the workshop space. That takes a lot of her time after EX-MÊKH’S booth is finished
An impression of the day, with first the installation by EX-MÊKH as it was finished:

EX-MÊKH: Equilibrium

The blue Sculptures are done by Maarten Schepers, the abstract painting is done by Ellen Rodenberg and anything with text is done by kees Koomen

A more close impression

Lots of words

and colours

The small paintings are from the diaries

as are the shards from the past that Kees Koomen wrote

We were satisfied with a colourfull, spacious installation

The press conference with left Michalis Argyrou and on the right Artemis Potamianou

Ellen Rodenberg is instructing the volunteers, Artemis’ angels!

Even in the afternoon IS-Projects is finishing their presentation of New York Abstractionism

The space where the kids workshops are beïng held is beïng prepared. EX-MÊKH’s Maarten Schepers is happy to construct the exhibiting sculpture

When the actual opening starts we notice that EX-MÊH’s network has grown considerably, people from earlier editions come to say hello.

There are a number of performances during the evening, this one is done by Joëlle Montech, and Elvira Andrikogiannopoulou at Association theatre Dionysos et AppollonIt is called “Tango against Photo”

This gives you an impression of the crowd in the beginning of the opening.

Then, next to EX-MÊKH, Lucia Bricco starts “The morning, the morning, the morning”

She comes from behind a curtain on which an urban surrounding has been drawn

She sits down in front of it, everything is blue

A pot stands next to her

She starts washing herself with the earth that is inside the pot

It litterally looks like washing

In between Karen Linnenkohl walks by as “Mirror Head”

And Lucia Bricco continues

Lies straight along a line of earth underneath the drawing

She tries to move the drawing by blowing against it

And stands up and takes coffee, morning at last!

At the end of the day EX-MÊKH was tired and satisfied with the reactions on the works.

Platforms Project 2019

EX-MÊKH

 

 

 

#7: Athens – Platforms Project 2017 – Beton 7 Radio

May 26, 2017

Today is the last day of the Platforms Project. I had an option on my drawing which I sold definitely today. After 15.00 h we cleared out. We decided to visit the Acropolis and to have dinner in the Plaka, it seems obligatory for the ones who came in yesterday. After dinner we are invited at an opening at Beton 7 Radio, together with a Jazz concert by the Blue Note Trio: Jazz Archeology that is! It got to be a nice and relaxed day with another unexpected number of visitors at the fair.

The walk to the venue of Platforms Project is great, with a fantastic view from the hill behind it.

On the way you see a lot of Grafitti that I like

This is a great piece!

On the Spot Stéphan Guéneau and Louise Crawford are working on yet another piece

Which turned out really fine!

and a great poster on the side!

Marian Wijnvoord added a beautiful series of little landscapes

This is the drawing that I sold

Another walk took me upstairs to IFAC arts with this original appropriation

ALISN from Brasil with great music videos

and posters

Geeta Rooparine at Lubimirov/Angus Hughes

and a great teacher from England, St. Martin’s,  whose name I couldn’t find back, the drawings are wiped right after he fisnishes and he goes on forever!

Tiny Domingos is getting sentimental about clearing the booth

But EX-MÊKH is it’s usual self about it

KRAATZ is just continuïng to experiment, wonder when they left?

On the Acropolis the light was magnificent

The sun set behind the Parthenon, or the Erechteïon really

A beautiful evening

View on the Acropolis and the tower of the winds at night

Off to Beton 7 Art Radio which appeared to be a rather fashionable place

At Beton 7 Art Radio the show was worth while with work by Mathieu Valade who put well known art manifestos in a Star Wars context

 

Julie René de Cotret sew hats together, it looks technical all of a sudden, well, soft technics!

Artemis Potamianou is also an artist and this is her work

The stuff you gather,,,

The crowd was all over the place, like in the bar

Or in the concert by the Blue note Trio

Platforms Project

Beton 7 Art Radio

#4: Athens – Platforms Project 2017

May 22, 2017

Today was my birthday, so we decided to go and have a swim in the Mediterranian and to have lunch on the beach. At the fair there appeared to be much more public then the day before and in between we celebrated with cake, beer and wine. It was a joyful day for everyone!

Our German neighbours from Berlin bought me a delicious Citronentorte

which was thouroughly enjoyed by everyone, including Petri from Kallio Kunsthalle

Meanwhile the conference had started about the situation of the cultural sector in Greece, lots of local heavy’s present

It was opened by Artemis Potamianou, who miraculously organised Platforms Project 2017 within two months after beïng kicked out of Art Athina for dubious reasons.

KRAATZ in the meanwhile changed their booth again

with a nice intimate wall on the side

Which combines beautifully with Ellen Rodenberg’s work at the EX-MÊKH booth

My own installation also has its merits in the details

and Greeks are particularly enthousiastic about Malieveld, probably because the atmosphere is exotic to them

Ellen Rodenberg, our “communications manager” had a lot of work today

And this poster of the guerilla girls that I missed at the entrance shows engagement on a different level!

Platforms Project 2017

Platform Project & Art Athina 2016

May 27, 2016

In spite of the crisis atmosphere in Athens and the refugee-problems that haunt the country the Athens artfair took place again this year. The Taekwondo Stadium had been occupied with refugees in winter during heavy rains which resulted in a lot of problems.  Nevertheless, the fair continued but the big galleries in Greece didn’t show up and the galleries that did show up were very conservative in their choice of artists. The Platform Project on the other hand was very interesting this year. It is always worth to visit but now the side show for non-commercial art platforms showed great art and awareness of the human and the political situation which in some cases led to  moving art works.

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Look at the fair from the platforms

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Derek Liddington at 8Eleven, a very interesting sculptor. these are studies after an Elsworth Kelly drawing

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This video was shot by Liddington, having four actors making a pillar of clay and creating a tension between disciplines

 

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This was an ongoing performance in 8eleven in which a dancer would reenact the choreography “Ode” which was executed by les Ballets Russes in 1913. The floor on which the dancer moved was a square meter of clay

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I found this work very moving: in an inter-active work, Navine Khan Dossos tries to paint the 2000 people that have sought refuge in the Taekwondo Stadium last winter. Visitors and colleagues are invited to contribute as the artist will continue to paint until the end of the fair.

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This beautiful Painting has been made by an icon-painter for Kallio Kunsthalle (FI), following the text that Petri Saariko had prepared.

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Andreas Martí installed this drawing installation at Dienstgebäude

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It is continuing to draw during the fair

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This wall sculpture of Bettina Diel could also be seen at Diensgebäude

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From Nantes (FR) came Extra Muros in which these wall sculptures by Romain Rimbaud were shown

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Interesting painting at Foss (GR)

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A short visit to the real fair: here a photograph by Sarah Lucas

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Nice political drawings by Tasos Pavlopoulos

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Collage by Maria Ikonomoupoulou

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who also made beautiful embroideries on newspaper, shown at Mulier Mulier

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Where also work of the painter Guy van Bossche was shown

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I rather liked these collages because of the use of material. made by Nikos Varitymiadis

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Taubert Contemporary showed an artist with over-all design: Lars Arrhenius

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Curator of Platform Projects, the wonderful Artemis Potamianou, an artist also, showed at the floor of the fair

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Kallio Kunsthalle showed performance “about the self-determination of women”

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At MUU (F) the performance artist Helinä Hukkataival showed a very sensitive performance

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resulting in a beautiful series of personae

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From the Netherlands came Bcademie, a post-graduate training for artists (after A you have to say B). Here initiators Alex Jacobs and Daan den Houter talk with their students, of which six were doïng performances durig the fair. One for a Euro!

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The students found props in Athens and used those to arrange their space

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They proved quite popular, here Elsemarijn Bruijs working on chewing gum

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The shift was together with Philippa Driest

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Who showed pictures of urban places accompanied by sounds of airplanes

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AKA artist run from Saskatchewanm, Canada with sculpture of Svea Ferguson

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Super 8 video by Leslie Supnet

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and Lori Blondeau who researches diverse persona’s

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The Lo and Behold (GR) wants to fertilise the soil in “Bureau of Soil making” by Yiannis Hiridoglou

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From Boston (USA) the Museum of Contemporary Cuts with heavy conceptual work with a direct approach

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Which works rather good I think

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Then an installation of Amiraly from Parking Gallery/New media Society from Iran, a presentation which is well worked out

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Cut the Fence, a project of Copa & Sordes: the 657 meter long fence of a Swiss refugee camp is transformed in to the same length of African damask fabric with fence pattern: everybody who cuts a piece of it contributes to the destruction of the fence

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Groupshow at SCI (UK) with very nice works, some fresh from the boats coming to Greece

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Ed video: always interesting video-stuff, here by Iris Fraser and David Hanes

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Foreign Affairs, A beautiful collaboration by Bella Easton, Tiny Dominguez and Julia Riddlough of resp. Beaston projects, Rosa Lux and A Brooks Art

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The beauty of statistics, by Tiny Dominguez

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In the mean while the Capacity-project of Navine Khan Dossos is a large succes

 

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The refugee-camp is turning in a large field of flowers!

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At A-Trans beautiful work on paper by Marian Wijnvoord

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Who also burns down the Netherlands in her Photo-collages

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The line in Andreas Martí’s installation is lengthening

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Bcademy’s students don’t stop performing, here Maud van den Beuken moves sand

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from stage to visitor

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and Casper Braat plans a make-over for your humble reporter

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Various Artists from Belgium, a research in shit which Belgians find interesting in general

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Trying to find the pearls which are being digested by test-persons

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And also the deterioration of Bonsai-trees under water is a process that results in esthetic pleasures under the name Agua con Gaz

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The very big collective EN-FLO (GR) installed suit-cases with fillings

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And then there is the very interesting Milena Principle, showing projects that relate to our own activities. Action in public space about silence and slowness.

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In Venice

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And Athens, we will hear more from them!

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Last but certainly not least Kunstenaarsinitiatief Elders from Den Haag (NL), here an expanding painting by Lucius Pax

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Painting by Liesbeth Bosch

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And surprising ceramics by Corine Barendregt

Art Athina 2016

EX-MÊKH@ Platforms Project – Art Athina day 6: Parallel Programme

16 mei 2014

Art Athina, like other Art Fairs, has a number of side-shows such as Platforms Project, but also “Collecting Images of the Sensible, contemporary artworks from Turkey’s collectors” and the exhibition which Artemis Potamianou curated with highlights from the Art-Fair. Further more there are a number of Talks in which collectives, initiatives, events etc. can present themselves to an interested audience. Here you  can find a choice from all that, you will find the themes that are relevant in this region all over the programme:

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This is the exhibition Artemis curated for the Fair

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Christos Symatos: Xenia, 3th floor

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Jimi Efthimiou, Dimitris Mitsopoulos, Vivi Papanikola: Greece, no problem

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Micha Cataui: I think we got it all

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Giorgios Katagelos: Night Scene, Havana, Cuba

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Akis Karanos: Chamade (drumbeat announcing defeat or capitulation)

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Angelos Spartalis: Atomic Bomb Test #2

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Eleni Tsonis: Un-hoped for Rebirth

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Theodoros Zafeiropoulos: Sliced log of Cypressus macrocarpa affected by the Seiridium cardinale

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Theodoros Zafeiropoulos: Sliced log of Cypressus macrocarpa affected by the Seiridium cardinale

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Harm Weistra: Parametric family

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Sue Dodd: twelve most wanted

The important Greek collector D. Daskalopoulos presents his collection at the Fair by showing one work by the famous Swiss artist Pippilotti Rist: Super Objectiv a collage of image and sound that make one doze off into another world.

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Pippilotti Rist: Super Objektiv – 2001

Then Greece is close to Turkey and in spite of the century long sensitivities between the two countries the artworld is convinced of the necessity of coörporation. The exhibition with contemporary artworks from Turkish collections whis was curated by Beral Madra and Saliha Yavuzon is a nice addition to the fair with iteresting works from international and Turkish artists, I will limit myself to some examples from the last in spite of the intention of the curators.

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The sign for the exhibition with a small text asking attention for the mining accident in Turkey during the fair and for the way the Turkish govenment deals with it!

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Canan Senol: Exemplary

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Nil Yalter: Harem

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Erinc Seymen: untitled

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Nilbar Guresj: Unknown sports

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Nilbar Guresj: Unknown sports

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Pinar Yolacan: Maria

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The only talk I had a chance to bge with was about Turkish Art. Beral Madra, the founder of the Istanbul Biennale had a nice talk about how the coörporatin with Greeks develops. After this talk also attention was drawn to the behaviour of the Turkish government in the mining disaster during that happened during the fair by second curator Saliha Yavuzon

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And about the Sinopale, the international Sinopal Biennal there was a talk from

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Melih Gorgun, who showed impressive examples of how you can organize an interactive art festival in a relatively small town.

Parallel Program

EX-MÊKH@ Platforms Project – Art Athina day 5: Opening

15 mei 2014

The opening of the Fair was different then we are used to: it started slowly in phases: first the press entered, then the VIP’s then all who were invited. When eventually things started to run there were lines at the entrance until closing-time which was consequently postponed to the horror of all kinds of staff. We had beer and evaluation elsewhere. More about the Fair later!

 

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This was our booth as it could be visited during the Fair.

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This is the work of yours truly

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Left Maarten Schepers, on the right Ellen Rodenberg

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Ben Faydherbe’s contribution makes the sign of the organization look pale!

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Floris (1646) was also present for a symposion with his Latvian friends and other artists initiatives. In the middle Artemis Potamianou, artistic centipede (excuse my Duytch) and artistic director of the Platform Projects.

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A Finnish collective burned a wooden bridge and a black square on the spot after which bronze Eurostars were thrown at the square in ninjastyle.

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Then the crowd started to grow

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Our communication expert felt completely in place

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And the crowd grew and grew

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EX-MÊKH got a lot of attention of young students

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Some more work of Maarten Schepers and Ellen Rodenberg

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Ellen Rodenberg’s work

Art Athina