10.11 – 11.12.11

Little gardens of happiness

TAF is pleased to present the exhibition Little Gardens of Happiness, which opens on Thursday, November 10 and will run until December 11, 2011. The exhibition is curated by the students of the Curating and Organizing Art Exhibitions seminar, part of the Athens College – College of Psyhiko adult continuing education programmes, and is led by curator and art critic Marina Fokides.

“Near to the sorrow of the world, and often upon its volcanic earth, man has laid out his little gardens of happiness;” Guided by the words of Friedrich Nietzsche, the curators attempt to pose timely questions regarding the possible ways in which societies react in times of crisis.

Man has the inherent tendency to voluntarily create for himself personal microcosms; small, intimate utopias that safeguard his remaining shreds of happiness. This personal space seems to operate as a symbolically protected garden – shelter.  Sometimes however, these gardens transform into a personal hell where the individual feels isolated.

To what extent do these personal universes offer relief, to what extent do they cause terror and how extreme can they become? In this present time of uncertainty the little gardens of happiness can operate as spaces of self-organization and reevaluation, as sources of contrivance and as spaces of invention and mental formation and help us provide answers to the questions posed by reality itself.

Giorgos Panousopoulos’ film Mania will be shown as part of the exhibition.

Participating artists:
Stathis Athanasiou, Steven Antonakos, Kostis Velonis, Nikos Giavropoulos, Vangelis Gokas, Eunomia Dimitriadou, Theodoros Zafiropoulos, Christos Kolios, Giorgos Korbakis, Alexis Kiritsopoulos, Leda Luss Luyken, Vally Nomidou, Zafos Xagoraris, Giorgos Panousopoulos, Marie-Françoise Poutays, Marina Provatidou, Xenis Sahinis, Dimitris Tsoublekas, Pantelis Chandris, Manolis Charos, Alexandros Psihoulis, En Flo, Organization Earth

Curators:
Fotini Vergidou, Pinelopi Katsatou, Evangelia Melissourgaki, Poulheria Papageorgiou, Eleni Papagiannopoulou, Calliope Stamatacou

Exhibition opening: Thursday 10 November 2011, 20.30