13.10–06.11.11

Pause/Play

The exhibition Pause/Play explores the concept of playfulness and the practice of playing as a critical process. Playing is approached as a means of comprehending and managing reality, as an attitude and a way of living, which draws upon invention, expression, transformation, imagination, tease and a constant process of questioning, without entailing the distinction between winners and losers.

The changes currently taking place across the fields of social, political and ethical life push forward new forms of governance, repositioning play as a practice of resistance, a subversion of conventions and ultimately as means of liberation. The playful consideration of matters suggests new ways of survival, reanimation and creativity and encourages the development of new forms of consciousness and perception. At the same time, playing generates circumstances for relief, conviviality, spontaneous communication, contentment, hilarity and laughter. Through the works presented in the exhibition, play manifests itself as a situation of disobedience and as an improvisational, carefree attitude. Its inherent thoughtfulness and absurdity is presented as a state of knowledge, while the spontaneity and randomness of playing are brought forward as a counter-suggestion to the limitations of rationalism.

The exhibition ultimately reflects upon the possibility of anticipation and the consideration of desire, and puts forward a consideration of playing as a serious practice that can comprise an alternative recourse and offer real solutions.

Participating artists:
Barking Dogs United (Nikos Arvanitis & Naomi Tereza Salmon), Venia Bechraki, Savvas Christodoulies, Martha Dimitropoulou, Olga Evangelidou, Io Myrto Haviara, Angie Karatza, Elpida Orfanidou, Poka-Yio, Tasos Stamou, /The Callas, Lina Theodorou, Thanassis Totsikas

Collectively curated by Evangelia Ledaki, Ifigenia Papamikroulea, Irini Bachlitzanaki and Christina Dilari

In the preview evening, on Thursday 13 at 20.30, Olga Evangelidou and Maria Thrasyvoulidi will present the performance alλα (duration approximately 10 min.)

On Sunday, 6 November at 20.00 Elpida Orfanidou will present the performance Of High Importance (duration approximately 30 min.)

Exhibition opening: Thursday, 13 October 2011, 20.30