The 1st Athens Biennale

DESTROY ATHENS Curated by Xenia Kalpaktsoglou, Poka-Yio and Augustine Zenakos

Destroy Athens tells a story. A story about ruptures and dead-ends, which emerges from a completely empirical observation: we, each one of us, the subject of every action and every conscience is built through the eyes of others. What is important is that it is not being constructed by others -- it is all an internal affair: the subject builds its own self, but its building material is the perception of others. And this fact is the precondition of any recognition, collectivity, connection, participation, sense of community. This precondition is a necessity, but at the same time that the subject feels it, lives it and depends on it, it will never accept it: we never want to be what we are; we claim the right not to be what we are. Rupture is constantly lurking in the possibility of claiming refusal: at every instant, we are entitled to deny the precondition of collectivity and abolish any connection or relationship. The story is divided in six chapters.

Artists: FIRST DAY: Julian Rosefeldt & Piero Steinle, Void Network, Marc Bijl, The Erasers, Adbusters, hobbypopMUSEUM, Banu Cennetoglu | SECOND DAY: Omer Ali Kazma, Nikos Kessanlis, Jannis Savvidis, Florian Süssmayr, Ciprian Muresan, Chris Evans, The Otolith Group, Edward Lipski, Bernhard Willhelm, Yorgos Sapountzis, Eva Stefani, Stefanos Tsivopoulos, Olaf Nicolai, Folkert de Jong, John Kleckner, Jannis Varelas, Eva Vretzaki, Stelios Faitakis, Pablo Picasso | THIRD DAY: Olaf Breuning, Gregor Schneider, Thanassis Totsikas, Bjarne Melgaard, Annelise Coste, Lotte Konow Lund, Jan Freuchen, Kajsa Dahlberg, Robert Gober, Georgia Sagri, Pierre Joseph, Sean Landers, Mark Manders | FOURTH DAY: Assume Vivid Astro Focus, Torbjorn Rodland | FIFTH DAY: Aidas Bareikis, Kimberly Clark, Narve Hovdenakk, Martin Skauen, Vassilis Patmios Karouk, Erkan Ozgen, John Bock, Yiannis Adamakos, Terence Koh | SIXTH DAY: Elodie Pong, Temporary Services & Ange lo, Peter Dreher, Christian Marclay, Derek Jarman, Eleni Mylonas

DESTROY ATHENS -- APPENDIX

How to endure

Curated by Tom Morton

How to endure borrows the idea of magic where rituals have two -- apparently unrelated -- actions, that is to change the world and at the same time to keep it as it is. Featuring references from Alistair Crowley to Parmenides and Harry Smith, nine artists are invited to create new artworks – rituals that will change the world by preserving it, or to exhibit works that are related to this theme. The picture of Athens they are interested in "preserving" is not that of historical past but the one of contemporary Athens of present, at a time when the world's eyes are elsewhere.

Artists: Charles Avery, Miguel Calderon, Allen Ginsberg, Loris Greaud, Roger Hiorns, Matthew Day Jackson, Germaine Kruip, Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely, Olivia Plender, Maaike Schoorel

10th September - 18th November Exhibition hosted by RemapKM Venue: Former Hotel "Galini" | 38, Leonidou Street | Metro: Metaxourgeio

Young Athenians

Curated by Neil Mulholland

Young Athenians, presents a group of artists that live and work in Edinburgh. The title forms an ironic reference to the infamous cliché of Edinburgh as the Athens of the North. This -- unrealistic -- relation of the two cities is used by the artists as a vehicle of commenting on the urban environment they live in.

Artists: Tam A, Kim Coleman, Craig Coulthard, Keith Farquhar, Tommy Grace, Jenny Hogarth, Darius Jones, David MacLean, John Mullen, Ellen Munro, One O'Clock Gun, Lee O'Connor, Katie Orton, Kate Owens, Sophie Rogers, Robin Scott, Cathy Stafford

10th September - 18th November Exhibition hosted by RemapKM Venue: 43, Kerameikou Street | Metro: Metaxourgeio

DESTROY ATHENS – FILM

Open Air Screenings

A selection of films and videos by artists participating in the 1st Athens Biennial Destroy Athens.

9th - 10th September Screenings hosted by RemapKM Venue: 8, Iassonos Street | Metro: Metaxourgeio

On the Edge Screenings

Films by Nina Menkes, Benedek Fliegauf, Pavel Medvedev, Velasco Broca, Eva Stephani, selected by the Athens International Film Festival and the Athens Biennial.

20th - 30th September Screenings hosted by the Athens International Film Festival Venue: Apollon Cinema, 20, Stadiou Street | Metro: Panepistimio

DESTROY ATHENS -- LIVE

Live at Public Opening

Curated by Chloe Vaitsou Artists: Antifamily, Infinite Livez vs DJ Tendraw, 7000 Dirhams

10th September Venue: "Technopolis" of the City of Athens

Destructive Sound Events

Curated by Ilios Artists: Costes, Antimatter/ Z. Karkowski, Scott Arford, V/VM, Dave Philips, Michael Gendre

13th - 14th October Live hosted by RemapKM Venue: "417" Club, 53, Kerameikou Street | Metro: Metaxourgeio

The 1st Athens Biennial 2007
Destroy Athens
Kuratoren: Xenia Kalpaktsoglou, Poka-Yio, Augustine Zenakos

mit Julian Rosefeldt & Piero Steinle, Void Network , Marc Bijl, The Erasers , Adbusters , hobbypopMUSEUM , Banu Cennetoglu, Omer Ali Kazma, Nikos Kessanlis, Jannis Savvidis, Florian Süssmayr, Ciprian Muresan, Chris Evans, The Otolith Group , Edward Lipski, Bernhard Willhelm, Yorgos Sapountzis, Eva Stefani, Stefanos Tsivopoulos, Olaf Nicolai, Folkert de Jong, John Kleckner, Jannis Varelas, Eva Vretzaki, Stelios Faitakis, Pablo Picasso, Olaf Breuning, Gregor Schneider, Thanassis Totsikas, Bjarne Melgaard, Annelise Coste, Lotte Konow Lund, Jan Freuchen, Kajsa Dahlberg, Robert Gober, Georgia Sagri, Pierre Joseph, Sean Landers, Mark Manders , assume vivid astro focus , Torbjorn Rodland, Aidas Bareikis, Kimberly Clark, Narve Hovdenakk, Martin Skauen, Vassilis Patmios Karouk, Erkan Özgen, John Bock, Yiannis Adamakos, Terence Koh, Elodie Pong, Temporary Services  & Ange lo, Peter Dreher, Christian Marclay, Derek Jarman, Eleni Mylonas

DESTROY ATHENS - APPENDIX, How to endure
Kurator: Tom Morton
mit Charles Avery, Miguel Calderon, Allen Ginsberg, Loris Greaud, Roger Hiorns, Matthew Day Jackson, Germaine Kruip, Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely, Olivia Plender, Maaike Schoorel

Young Athenians
Kurator: Neil Mulholland
mit Tam A, Kim Coleman, Craig Coulthard, Keith Farquhar, Tommy Grace, Jenny Hogarth, Darius Jones, David MacLean, John Mullen, Ellen Munro, One O´Clock Gun, Lee O´Connor, Katie Orton, Kate Owens, Sophie Rogers, Robin Scott, Cathy Stafford