Erdman and İhraç facilitated a public meditation of folding and unfolding objects of exchange. For this performance, they used Turkish towels, some of which are hand-woven and others machine-produced. The production of both versions involves repetitive movement that informed this performance. It invited the public to participate.
Hana Lee Erdman is an artist working and living in Berlin. She deals with choreography as expanded practice, approaching performance from both embodied and visual disciplines. She received a Masters Degree from the Inter-University Center for Dance (HZT), University of the Arts Berlin.
Jasmin İhraç is most interested in the interplay between political activism and artistic work, and explores how the political comes to its dance and dance finds its politics. She studied sociology at the Freie University Berlin and Contemporary Dance, Context and Choreography at the Inter-University Centre for Dance (HZT) in Berlin.
Microgeographies present ” Revivification of Ancient Ruins “: a unity of site-specific art works and public discussions, regarding the possibility of incorporating deserted archaeological sites in the everyday city life, starting from the remains of Artemis Agrotera Temple. At this context we presented the photographic presentation by architect Iosif Effrainidis and artist Panayiotis Lamprou titled: “Archaeological site of Artemis Agrotera, investigating the context”. The presentation was held at the educational organization “The Athens Center”, in collaboration with the Cultural Association ARDITTOS. A discussion followed.
Microgeographies project focuses for the third time on the site of Artemis Agrotera Temple, one of the most important archaeological sites in Athens located in the area of Ardittos – Mets, at the block bounded by the streets Ardittou, Thomopoulos, Kefalos and Koutoula. The history of the temple is directly connected with the Athenian victory at the Battle of Marathon (490 BC), , and the cultural flourishing of the city of ancient Athens. In 1778, the temple was demolished and its material was used for the construction of the Ottoman fortifications around Athens. On 06.17.2014 the 3rd Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities of the of the Greek Ministry of Culture announced that in the East part of the site they discovered the foundations of a second temple dedicated to “Zeus Meilichios” . Reference to the temple of Zeus is made by Pausanias and the new discoveries confirm its topography at the site. Today this particular archaeological site is fenced and invisible from the road, and is an archaeological-urban void in the area. Microgeographies contribute to the need of the local community to incorporate the Mets archaeological site in the everyday life of the neighborhood, and to their will to point out its importance as a local and international historic site.
Beyond Walden (on Thoreau’s Cabin) is a site specific installation (video/sound installation, wooden cabin) by Rika Krithara: “Based on Thoreau’s cabin, an installation about the safety of the shell. Constructing collectively a deserted, sinking cabin inside an abandoned architectural office, habitation widens negating the protective shell of a clear, expected structure. The potential of a fixed point of philosophical and poetic isolation transforms: the possibility of freedom is everywhere, in the infinity of the horizon. All possibilities are open – a vast space, this is “Walden”.
In the 1940’s, Tel-Aviv’s old bus station was established in Neve Sha’anan neighbourhood, not far from the city center, but far enough to disregard. Like in many other cities, the terminal area became a center for all that society wishes to repress – prostitution, drugs and urban filth. It was also a place for great cheap shopping and a huge mixture of colours, smells and options. in 1993, after 26 years of on-off construction, the new central bus station was opened. Like a concrete baby with geriatric problems, the huge station’s opening brought waves public scrutiny, with any predicting its failure. And it failed. But still, today it hosts people from dozens of countries living in the area, crowded public venues, food stalls, karaoke, shops and events, and a fantastic lively atmosphere as the main commercial center for the entire area.
But it’s 45% abandoned, neglected, dirty and unsafe.
Ece Pazarbaşı offered delicatessen from the Ottoman period in reference to the performers Erdman and İhraç. Evolving around the issues of body and the time span of the body, Pazarbaşı offered spicy rice with MUSSLES and a special Helva that is offered after funerals.
In her conceptual cooking practice, Pazarbaşı uses existing recipes to re-define contemporary situations and conflicts and to create a change in the audience’s perception regarding these situations.
Ece Pazarbaşı works and walks on the merged borderline of curatorial practice, artistic research and alternative education. Since 2007 she has been curating public space projects and audio tours in the urban and rural domains. She was a fellow at the Institute for Spatial Experiments (O. Eliasson) and is currently a MFA/PhD Students advisor at New York Transarts Institute’s Summer Academy in Berlin.
Our stall in the Markthalle Neun. “Rice with Mussels.”
November 14, 2014 – Nowness. A public action organised by Rafaella Constantinou
Rafaella Constantinou organised a public intervention that focused on the most appealing, yet neglected and unfrequented part of the route: the pond or “construction site” as it is often referred to by the owner of the land – which is what it originally was before it was filled up with water. Constantinou sought to make an invisible place visible by dying the pond with a non-toxic, fluorescent colour. In the process she convinces the initially reluctant landowner (the Foundation of the Hellenic World, a cultural institution adjacent to the Athens School of Fine Art) to overcome their fears and give permission for the action to take place. Even more importantly, a security guard will be the first person to throw colour in the water, in a symbolic, albeit momentary exit from his role as a keeper of the order and the status quo. Nowness @ Artificial Lake behind the Athens School of Fine Arts, was a public action organised by Rafaella Constantinou at the context of the Itinerant Photography Lab
Nowness @ Artificial Lake behind Athens School of Fine Arts
November 12, 2014 – Relocation I : pic nic A public action organised by Evangelia Raftopoulou
Relocation I: pic nic, a public, participatory action planned and organised by Evangelia Raftopoulou took place on that cloudy Wednesday afternoon on the sidewalk that is part of the route followed by the Itinerant Photography Lab. Raftopoulou cooked stuffed tomatoes (“gemista”, a traditional Greek dish) and invited friends and fellow students from the Athens School of Fine Art to bring some food and share a pic-nic lunch accompanied by wine and conversations on the pavement next to the industrial ruins of a former furniture factory. She also invited local workmen and passersby to join in. By transforming a place of passage, a public space into a place of rest, an intimate space and by dislocating-relocating human bodies she sought to expose the established spatial and temporal relations, and to redefine our experience of lived space; ultimately, to practice space* (de Certeau). Relocation I : pic nic @ Pavement next to industrial ruins of A.S.F.A, was a public action organised by Evangelia Raftopoulou at the context of the Itinerant Photography Lab
This tour focuses on the flourishing Jewish history of Thessaloniki. The city housed a major Jewish community, mostly of Sephardic origin, until the middle of the Second World War. It is the only known example of a city of this size in the Jewish diaspora that retained a Jewish majority for centuries. Salonica’s 54,000 Sephardim were shipped to the Nazi extermination camps. Nearly 98% of the total Jewish population of the city died during the war. Only the Polish Jews experienced a greater level of destruction.
Starting point: Modiano market.
The Jewish Modiano clan was one of the most powerful and economically productive families in Thessaloniki.
The original entrance of the market in the background, designed by the son of the banker Modiano.
The former Ottoman bazar of the city.
The old Jewish market, now in ruins.
The old Roman market.
Passage (Stoa) Allatini, the other influential Jewish family of the city.
Today the archaeological site of Artemis Agrotera is fenced and invisible from the road, and is an archaeological-urban void in the area. Microgeographies present ” Revification of Ancient Ruins “: a unity of site-specific art works and public discussions, regarding the possibility of incorporating deserted archaeological sites in the everyday city life, and contribute to the need of the local community to incorporate the Mets archaeological site in the everyday life of the neighborhood. The following events were performed in collaboration with the Cultural Association Ardittos. On Sunday November 9, at the site of Artemis Agrotera, we interacted with the two site-specific works by the artists Marianna Lyra (in collaboration with residents of Mets) and Nikos Stathopoulos. A discussion followed at the space of “Ardittos”.
Microgeographies project focuses for the third time on the site of Artemis Agrotera Temple, one of the most important archaeological sites in Athens located in the area of Ardittos – Mets, at the block bounded by the streets Ardittou, Thomopoulos, Kefalos and Koutoula. The history of the temple is directly connected with the Athenian victory at the Battle of Marathon (490 p. Ch.), the Marathon race, and the cultural flourishing of the city of ancient Athens. In 1778, the temple was demolished and its material was used for the construction of the Turkish wall around Athens. On 06.17.2014 we were notified by the 3rd Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities Archaeological Service, that in the western part of the site was excavated the foundation of a second temple dedicated to “Zeus Meilichios”. Reference to the temple of Zeus is made by Pausanias and the new discoveries confirm its topography at the site. Today this particular archaeological site is fenced and invisible from the road, and is an archaeological-urban void in the area. Microgeographies contribute to the need of the local community to incorporate the Mets archaeological site in the everyday life of the neighborhood. And to their will to point out its importance as a local and international historic site.
(A) 12.30-2.30mm, at the side of Ardittou Street (the elevated part of the pavement that forms the courtyard of the temple of Artemis Agrotera): “Rising”, an interactive performance by artist Nikos Stathopoulos.
Rising is an interactive work where the artist is experiencing the urban environment suspended from a flexible metal cage. The viewer can participate in the process. The art work enables the viewer to find the height of the temple of Artemis Agrotera in classical times. From there the viewer will simultaneously have the ability to see inside the fenced site on one side and the important monuments of the neighboring region (Temple of Olympian Zeus, Acropolis view) on the other side.
B – 12.30-2.30mm on the road head (behind the temple of Artemis Agrotera):
The “Procession” urban mural by artist and resident of Mets Marianna Lyra .
The urban mural entitled “The Procession” frames Kefalou str, one of the four streets that define the specific archaeological site, and captures two processions, the past and present that offer symbolic gifts to the future. The artist tells us: “The specific archaeological site is a field of conflict since 1962 between the forces of integration and the forces of preservation of historical and archaeological memory”. The thought of the artist Marianna Lyra is “to create, with the participation of the inhabitants of Mets, a work of propitiation, a gesture of reconciliation of past and present along with a wish for peace and quiet reign after so many years of troubled spirits in this area, to be cured by wounds and be recognized as sacred and historical place of the Athenian citizens of the 21st century.”
C – 15: 30-17: 30 Discussion at the space of “ARDITTOS” (2 Charvouri & ADO. Voulgareos). The discussion focused on the gradual disenchantment of the site over the years. And the processes by which we attempt to re- vivificate ancient monuments through the therapeutic use of art work. In the discussion
We refered to examples delineated and actions made in this and other sites.
We deepened in the concept of the archaeological site and its relationship with the urban and natural landscape.
And we asked again for the current relationship between the landscape of Attica with modern planning and private interventions.
A+B, two site-specific works by the artists Marianna Lyra (with residents of Mets) and Nikos Stathopoulos.
C, discussionat the space of the local cultural association of “ARDITTOS”.
Two different tours will on one hand investigate the concept of guided-tours-as-an-artistic-strategy and on the other hand will inspire civic participation. By providing a platform for collaboration, the exchange and sharing of knowledge and stories the tours will bring audiences, architects, and artists together and generate an artistic and local discussion about urban environments. We are particularly interested in illuminating underrepresented narratives that usually donʼt have a voice and through that questioning the hegemonic discourse that shapes cities, such as immigrant groups. Politics of public space, gentrification and civil responsibility are of high interest for us in this regard.
This walking tour focused on the life of the (Bangladeshi) immigrants, where they live, where they shop, where they pray, where they eat. Very educational.
All tours started at the entrance to the Modiano Market.
Little kiosks, peripteri, are being taken over by Bangladeshi immigrants, semi-legally.
The beautiful passages (stoa) of Thessaloniki.
The only Bangladeshi/Asian shop in Thessaloniki, owned by Rana’s father.
Here you can buy products from Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
A semi-secret mosque in the center of the city. Muslims from different countries gather here. Mosques are illegal in Greece. This one opened after years of fighting with the officials. Finally, it was granted, but only underground.
The tour ended in the best Indian restaurant of Thessaloniki where Rana works as a waiter and his father as a chef.
The most delicious Tandoori Chicken.
A TV with popular Indian series in the background.
