Art and Crisis on the Street of Athens

Location: Zoom, YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Twitter, Periscope
Date: THURSDAY - 26 Nov. 2020 @ 7:00pm AEDT (Melbourne) | 10:00am EET (Athens)
Presenters: Dr Johnny Karanicolas

Language of Presentation: English | No knowledge of Greek required.
Entry: FREE

Synopsis

This presentation will outline the complex composition of the alternative art scene which has developed in Athens, Greece throughout a time of crisis. With the emergence of the economic crisis in 2009 and the intensification of the refugee crisis between 2015 and 2016, images of suffering, anarchy, indignation and violence have become synonymous with Athens. Developing in parallel with this has been a cultural revolution led by the city’s fast changing arts sector. The thriving art scene has attracted the attention of the international art world leading some to proclaim Athens as ‘the new Berlin’ (in reference to Berlin’s reputation as a hub of contemporary European art). The presentation will explore the extent to which times of crisis can be culturally productive by analysing the distinctive spatial, temporal and socio-political conditions that have facilitated the vibrant art scene in Greece’s capital city.

Bio

Dr. Johnny Karanicolas has completed a PhD in Social Anthropology based on over a year of field research in Athens, Greece exploring the burgeoning contemporary art scene. The research was informed by regular participation with artists, art collectives, curators, collectors, galleries, public and private art institutions, and festivals. Johnny currently works as a tutor at Adelaide University teaching across the disciplines of Anthropology, International Development and Criminology. Beyond this Johnny is a professional musician and artist having collaborated and performed with artists around the world (particularly in Greece and Australia).

How To Participate

In order to keep everyone safe we have organized this seminar to be delivered online.
However, we are well aware that for some, a large part of the appeal of our seminars is the very active audience participation.

Therefore we are providing two ways for you to enjoy the seminar: 

A. If you want to actively participate and ask questions at the end of the seminar you will need to join us through a Zoom Webinar - for which you'll need to pre-register by following this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/4816058550475/WN_ZRWQxw-bSmetlM9AywTVYg

B. If you prefer to sit back and enjoy the show, just visit our Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or Periscope pages where we'll be live streaming the event.