07 Jul 2009

ReMap 2 in Athens

ReMap 2 is an international platform of contemporary art running parallel to the 2nd Athens Biennale [June 16 to October 4, 2009]. ReMap 2 takes place in the culturally diverse and dynamic Kerameikos and Metaxourgeio [KM] district of downtown Athens.

ReMap 2 offers a rich web of more than 40 cultural events and art happenings, including exhibitions, open-air and site-specific installations by Greek and international galleries, independent curators, art groups, architects and ΚΜ residents. All cultural events take place in empty, functional or derelict spaces, including vacant buildings, parking lots, and plots of land.

The 'Open Air Screening Room' and the 'Guerilla Playground (tapedscape #01)' projects explore the synergies between art and everyday life in the KM neighborhood. �16 Workshop, a group of young architects and designers, invites visitors to discover an ephemeral urban playground created in an empty plot of land [titled 'Guerilla Playground (tapedscape #01)']. The 'Open Air Screening Room' project hosts three series of selected video art projects, consecutively presented by curator Marina Fokidis, the National Museum of Contemporary Art [EMST] and the Athens Biennale. The first project to be shown is titled 'Α Midsummer Night's Dream,' a reference to the play by William Shakespeare, curated by Marina Fokidis. Artist and KM resident Katerina Kana will be running 'The Documentation Project,' an online real time visual diary of what is happening in the neighborhood.

Αn international architecture symposium under the title 'SiteSpecificStrategies,' will take place in September. It brings together KM residents, architects, urbanists and other scientists who will explore the role of architecture in shaping the future urban identity, using the KM area as a reference. Τhe symposium will attempt to identify innovative ways of participation and involvement in urban life and propose models of urban transformation. A series of workshops will focus specifically on the KM area through the development of architectural propositions and the realization of architectural events in the neighborhood.

ReMap responds to the unique urban energy, cultural particularities and dynamic artistry of the ΚΜ neighborhood. It is organized by the non-profit cultural organization ReMapKM with the aim to introduce KM as an international hub for contemporary art. ReMapKM is sensitive to the complex realities of the KM area, looking at them as a means of artistic and architectural creativity that potentially enhances the quality of life in city centers, reinforces the city centers' residential character and supports social interaction.