Decolonizing Salon

Decolonizing Salon

1927 Art Space, in partnership with Decolonize Hellas,

invites artists to the

Decolonizing Salon

Discussions

Reading Groups

Workshops

Poster exhibition

In a cultural landscape shaped, on the one hand, by the instrumentalization of cultural heritage for tourist and nationalist purposes, and, on the other, by the domination of private foundations over contemporary cultural creation, and also in a broader context of privatization of public spaces, environmental catastrophe, and increasing violence and policing, we invite artists of any medium and age, to think and envision the decolonization of Greek culture and its institutions: How can we redefine the meaning of culture? How can we reclaim cultural institutions for the benefit of society at large? How can we redistribute resources so that artistic creation empowers the artists and society? What is the role of art in the broader context of global neoliberal and neocolonial politics?

We want to focus on the art of poster making as a tool for action, propaganda and consciousness-raising. We invite artists to create posters around ideas and topics that we will collectively explore: How can we imagine “decolonized” buildings, heritage, public space, landscapes, colors, (anti-)heroes, narratives, all the things that constitute what we call “Greek culture?”

In order to develop a common frame of communication and understanding, we are reviving the idea of the ‘salon’ as a space of dialogue, flow of ideas, exchange and creativity. In this frame, artists will be invited to participate in workshops, lectures, discussion and reading groups, organized around concepts of decolonization in Greece and internationally. Among our guest speakers we will have: Collage Chile (artists’ collective), Nuno Coelho (designer and curator), Aktina Stathaki (curator and researcher).

The full program will be announced later in September.

The salon discussions are open to everyone. The posters created by the artists will be exhibited in 1927 art space after the salon closes.

Start date: October 6.

Exhibition dates: January 2022

Interested artists should fill in the application form – found here. Participation in the salon is free and voluntary.

During the salon, all health measures will be observed. Μeetings will be online and hybrid (online and in person for those who can and want).