XI BIENNIAL OF YOUNG ARTISTS FROM EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN – ATHENS 2003

Therefore, the XI Biennial constituted an exceptional forum for cultural exchange, in parallel to the Olympic Ideal promoted by the hosting city of Athens around the world.

According to this ideal, the chosen theme of the edition was Cosmos, enhancing Athens as a place where different civilizations come and meet, to produce an harmonic, integral and peaceful environment.

The disciplines of this edition were organized as follows: Exhibitions (Fine Arts, Installations, Photography, Video Art, Digital Formation, Comic Strip, Architecture, Industrial Design, Graphic Arts, Illustration), Theatre, Music, Dance, Literature, Film Projections, Fashion, Cyber Art, Gastronomy.

Theme: COSMOS – A sea of Art

For this Biennial the artists were invited to present their own perception of Cosmos.

The artists started to question themselves about the feasibility to depict and represent the complexity of the contemporary world, opposed to the feeling that one can only speak for himself, for his own subjective microcosm.

This dilemma made room for modern youth creativity, having produced innovative artworks and interpretations where cosmographies and the digi-cosmos harmonically met with cosmopolitanism and globalization through the imaginary world of young creators.

Numbers

More than 800 artists coming from 18 Countries (Albania, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, France, FYROM, Greece, Jordan, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Republic of San Marino, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey) participated to the event.

To be signalled the works of: Anonymous Art Studio, Elena Bertoni and Simone Romano, performers and visual artists from Pisa, Alessandro Aronadio, film-maker from Italy, Lina Attel, theatre director from Jordan, Clare Azzopardi, writer from Malta, Abdelkader Benchamma, visual artist from Montpellier, Carpe Diem, group of graffiti painters from Athens, Jorge Cosmen, video-maker from Malaga, Baris Dogrusoz, visual artist from Istanbul, Kal, group of contemporary Romany music from Italy and Serbia, Keep on the asphalt, visual artists from Helsinki, Goran Micevski, visual artist from Belgrade, Dejan Mrdja, visual artist from Belgrade, Heldi Pema, video-maker from Tirana, Nordine Sajot, visual artist from Pescara and Alexandra Waierstall & Co/Noema dance works, performing arts group from Cyprus.

Venues

All events were held in Antonis Tritsis Park of Environmental Awareness at Ilion, in the western part of Athens. The aim behind the choice of the organizers was the upgrading of a neglected area, which was cut off from cultural activities.

Thanks to the Biennial and the Olympic Games this area has been upgraded and grown becoming the place where the artists could exchange views and experiences. 

Bjcem

in collaboration with

General Secretariat for the Olympic Games – Hellenic Ministry of Culture

Association for the Development of West Athens National Youth Foundation

Organization for Planning and Environmental Projection of Athens Conservation Volunteers, Greece Soma Hellinon Proposkopon- Scouts of Greece

Organizers

President

Diagoras Chronopoulos – President and Managing Director of the Greek Film Center, Theater Director

Members

Magdalini Kalopana – Musicologist

Antonis Kioukas – Deputy Director of the Thessaloniki International Festival, Film Director

Kostantinos Ikonomoy – Barrister

Dimitris Papadimitriou – Composer

Sofia Spiratou – Choreographer

Georgos Tzirtzilakis – Architect

Organizing Committee

General Director

Vivi Andreou – Deputy, Minister of Education and Religious Affairs Office

General Coordination

Olga Vatsaki

Communication Advisor

Victoria Zugourou-Kartali

Financial Consultant

Alexis Fragiadis

Art Advisor

Stamatis Samakouris,

Special Collaborators

Katerina Zafranidou, Tzenia Kondaratou, Konstantinos Prepis

Coordinator of Workshop, Meetings and Symposiums

Eleni Mathiopoulou

Literature Coordinator

Efrosini Grillia

Fashion Coordinator

Varvara Fatsikosta

Volunteer Programs Coordinator

Zacharias Anepoliotakis, Iris De Ath, Voluntary Work

Executive Manager

Manolis Sardis

Assistants

Katerina Kostarakou, Marianna Pana, Evi Stoidou, Katerina Farmaki, Adi Fluture, Afroditi Christodoulidou

Responsible for Hospitality

Rena Giouvanakoglou

Technical Manager

Andreas Trifonas, Giorgos Roupakas

Curator and Designer of Exhibition

Spyros Papadopoulos

Collaborators

K. Belonis, A. Goussiaki, E. Mantzari, M. Nikolakopoulou, CH. Hari

Technical Advisors

A. Efthimiadis, T. Katsibiris

Light designer

A. Tsagarasoulis

Special Assistants

N. Koukoumis, I. Bourazanas, S. Papadatos, I. Papadopoulos, E. Papadopoulou, D. Platanakis, K. Skalkou, M. Stavrakakis, S. Chryssanthopoulos.