2023 Eleusis, European Capital of Culture, in collaboration with Delta Pi Productions & Arts Management, organizes Mystery 19_Initiation as Methodology. From May 18 to June 10, six artists with a strong presence in Greece and abroad come to Elefsina, as part of the Visual Arts (V.A.) Initiator artistic residency program, are inspired by the place and its inhabitants and create works—the fruits of this interchange—highlighting the city’s rare diversity. The works are presented as part of a special event/walking tour in various locations around Elefsina, selected by the artists.
The Visual Arts (V.A.) Initiator program, implemented by the ECoC for the second time, aims to introduce young visual artists to the art of in situ installation and site-specific performance, under the supervision of a curatorial team, and to give them the opportunity to experiment with small and medium-scale works. The program creates the necessary conditions for guest artists to develop—during their stay in Elefsina—a close relationship with the city, to experience it, react to its stimuli and reinvent it through their artistic creations.
This year’s version of V.A. Initiator sets off from the deep past, seeking parallels and new openings to the present and the future. By developing the theme of Initiation as Methodology, it aims to develop in two directions: on the one hand, towards strengthening new artistic creation and the acquaintance of the local community with young artists and, on the other hand, towards enhancing the domestic art scene, creative professionals in the field of artistic residency and creating new possibilities in terms of joint synergies.
The 6-member group of artists participating in the residency program was formed following an open call, held in the spring of 2021. They were selected from 135 application from around the world. The six participating artists are: Pagona Zali (GR), Timothy Laskaratos (GR), Aimilia Liontou (AT), Maria Nikiforaki (GR), Eleni Mylona (CH), and Kamila Szejnoch (PL).
An important role in the shaping of the program is played by three prominent institutions from the artistic residency sectors, acting as mentors. These are Yellow Brick, Eight/Το Οχτώ and Snehta Residency, who are contributing to the creative process with human resources and expertise, and through a range of processes, themes, poetic nuance and methodology.
The works created by the artistic team under the supervision of the mentors are the result of a local creative process, the experiential relationship of the participants with the city and its inhabitants and are presented exclusively in Elefsina. City locations, stories, events and actions transform the obvious into an artistic or aesthetic event; they are the occasion for the creation of the ECoC’s tangible and intangible legacy.
Contributors
Mentors & Co-curators: Yellow Brick, Το Οχτώ/Eight, Snehta Residency
Design-Production Management: Konstantinos Sakkas
Technical Direction: Vassilis Saltas
Content Curation & Curatorial Coordination: Rallou Avramidou
Coordination of Artists & Artistic Actions: Anastasia Tsopelaki
Production Management: Anna Vakontiou, Katerina Kazou
Production Management: Delta Pi
