Wie Nennst Du Dich – How Do You Call Your Self
“Alas, I have studied philosophy,
the law as well as medicine,
and to my sorrow, theology;
studied them well with ardent zeal,
yet here I am, a wretched fool,
no wiser than I was before”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust.
“We are not interested in the good of others ;
we are interested solely in power.
Not wealth or luxury or long life or happiness:
only power, pure power”.
George Orwell, 1984
Faust, the eternal symbol of humanity's titanic will and insatiable desire to uncover all secrets and solve all of life's problems, narrates the "tragedy of mankind." Humanity has always steadfastly believed in its unique value, the idea of continuous progress, and its dominance. History may be a succession of absurdities, tragedies, and crimes, yet the belief that the future will be better shapes the course of humanity. The individual has transformed into homo oeconomicus, adopting a utilitarian approach to every pleasure in the world, regardless of the cost to nature, “Others”, and various kinds of freedoms. The distance from nature experienced by contemporary man, as depicted in Goethe's work, leads to a crisis of human essence and a futile quest for self-actualization, while simultaneously being the major issue that undermines their very individual and collective existence. In our era, for the first time, the true dangers of our times (the climate crisis, the explosion of social inequalities, attacks on democracy, wars, the cost-of-living crisis) call humanity to confront itself through the paradox of an inherent critique that revolves around the negative consequences of anthropocentric culture’s evolution, the late phase of capitalism.
Today, when the finiteness of the world is verified and marked by the sense of resignation, fatigue, futility and sadness, the investigation of the internal and external conflicts of man with himself, with his natural and social environment, reveals phenomena of extreme competition, uncontrolled exploitation and brute violence, against human and non-human "Others". In a society where pleasures are measured by the principle of attribution, the exploitation/suppression of bodies, shame and injustice, a "change of role", the search for a new reality, becomes a necessity.
Curated by: Niki Papaspyrou, Marios Fournaris
Artists: Giorgos Alexandridis, Kostas Christopoulos, Efi Fouriki, Marios Fournakis, Dimitris Fragakis, Nikos Iavazzo, Nikos Papadimitriou, Augustus Veinoglou.
The exhibition is presented as part of Back to Athens 11 International Art Meeting | 2024: Crossroads - knowledge and worldly pleasures – a review
Back to Athens 11 International Art Meeting | 2024
Curated by: Georg Georgakopoulos, Fotini Kapiris, Christian Rupp.
Organised by: APART Art Research and Applications. Under the Auspices of the City of Athens. With the financial support and under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture [Silence of the Sirenes], Bundesministerium für Kunst, Kultur, öffentlichen Dienst und Sport, Austrian Embassy Athens, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna akbild, ZOIA, Czech Centre Athens in the frame of “Franz Kafka's memorial year 2024”. Participation, athensintersection, ARTmART. Coordinated by CHEAPART.
Back to Athens 11 International Art Meeting | 2024: Crossroads - knowledge and worldly pleasures
Isaiah Megaron
65 Patision, Athens
Opening date: Wednesday, June 26
Duration: 26 - 30.06.2024
Hours: Wed. – Fri. 16:00 - 22:00, Sat. – Sun. 12:00 – 22:00
