In Transit | OpenArtLink 2025 Piraeus
[Available in English]
For millennia, Piraeus has stood as a hub of maritime trade. Its port shapes the city and links Athens with the Greek islands, supplying the essentials of daily life. In theory, the European Union guarantees the free movement of goods and people. In practice, crossing borders is full of obstacles. At Schengen’s external frontiers, such as in Greece, transit is tightly controlled: passports are checked every time someone boards or leaves an international ship.
These rules are far from neutral. Owners of large yachts move almost unhindered, protected by the exclusivity of gated marinas, while others face delays, inspections, and barriers. Women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans, and agender (FLINTA) people, along with queer individuals, experience these restrictions in intensified ways. Names and genders may be misrecorded on official documents, caregiving responsibilities create extra hurdles, and the threat of harassment or assault is ever-present.
In this festival, six Austrian artists confront these realities, exploring the politics of transit, privilege, and vulnerability. Their works examine the fragile balance between movement and confinement, freedom and control, offering perspectives that resonate far beyond Greece – linking both exhibitions into a broader conversation about borders, mobility, and human rights.
Curated by: Lars* Kollros
Artists: Astrid Didion, Laura Isselhorst, Sandra Lazányi, Flavia Mudesto, Mehrta Shirzadian, the Futile Corporation.
Supported by: the Austrian National Union of Students: OEH
The exhibition is presented at OpenArtLink 2025 | Piraeus Project, an initiative organised by CHEAPART and keramikos_23, aimed to unite international artists from diverse disciplines to explore innovation and creative exchange.
OpenArtLink 2025
Piraeus-Project
Athinon 8-12, 185 40, Piraeus 185 40
22 - 26 October, 2025
Opening: Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Organised by: CHEAPART, keramikos_23
Georg Georgakopoulos, Paolo Incarnato, Fotini Kapiris, Thalia Kerouli
https://www.openartlink.com
