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Athens Intersection

June 2017 — April 2019 ∷ Athens Commercial Triangle

June 2019 — today ∷ Athens Commercial Triangle ∷ Exarchia ∷ Athens Metropolitan Cathedral Area — Plaka ∷ Archeological Museum Area

The Athens Intersection Cultural Program was initiated in April 2017 by CHEAPART in collaboration with the Athens Commercial Triangle Program of the Municipality of Athens. In this relation, Athens Intersection creates a robust arts and events program to increase cultural awareness within the Athens Commercial district. Athens Trigono (supported by an exclusive donation from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (ISN), with the coordination of Athens Partnership) holds the overall task of revitalising the Commercial Triangle by creating more vibrant and sustainable public spaces and encouraging commercial growth and new business development in the area.
In its first phase in 2017, Athens Intersection divides the art program into three area zones of the Commercial Triangle, Zone 1: Vyssis - Kairi, Zone 2: Agathonos - Karori, Zone 3: Chrysospiliotissis - Nikiou. Artists are invited to present a series of small exhibitions and art installations, performances and screenings in local shops and spaces, and participate in the guided tour program to art studios, to hidden spots and locations within the Commercial Triangle. This initiative claims the interest of locals and visitors to connect with art at well-known and daily destinations within the area.

From April to May 2017, Athens Intersection presented 4 group exhibitions, 24 art installations, 7 performances, 5 Pop- up exhibitions, guided tours in various locations and in artists' studios, in 32 places, shops, buildings and spaces of the Triangle.

June 2017 marked the beginning of the second phase of Athens Intersection with the group exhibition "REMINDERS" at the Old Paper Warehouse "Spiliotopoulos" on 3 Chrysospiliotissis Street, in the heart of the Athens Commercial Triangle. Up until May 2019, Athens Intersection implements an ambitious program of large-scale group exhibitions and festivals in landmark buildings, with the support of Athens Trigono. The Old Paper Warehouse "Spiliotopoulos", courtesy of the Chatzikosta Foundation, becomes Intersection's leading exhibition space. For the past two decades, the 1920 former paper warehouse remained empty and desolate.

A total of 10 group exhibitions, 2 art festivals (Back to Athens 2018, Beyond Human Impulses Performance festival) and 23 art and music performances are realised with the reopening of the Old Paper Warehouse "Spiliotopoulos".

Athens Intersection's growing success paved the way for introducing new spaces, exploring new artistic potential, and thus expanding on program implementation. Buildings such as Vyssis & Agathonos street as well as Aiolou & Athenaidos are re-opened and reused after many years of neglect (initiative of the Athens Commercial Triangle Revitalization Program). My Odyssey estate at Vasiliki 1, 33 Praxitelous street, as well the building of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens at Vasiliki & Aeolou street, important historical landmarks of modern Greek architecture ranging from 1860 to the 1930's and 70's, become the latest sites to join Intersection's cultural venues.

From June 2017 - April 2019 Athens Intersection presented a total of 17 group exhibitions, 28 performances and art installations, 2 art festivals in 7 buildings and other locations and spaces with the Athens Commercial Triangle.

In June 2019, having concluded a 2-year cooperation with the pilot program “Athens Trigono" Commercial Triangle Upgrade Program of Athens, Athens Intersection enters a new phase by supporting the International Contemporary Art Fair of Athens Art-Athina in hosting its 1st summer Art-Athina edition at the building of Aeolus 48-50. At the Art Athina Summer Pop-Up, artists from 40 galleries from Greece and abroad join in an exhibition that prefaces the annual Art Athina in September 2019. The entire community of art galleries and members of PSAT (Hellenic Art Galleries Association) take a crucial step by introducing a fresh and new initiative within the Athens Commercial Triangle.

In July 2020, Athens Intersection, APART Art Research and Applications with the participation of CHEAPART, is supported by the Greek Ministry of Culture for the program "Αθήνα-Σημεία Τομής 2020". The cultural program of Athens Intersection 2020 is supported by the Austrian Embassy in Athens and the Austrian Ministry of Culture, Zoia, FOTA / Friends of the Athens Triangle, with focus on 3 important events: the group exhibition "Resides and Works in Athens", the 7th International Arts Festival "Back to Athens" and the group exhibition "In the Name ...".

Overall for 2020, Athens Intersection holds 14 group exhibitions with the participation of 116 Greek and International artists, 16 Greek and International curators, in 3 buildings and 3 Athenian areas (Exarchia, Athens Commercial Triangle, Plaka-Athens Metropolitan Cathedral Area).

Athens Intersection reunites with the International Cultural Festival "Back to Athens" in 2021, for its 8th edition entitled "Profiles of the Future | An inquiry into the limits of the possible", in 2021. Back to Athens, in collaboration with Intersection, re-opens the iconic Isaiah Palace on Patission street especially for the event which is realised with the collaboration of the Austrian Embassy in Athens, the Austrian Ministry of Culture, Zoia and the Offspring Young program.

Athens Intersection
Georg Georgakopoulos, Program leader, curator (April 2017 - today)
Fotini Kapiris, Communications, curator (Απρίλιος 2017 - today)
Thanos Vovolis, performance curator (April - October 2017)
Kyriakos Spirou, (April - May 2017)