Exhibition that combines artworks of professional artists and artist that are mental health users. The exhibition took the concept of ‘non-places’ as de fined by the French anthropologist Marc Augé as its starting point. ‘Non-places’ refer to places of transit and passage, designed to be consumed, passed through or by such as airports and motorways. This exhibition puts works that are similar in context to ‘non-places’ on display. It showed sketches (doodles) that spring up from spur-of-the-moment impulses, created with no intention to be shown or even kept; in short, they were no result of their creators’ conscious activity.
The exhibition illustrated the return of contemporary art to simple experimental early forms of art, such as the art of persons with mental challenges is. Development of an inborn pictorial language as a means of expression as well as an alternative therapeutic medium for mental recovery was also suggested.
‘Non-Place Art’ exhibition featured doodles drawn on blank pages, in margins left on pages, post-it notes, Moleskine notebooks, diaries and any surface a sketch can be given a spontaneous, unintentional shape on. Including works by professional artists as well as by mental health services users, the exhibition allowed for sketches created by people relegated to the fringe of society to be seen, aiming to open a doorway to the broader community and facilitate integration.
Happenings: Soundscape’sProject, A Newspaper, a Ball of Red Thread and a Secret, Improvising in relationships, DJ Performance, Acrobatic Dance Theater Performance. Participating Artists: E.Aggelou, V.Anastasiou, V.Anastasopoulou, SOX, K.Vasiliadou, L.Yiakoumakis, Y.Gousis, S.Yousis, C.Callan, L.Kaloyeri, D.Kalyviotis, A.Lekka, Y.Maraziotis, A.Mavromati, V.Botoulas, D.Nikolopoulou, S.Papadaki, K.Papamihalopoulos, PANPAN, T.Papaioannou, O.Symvoulidis, P. Staikou, A. Symeonidi, V.Fenekou, C.Christodoulou, M.Christoforatou, S.Chronopoulou, Diadrome , Theotokos Foundation, Y.Kalcha (‘Dro’ Program), K.Mandilari (Poreia Boarding House), Society of Social Psychiatry and Mental Health, Metavasis, O.Tetenes.
The festival took place under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Health, the Greek Ministry of Culture and with the support of Psychiatric Hospital of Athens.
Exhibition Curator: Maritina Kontaratou, Culture Department, K.S.D.E.O. EDRA