Athens Biennale 2015–2017: Omonoia, Synapse 1

Omonoia, the Athens Biennale 2015–2017, begins its official program on November 18, 2015 with Synapse 1: Introducing a laboratory for production post–2011.

Synapse 1 is an ongoing collective experiment, which will transform the Omonoia area into a social laboratory of ideas with the contribution of anthropologists, researchers, activists, academics, artists, civic organizations and self-managed groups.

From November 18 to 29, 2015, the Athens Biennale 2015–2017 “inhabits” the greater area of Omonoia, joining forces and sharing its spaces and facilities with cultural institutions such as the National Theatre of Greece, non-profit art spaces, individual artists and groups. From the deserted landmark hotel of Bageion, which serves as the central venue, the Athens Biennale expands across independent art spaces, shops and small businesses that operate in the core district of the city of Athens.

The aim of this “cohabitation” is to consider the common ground among groups of scholars, activists, self-managed organizations, cultural producers and other civic collectives involved in urban practices of communing, solidarity, urban welfare and alternative economies. Furthermore, the Athens Biennale attempts to create the conditions that will support artistic production and encourage collaboration with local and international bodies.

Massimiliano Mollona, the Programme Director of the Athens Biennale 2015–2017 (Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology, Goldsmiths College, London), is interested in “how art can contribute to broader political and economic debates and create a bridge between social research and civic engagement.”