Hell As Pavilion

Hell as Pavilion at Palais de Tokyo in Paris explores the question of ‘being contemporary’ in a cultural crisis. The exhibition’s title arise from the words HELL AS, as they appear in Jean-Luc Godard’s movie ‘Socialisme’ and refers to today demonisation of Greece – with a play on words, btetween Hell and Hellas – as an allegory to reflect on the the absurdity of (co-)existence – political, economic and also cultural.

The show, on display until April 4, brings together a selection of Greek artists from different generations; the artworks by historic exponents of the Greek avant-garde in art and architecture are combined with installations, videos, photos and paintings by younger artists and collectives. The different perspectives presented in the exhibition make clear a sense of urgency in the contemproary Greek art about some issues related to identity and about all those forms of response to challenge what is Other and different. At the same time, the struggle ‘to be in the present’ of the Greek artists represents an opportunity to question the viewer’s owns sense of ‘united’ identity in relation to his/her historical and cultural background and to the economic crisis. ‘Hell as Pavilion’, ‘Hell as art practice’, but, above all, ‘Hell as modus vivendi’.