The Right To Breathe in the context of GREECE IN USA

Greece in USA launches the second iteration of its research program for the internationalization of Greek Culture in the USA. The group project The Right to Breathe takes as a starting point the “shortness of breath” derived from the experience of political pressure, social injustice, and economic austerity, exploring its connection with poetics, live art, and embodied politics. The concerns driving the “I Can’t Breathe” debates around race, discrimination, and violence have been left unconfronted for far too long. At the same time, the countless social injustices, and the politics of disposability that the COVID-19 pandemic lays bare expose the delusions of a post-racial society, as well as the deprivation of the universal right to breathe (see Achille Mbembe). The topic of breathability that the exhibition identifies and aims to historicize also provides an insight into the ongoing revaluation of criminal justice reform.

Participating Artists:

Chloe Akrithaki, Tonia Andrioti, Elaine Angelopoulos, Antonakis, Yota Argyropoulou / Michalis Konstantatos (Blindspot Theater Group), Christos Athanasiadis, Manolis Baboussis, Evangelia Basdekis, Rania Bellou, Abdelkader Benchamma, Emmanuel Bitsakis, Aggeliki Bozou, Christina Calbari, Lizzie Calligas, Rafika Chawishe, Thalia Chioti, Mat Chivers, Katerina Christidi, Dionisis Christofilogiannis, Lydia Dambassina, SeeVa Kitslis Dawne, Martha Dimitropoulou, Christophoros Doulgeris, Jessica Feldman & Steven Gertner, Dimitris Foutris, Mona Gamil, Maria Georgoula, Eleni Glinou, Nella Golanda, Kyriaki Goni, Delia Gonzalez, Efi Haliori, Zoe Hounta, The Callas (Lakis & Aris Ionas), Elias Kafouros, Eleni Kamma, Athanassios Kanakis, Nikomachi Karakostanoglou, Irini Karayiannopoulou, Ismini Karyotaki, Zoe Keramea, Aspassia Kouzoupi, Karolina Krasouli, Sia Kyriakakos, Dimitris Lamprou, James Lane, Anna Lascari, Jenny Marketou, Jannis Markopoulos, Yolanda Markopoulou (Mind the Fact), Eleanna Martinou, Despina Meimaroglou, Maro Michalakakos, Fryni Mouzakitou, Anna Muchin, Eleni Mylonas, Margarita Myrogianni, Mariela Nestora, John Newsom, Alice Palaska, Maria Papadimitriou, Nikos Papadopoulos, Natasha Papadopoulou, Euripides Papadopetrakis, Ilias Papailiakis, Elli Papakonstantinou (ODC Ensemble), Tereza Papamichali, Kostas Pappas, Eftihis Patsourakis, Helene Pavlopoulou, Anastasia Pelias, Elena Penga, Antonis Pittas, Tula Plumi, Artemis Potamianou, Marina Provatidou, Mantalina Psoma, Irene Ragusini, Nana Sachini, Georgia Sagri, Martha Sakellariou, George Sampsonidis, Katerina Sarra, Martin Sexton, Christina Sgouromiti, Vouvoula Skoura, Evangelia Spiliopoulou, Danae Stratou, Stefania Strouza, Vassiliea Stylianidou (aka Franck-Lee Alli-Tis), Maria Tsagkari, Antonis Tsakiris, Giorgos Tserionis, Filippos Tsitsopoulos, Nana Varveropoulou, Alexis Vasilikos, VASKOS (Vassilis Noulas & Kostas Tzimoulis), Nikolas Ventourakis, Eugenia Vereli, Vassilis Vlastaras, Panagiotis Vorrias, Maro Zacharogianire, Katerina Zacharopoulou, Theodoros Zafeiropoulos, Eleni Theodora Zaharopoulos, Lilia Ziamou, and Dimitris Zouroudis.

https://publish.exhibbit.com/gallery/538098149963264736/undercurrent-62747/?v=20210713083004&fbclid=IwAR0uxvnpNhZKbXdYxG18zMKuV9N3YZngN3IwEgn4ESgEa5e1e8OBqDNpvPM

/Video: The Right To Breathe /Gallery-1

IMPORTANT: To navigate between the eight galleries for this exhibition please find the + (plus sign) within the left menu. This is found after the exhibition introduction, after you enter the gallery, and after the controls are introduced. You can explore any of the galleries within this drop down menu.

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The exhibition at undercurrent.nyc is in dialogue with The Right to Silence? at Anya and Andrew Shiva Gallery, John Jay School of Criminal Justice (CUNY). Drawing from the 5th Amendment Right, the exhibition features pieces by visual and performing artists that attempt to uncover the profound and complex sense of silence that characterizes the prison industrial complex. The pieces investigate whether art and aesthetics can break the silence about crucial political issues such as mass incarceration and criminal justice reform.

Participating Artists:

Maria Antelman, Stephen Antonakos, Klitsa Antoniou, Kenji Aoki, Margarita Athanassiou, Bill Balaskas, Margarita Bofiliou, Veronique Bourgoin, Nicos Charalampidis, Cleopatra Charitou, Gioula Chatzigeorgiou, Despina Chatzipavlidou & Anthi Mouriadou, Tim D’Agostino, Christina Dimitriadi, Giorgos Drivas, Nayia Frangouli, Karen Finley, Alexandros Georgiou, Andrea Geyer & Sharon Hayes, Klio Gizeli,  Eva Giannakopoulou, Marion Inglessi, Dionysis Kavallieratos, Peggy Kliafa, Panos Kokkinias, Georgia Kotretsos, Aristeidis Lappas, Manolis Lemos-Daskalakis, Irini Linardaki, Aristeidis Logothetis, Olga Miliaresi – Foka & Despina Damaskou for SPAGHETTO , Giorgos Papafigos, Hara Piperidou, Vassilis Salpistis, Panos Sklavenitis, Efi Spyrou, Marilia Stagkouraki, Giorgos Stamatakis, Panos Tsagaris, Chrysanne Stathakos, Stefanos Tsivopoulos, Steve C. Harvey, Ashley Hunt, Richard Kamler, Renee Magnati, Ilan Manouach, Daina Mattis, Juli Susin, Mischa Twitchin, Lydia Venieri, Vangelis Vlachos, Antonis Volanakis, and Mary Zygouri.

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Invocations: Retracing Seneca at Seneca Village Central Park 

Complementing the The Right to Silence? Invocations: Retracing Seneca is a participatory walk that took place on the 14th of May 2021, paying homage to Seneca Village, conceived by artists Kimiyo Bremer and Karen Finley and curated by Sozita Goudouna. Seneca Village was a community made up of some 300 people. A majority of Seneca Village was composed of African American residents, many of which owned their own homes. Seneca was also populated by Irish and German immigrants who they lived together with as neighbors. The community was prosperous housing 3 churches, a school, a garden, many streets and a center. From 1853-1857, the city used eminent domain and police force to destroy and brutally demolish Seneca Village for the development of Central Park. The planned landscape of Central Park would create some of the most expensive real estate in the world, all of which we see today. The Seneca residents were forced to disperse with little archives maintained by the city to preserve this remarkable hamlet from the pre-civil war era. In our walk we will invoke ritual and retrace steps while offering recognition of these historic New Yorkers. We welcome you to conjure remembrance and sing spirit together, offer fellowship; to proclaim and honor as our way of giving respect.

The projects take place in the context of GREECE IN USA and will develop into a research program at the Organism of Poetic Research

GREECE IN USA is a New York City-based non-profit organization that promotes Greek culture in the U.S. Founded by Dr. Sozita Goudouna, GREECE IN USA is launched under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture, with the group exhibition The Right to Silence? on the reform of criminal justice. The first iteration is presented at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) until July 31, 2021, with the participation of 43 Greek and Cypriot artists, while the second parallel program was launched in May 14, 2021, at Seneca Village 

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Production Associate: Eva Kostopoulou

Greece in USA Associates: Odette Kouzou & Antigoni Papadopoulou

Photo 1: Georgia Sagri,Semiotics of the Household, 2018. HD video with sound 1’15 © Georgia Sagri / Courtesy The Breeder, Athens. 

Photo 2: Artworks by Stefania Strouza, Christina Calbari & Chloe Akrithaki

Partnering Non-Profit: 

Out of the Box Intermedia was founded in 2008 in London and Athens and produces projects with the support of the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Tourism, the European Cultural Foundation, the British Council, the French Institute, NEON Foundation and the Onassis Foundation.

Under the Auspices: Greek Ministry of Culture