In September 2019 Onassis AiR, the annual Onassis Foundation artistic research & residency program in Athens, opened the doors of an empty building in the center of Athens to house a community of peers from Greece and abroad. Today, after six months of inhabiting this space, filling it with hours of thinking, talking, reading, testing, and making as well as eating together, Onassis AiR has become a home. This house now belongs to more than 30 artists, curators and art practitioners.

Between March 30 and April 24, Onassis AiR 2020/21 Open Call invites artists, designers, activists, curators, collectives, educators who defy the marketable academic establishments, lawyers, performance makers, economists, agitators of institutional models, philosophers, filmmakers and other practitioners who are interested in a communal exploration of two thematic focus areas which the program finds urgent to explore during its second year in existence: identities and ecologies.

Inspired by the title of a novel by Wilson Harris, The Infinite Rehearsal in Four Movements is conceived as a collective research program. Fall 2020: Identities Annihilated (from September until December 2020) will be convened by performance theorist Hypatia Vourloumis and will attend to the ways in which identities cannot be reduced or made transparent. Spring 2021: Everything Equally Evolved (from February until May 2021) will be convened by the writer and artist James Bridle and will explore how the tools we have can at hand be reimagined to bring us down to Earth.

Movement I: 14 September – 25 October 2020
Movement II: 2 November – 13 December 2020


SPRING 2021: EVERYTHING EQUALLY EVOLVED

Movement III: 17 February – 31 March 2021
Movement IV: 7 April – 19 May 2021

The Onassis AiR 2020/21 Open Call is for participants of any age who live & work in Greece or anywhere in the world, but who will commit to being in Athens for the whole duration of the program. Participants should be able to clearly demonstrate an extensive engagement within their practice of one of the two research topics that will be explored in 2020/21, to seek collective exploration and co-existence with their peers without hierarchical structures, and to participate in a non-homogenous collective research environment composed of groups of practitioners coming from diverse disciplines and practices. Each participant will receive an individual research fee of 2,500€ (euros), on top of other resources detailed in the full open call.

ABOUT THE PROGRAMS

FALL 2020: IDENTITIES ANNIHILATED

Convened by: Hypatia Vourloumis

During the Infinite Rehearsals: Movement I & II, participants will seek to attend to the ways in which identities cannot be reduced or made transparent. They will practice a methodological structure of collective study and experimentation, aesthetically and poetically imagined through non-linear associative principles. Crucially, as they will find themselves on the Mediterranean coast, and in a city that is the constructed ancient origin of Western civilization and white supremacy, they will think through the notion of historical identity as a performative, as a method, and not a state of being. In other words, they will engage with questions of doing as opposed to knowing or being, attend to the ongoing legacies of colonial and anti-colonial history rather than ontological claims, refuse linear time, embrace opacity and the movement of freedom, practice disidentification. They will ask: how are we all entangled, in the quantum physics’ sense, in a planetary ‘difference without separability’ as Denise Ferreira da Silva writes? How are we always already “singular-plural” (Jean-Luc Nancy), in the elsewhere and otherwise? How can we destroy the fixed notions and categories of separation inherent to racial capitalism through the aesthetics of a transformative mode of history and time, through the aesthetic imagination and its materializations as a transformative and abolitionist force? How are we always already sharing out the unshareable, invaluable, incalculable?

During Infinite Rehearsal: Movement III & IV participants will collectively explore some of these, and other questions: How can the tools we have at hand be reimagined to bring us down to Earth? How do we reassert the importance of community while building solidarity with the more-than-human world? What would it look like to take the intelligence of animals, plants, and ecosystems as seriously as we take the intelligence of smart machines? What is the relationship between distributed networks and distributed power? How do we practically engage with sensoriums other than our own? And what is vital about doing so here and now, on the edge of the Mediterranean and other, possible futures?

ABOUT THE CONVENERS 

Hypatia Vourloumis is a performance theorist working across anticolonial, feminist, critical race and queer theory; Indonesian and modern Greek cultural production; philosophies of language; theories of aesthetics, music, poetics; sound studies. She received her Ph.D. in performance studies at NYU and was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Interweaving Performance Cultures Research Centre at Freie University and the Research Centre for the Humanities in Athens. She is co-editor of Performance Research journal ‘On Institutions’ and has published in journals, art catalogs and edited volumes including Women & Performance, Ephemera, and Theatre Journal. She is co-author with Sandra Ruiz of a book on the aesthetics of resonance (forthcoming with Minor Compositions) and completing a monograph on postcolonial Indonesian paralanguage. She teaches critical theory in the MA Art Praxis at the Dutch Art Institute.

James Bridle is a writer and artist working across technologies and disciplines. Their artworks have been commissioned by galleries and institutions and exhibited worldwide and on the internet. Their writing on literature, culture, and networks has appeared in magazines and newspapers including Wired, The Atlantic, the New Statesman, The Guardian, and the Observer. “New Dark Age”, their book about technology, knowledge, and the end of the future, was published by Verso (UK & US) in 2018, and they wrote and presented “New Ways of Seeing” for BBC Radio 4 in 2019. Their work received an Honorary Mention at the Prix Ars Electronica 2013, an Excellence Award at the Japan Media Arts Festival 2014, and an Honorary Mention at CERN COLLIDE 2016, and was shortlisted for the Future Generation Art Prize 2014. They won the Design Museum Graphics Design of the Year in 2014. They were named as one of the 1000 Most Influential People in London by the Evening Standard in 2007, and one of the 100 Most Influential People in Europe by WIRED Magazine in 2015. They hold a Master’s Degree in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from University College, London, and wrote the dissertation on creative applications of Artificial Intelligence.

ONASSIS AiR is an initiative of the Onassis Foundation, a cross-pillar collaboration between the Onassis Culture & Onassis Education pillars of the Foundation. Committed to its mission of extending access to health, education, and culture to as many people as possible, the Onassis Foundation supports education with over 7,000 scholarships covering study at the doctoral and postgraduate level in a wide range of fields both in Greece and internationally, investing in curious minds. At the same time, over 1,000 artists who are already releasing their potential enjoy the support of the Onassis Foundation in the form of scholarships. In addition, with over forty Onassis Stegi productions that tour abroad, it presents Greece at its best to the rest of the world. A restless Foundation that takes the support for artists' needs to the next level through Onassis AiR, its new artistic research & (inter)national residency program.

We stay close, not closed. Distance unites us.

We stay at home. But we insist on going out, through the Onassis digital channel. In Athens, New York, Los Angeles, all around the world.  Every week the Onassis Foundation uploads and shares on its YouTube channel instances, images, discussions, sounds, emotions. Sold-out shows, new podcasts, educational programs, virtual cinematic experiences, online courses, secret concerts.

The reality of the Onassis Foundation becomes digital. One Stegi in every house, in a place that doesn’t exist in the map, to entertain, educate, unite, trigger discussions.

We come close, we take the best seat on the couch and tune into the digital channel of the Onassis Foundation. Where you can find something different today and every day with new content made available every Friday, free of charge and with no time limit.

On Stage: With “On Stage,” the Onassis Foundation brings out theatrical and musical shows that were unforgettable, sold out or you didn’t get the chance to attend. Reviewing the past ten years of Stegi and Onassis USA past years’ action, the new digital platform of the Onassis Foundation brings (again) to the stage legendary theatrical and dance performances and concerts.

Onassis Encounters: A meeting with artists, authors, scientists, people who transform the way we think through their works, their lives. Each video is a unique encounter, an opportunity to look at the past but also towards the future, giving a chance to here-and-now culture.

Future in Common: A program created for all the things that concern us, starting from today until as far as tomorrow goes, for what fuels our curiosity and energy, for what we have shared for long and for what we want to share in the future. A place where art meets the environmental crisis and fashions meets thoughts, ideas and a three-dimensional world made of digits.

Onassis Cinema: The curated program “Cinema” consists of selected films by filmmakers who take risks, experiment and redefine the concept of cinema. Hybrid documentaries, short films, powerful stories, including new films that are introduced to the public for the first time, on the virtual premiere in our digital channel.

From April 3, the theatrical performances Little Red Riding Hood – The First Blood, written and directed by Lena Kitsopoulou (2014), Euripides’ Bacchae, directed by Aris Biniaris (2018), the Onassis Youth Festival (2019), as well as RootlessRoot’s dance show Kireru (2012) will be available. from April 10 you will be able to watch a tribute to Efthimis Filippou, including two shows at Stegi based on his texts: Emata (Bloods), directed by Argyro Chioti and the Vasistas Company (2014), and Ρομπ/Rob, directed by Dimitris Karantzas (2018); Antigone in Ferguson, presented at the Onassis USA in New York, with famous American actors accompanied by a choir (2016), and the dance performance Cementary by Patricia Apergi and the Aerites Dance Company (2017).

When it comes to music, you can sway in your living room to the music of Blaine Reininger’s secret concert at the Upper Stage of Stegi (2018), marvel at Tuned City that took place in Ancient Messene (2018), while next week you may be mesmerized by Klangforum Wien and their Happiness Machine (2019) at Stegi and by Lena Kitsopoulou singing Rebetika: The Blues of Greece, at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan (2019).

You can also enjoy discussions with Guerilla Girls (2017), Dimitris Nanopoulos (2016), Paul Giamatti and Vanessa Grigoriadis (2015), and from April 10 with Werner Herzog (2019), the mathematician Christina Karafyllia (2020), or listen to Daniel Mendelsohn’s podcast (2015).

If you opt for education, browse through the lectures of the Cavafy archive, learn about sustainability in fashion and the role of technology for a transparent supply chain, and realize how timeless Elliniki Nomarchia (Hellenic Nomarchy) is by watching professor Eleni Kourmantzi’s lecture.

As we go through an unprecedented crisis, with profound consequences for both our fellow citizens and the economy, it has become more critical than ever to protect public health. The Ministry of Tourism, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) and all tourism bodies stand by the Greek government in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, advocating that the only responsible choice is to "stay home."

 

Alongside the state's measures to support the travel industry, the Ministry of Tourism, GNTO, and Marketing Greece created the online platform GreeceFromHome, an initiative to enhance the image of our country during the pandemic.

The platform's primary objectives are to help people around the world stay in touch with Greek culture, to discover and be inspired by Greece's beauty, and to enhance their digital skills–all while staying at home.

















The #greecefromhome initiative consists of 3 pillars:

Watch

People are encouraged not just to stay home, but to stay connected to Greek culture through the GNTO Greek Creators channel Visit Greece on YouTube. The channel will offer new and curated content by Greek artists and personalities from around the world. It will include Greek-inspired music, gastronomy, theater, dance, sports, and fashion as well as videos of destinations and experiences from all over Greece.

Visit

Being at home doesn't mean you can't "visit" Greece. Through www.discovergreece.com, visitors can enjoy rich content and inspiring digital experiences. Archaeological sites and museums, villages and traditions, gastronomy, sightseeing, enjoying nature and of course the sea ... all from the safety of your home.

Learn

This time presents unique challenges for businesses and professionals. Digital skills are more important than ever – whether one is working from home, connecting with customers, or distance learning – so we want to help you with the free online training courses provided by Grow with Google. The courses are flexible and personalized, designed to build your confidence and skills. Learn about creating a digital marketing plan, using social media effectively, the art of storytelling, and much more. Staying at home can also mean staying ahead.

 

Wherever you are, while we're apart at home, let's stay together!

To discover #greecefromhome, please click here

Due to this year's unprecedented circumstances, Katerina Evangelatos, Artistic Director of the Athens & Epidaurus Festival, unveiled the original concept and planning behind the 2020 program privately, through a moving video. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, performance dates are not included in the press kit.

We all hope that this year's Festival will come to fruition as soon as circumstances allow it, with as few disruptions as possible.

 

 

The Athens & Epidaurus Festival is Greece’s leading cultural event and one of the oldest performing arts festivals in Europe (1955). Each year, the Athens & Epidaurus Festival presents performances from acclaimed artists in theatre, dance, and music and attracts large audiences from around the world.

 

The festival takes place annually in the months of June, July, and August. More specifically, the Athens Festival performances are held between June 1st and mid to late July while the Epidaurus performances are held every Friday and Saturday, from early July to mid-August.

 

In Athens the festival is held at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Peiraios 260, and Opening to the City. In Epidaurus it takes place at Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus and the Little Theatre of Ancient Epidaurus. Site-specific performances are presented in various neighbourhoods of Athens and Piraeus, including outdoor spaces and archaeological sites, thus expanding the Festival’s scope and audience and encouraging spectators’ active engagement.

 

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XpatAthens is proud to be a Media Sponsor of the Athens Festival

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Imagine waking up in a new place each day, and not even having to unpack your bags—a vacation where you follow the sun in privacy and safety. There is no better way to enjoy some of the world's top destinations than from the water, and Greece is a fascinating destination for a sailing vacation. Here you'll go off the beaten path and get the opportunity to discover more than 2,000 scenic islands and coastlines that Greece has to offer!

 

You'll instantly forget the winter blues with the turquoise waters of Kimolos island in the Cyclades, or the magical islands of the Ionian.

 

There are many benefits to going on a sailing holiday. Vacationing on a yacht offers exceptional freedom and endless relaxation. Spending a few days on-board will bring you closer to nature than you've probably ever been before (think countless hours of snorkeling and exploring stunning untouched beaches.) Depending on your chosen itinerary, you'll have the chance to experience a different destination every day, and to learn the basics of sailing on-board a private skippered catamaran!

 

New Horizons Yachting Co. offers a collection of high-end, customized Catamaran yachts that will meet your every need, helmed by experienced, knowledgeable Captains, catered by talented chefs, and manned by a professional, discrete crew. Each Cat-Yacht has been carefully selected, customized, and equipped with personal touches and warmth. The New Horizons bookings team will help you find the best yacht to fit your specific needs based on budget and number of guest arrangements, and relevant availability.

 

New Horizons Yachting Co. is owned and operated by a Greek ex-pat family, that initially started visiting Greece through the eyes of a tourist. Trying to make every moment count for the limited time they had in their motherland, they began yachting. Sailing in a catamaran offered them the holidays they'd always dreamed of and thus began their journey into the yachting industry.

 

This summer, say goodbye to routine, work stress and world problems and hello to early morning swims, and simple, flavourful and convivial meals al fresco, surrounded by your loved ones.

Discover new horizons and unique experiences in Greece - learn more New Horizon's yachting holidays here!


This content has been sourced and prepared by Codico Lab.

Daylight saving time 2020 in Greece will begin at 3:00 AM on Sunday March 29. At 3:00 AM local time, clocks will turn to 4:00 AM as daylight saving time goes into effect across the European Union.

Since 80% of Europeans said they were opposed to the clock changes, the EU has ruled to discard the time changing practice by April 2021. Consequently, each Member State will have to decide whether to remain permanently on 'summer time' or to change their clocks to permanent standard time.

This content has been sourced and prepared by Codico Lab.

In times of unknowns, we question, we think, we seek knowledge, and this edition of the XpatAthens newsletter is more like a 'keep coming back to' resource that is full of content to keep you pondering, interested, and hopeful for a greater tomorrow. As we all adjust to the daily realities of staying home, so too does the entire world collectively. No one is alone in this one.

We welcome you to share this newsletter with friends and family around the globe, and thank you for keeping Greece's international community connected and active digitally! From all of us to all of you, #StayStrong #StayPositive #StayHome!

In a period when Greece and many other countries in the world are in great distress, a Facebook group comes to offer a helping hand. Owners of empty Airbnb apartments around the country have been called to the rescue as there is a growing need for free housing.

Many members of the group willingly provide free housing to relocated medical staff and patients who need to self-isolate away from their families. If you own a vacant flat or house anywhere in Greece that you wish to offer for free during the coronavirus pandemic, please visit the "I offer my AIRBNB home for FREE during Covid-19 Crisis" Facebook group.

At the same time, the "Sino-Hellenic Investors' Confederation" is also calling apartment owners in Greece to contribute their vacant houses to front-line medical staff for free, during this challenging time. Offering accommodation to medics will allow them to rest near the hospitals, at the end of their shift. More importantly, this will significantly reduce the risk of infecting their family members. The "Sino-Hellenic Investors' Confederation" has already sourced 5 houses that have been granted to 5 medical staff members. However, there is still a need for at least 150 residences.

Please contribute to the cause by sharing this article. Let's protect the health of Covid-19 patients and their families; let's show our appreciation to doctors and medical staff by allowing them to rest safely without risking the health of their own families.

Stay home, stay safe, stay united!

This content has been sourced and prepared by Codico Lab.

The Museum of Cycladic Art invites guests to explore a series of online activities by visiting the museum's website.

 

Here visitors can gain in-depth insight into the Cycladic, Ancient Greek, and Cypriot cultures. Remember some of the museum's greatest temporary exhibitions through images, videos, and exclusive backstage material. Explore the museum's entire collection. Watch interesting lectures and choose from a variety of e-books to read online. 

 

 

At this time, the museum has a special digital exhibition focused on how therapeutic practices have changed and developed over time. From the dawn of its existence, humanity has struggled to maintain health and searched for the causes of the diseases afflicting us, attributing them sometimes to external factors, such as magic and divine wrath, and sometimes to internal causes, such as an imbalance of the elements of our constitution until we finally established the medical model. Guests can get acquainted with ancient Greek medicine from the comfort of their home and discover medical practices and methods, some of which are still used today, through fascinating documents, artifacts, images, and other great historical sources. See the exhibition here.

 

Below is an Orphic Hymn to Hygieia from the emblematic exhibition Health, Illness, Treatment from Homer to Galen that was presented in 2014, today the Museum of Cycladic Art invites guests to explore the exhibition digitally.

Mobile phone owners in Greece were startled to hear multiple loud beeps on their mobile phones last week. It was a notification message from the Greek Civil Protection Service to warn citizens about the measures and precautions they should take against the virus. The SMS messages were written in Greek and English.

 

To date, the Greek Civil Protection Service has sent 3 alert messages prompting people to stay at home on the first sign of infection, to abide by the government regulations to avoid putting themselves and others at risk. However, the Civil Protection Service has confirmed that 10% of mobile phone owners did not receive the alerts. Here is how to activate this functionality and begin receiving these messages.

 

 

If you haven't been receiving the alert messages on your smartphone, all you need to do is upgrade to the latest version of its operating system and make sure your device is set to receive CB alerts.

 

 

If you don't have a smartphone, you can register here or by dialing 112 to receive alerts via one of the 3 following channels: