EMΣT Athens Opens 'South by Southeast: Re-Orienting the Collection' with 50 Artists
The exhibition 'South by Southeast: Re-Orienting the Collection,' curated by Katerina Gregos, is currently on display at the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (EMΣT). It showcases roughly 50 artists from around the globe and features about 100 pieces of art, delving into Greece's connections with Türkiye, the Balkans, North Africa, and the Gulf. The collection is reinterpreted to highlight links from the Byzantine era to contemporary migration issues. Notable works include photographs of Athens' Roma community by Maria Papadimitriou, Chryssa's neon sculpture from 1990, a mixed-media piece by Jannis Kounellis from 2000, and Lynda Benglis's 1973 video. The later sections reflect on social unrest post-2004, the financial crisis, and migration. This exhibition coincides with the arrival of nearly five million tourists in Athens in July and is ongoing.
Key facts
- The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (EMΣT) is hosting 'South by Southeast: Re-Orienting the Collection'.
- The exhibition is curated by Katerina Gregos and features some 50 global artists.
- It includes around 100 artworks exploring Greece's ties to Türkiye, the Balkans, North Africa, and the Gulf, as well as nomadic cultures.
- The show recontextualizes the museum's collection, connecting Byzantine legacy, Ottoman rule, and the recent migrant crisis.
- Maria Papadimitriou's video 'T.A.M.A. Sentimental' (2002) features Romani Greek musician Giorgos Mangas on clarinet.
- Works by Chryssa (1990 neon), Jannis Kounellis (2000 mixed-media), and Lynda Benglis (1973 video) are displayed in the main galleries.
- Rabih Mroué's 'The Crocodile Who Ate the Sun' (2015) and Walid Raad's photographs of Dr Fadl Fakhouri's signatures are included.
- Bouchra Khalili's 'The Weaver' (2022) is a magnetic tape tapestry referencing Carole Roussopoulos and Paul Roussopoulos.
- The exhibition coincided with around five million tourists arriving in Athens in July.
Entities
Artists
- Katerina Gregos
- Maria Papadimitriou
- Giorgos Mangas
- Chryssa
- Jannis Kounellis
- Lynda Benglis
- Rabih Mroué
- Walid Raad
- Dr Fadl Fakhouri
- Michael Rakowitz
- Bouchra Khalili
- Carole Roussopoulos
- Paul Roussopoulos
Institutions
- National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (EMΣT)
- The Atlas Group
- Canvas
Locations
- Athens
- Greece
- Türkiye
- Balkans
- North Africa
- Gulf
- New York
- Chinatown
- Switzerland
- Morocco
- Lebanon
- Iraq