First Thessaloniki Biennale Explores Heterotopias with Post-Soviet and Greek Artists
The first Thessaloniki Biennale took place in Salonika, Greece, from May to September 2007, under the curation of Maria Tsantsanoglou, Catherine David, and Jan-Erik Lundstrom. Entitled 'Heterotopias: Terrains Vagues,' the event showcased the work of 33 artists from Greece, Russia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Tsantsanoglou's vision was to foster an international platform that embraced various cultures through artistic expression, inspired by Michel Foucault's idea of heterotopias. Simultaneously, Victor Misiano organized two exhibitions of post-Soviet art in Athens. The biennale aimed to revitalize Thessaloniki's art landscape, reflecting its multicultural heritage and emphasizing the interactions between Russian and Greek artists while encouraging global cultural connections.
Key facts
- The 1st Thessaloniki Biennale took place from May to September 2007 in Salonika, Greece.
- Curator Maria Tsantsanoglou, with Catherine David and Jan-Erik Lundstrom, selected 33 artists from Greece, Russia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
- The exhibition theme was 'Heterotopias,' based on Michel Foucault's 1967 concept of counter-sites like museums and hospitals.
- Concurrently in Athens, Victor Misiano curated two exhibitions of post-Soviet art at the Athina – Greek Art Fair and Benaki Museum.
- Russian artist Vadim Zakharov installed 'Black Birds' (2007) at the Byzantine Museum, featuring mannequins in black overcoats.
- Yuri Albert presented 'Self-portrait with Closed Eyes' (1995), using Braille descriptions of van Gogh's paintings.
- Armenian artist Vahram Aghasyan showed photographs of earthquake-damaged Gyumri in his series 'Ghost Town' (2005).
- Daniel and Geo Fuchs exhibited photographs of Stasi headquarters in Berlin and Potsdam (2005).
Entities
Artists
- Maria Tsantsanoglou
- Catherine David
- Jan-Erik Lundstrom
- Victor Misiano
- Vadim Zakharov
- Yuri Albert
- Vahram Aghasyan
- Daniel Fuchs
- Geo Fuchs
- Michel Foucault
- Vincent van Gogh
- Theo van Gogh
- Jacques Derrida
- Pascale-Anne Brault
- Michael Naas
- Yulia Tikhonova
Institutions
- 1st Biennale of Thessaloniki
- Moscow University
- Greek Embassy in Moscow
- Athina – Greek Art Fair
- Benaki Museum
- Byzantine Museum
- ARTMargins
- Diacritics
- University of Chicago Press
- Khudozhestvenny zhurnal
Locations
- Thessaloniki
- Greece
- Salonika
- New York
- Moscow
- Russia
- Athens
- Gyumri
- Armenia
- Berlin
- Germany
- Potsdam
- London
- United Kingdom
- St. Petersburg
- Asia
- Turkey
- Bulgaria
- France
- Middle East
- Latin America
- Balkan
- Chernobyl
- Star City
- Switzerland