6th THESSALONIKI BIENNALE OF CONTEMPORARY ART
30 September 2017– 14 January 2018
See you in three months!
The final countdown to the opening of the 6th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art has begun. This year the Biennale celebrates its first ten years of activity, and in three months, from 30 September 2017 to 14 January 2018, the main exhibition will welcome more than 75 artists from around the world, in four venues across the city.
The title of the 6th Thessaloniki Biennale is “Ιmagined Homes”, which also stands as its general thematic framework, taking as a starting point the current attention on the immigration problem, focusing at the same time on the fluidity and constant redefinition of the home as a concept.
Five axes form the profile of the 6th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art, produced and organized by the State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki, Greece (SMCA).
1. The Biennale rests on its own capital
- It works with a new curatorial team consisting of the Art Historians of the State Museum of Contemporary Art, and is not curated by an external curator as it has been previously.
- It is spread across the city, exploiting the richness of the architectural heritage of Thessaloniki.
- It takes advantage of its ten years of experience and has forged synergies in Greece and abroad with like-minded institutions and foundations that share the same concerns and that have made notable efforts to support contemporary artistic creation in times of crisis.
2. The Biennale is present, despite the radical shrinking of the available financial resources
Although only 20% of the funding provided to the previous three Biennales has been made available (approx. € 1 million over two years), the SMCA curators made the decision that this would not stand in the way of the Biennale’s evolution. The Biennale has assumed the responsibility of bringing together Thessaloniki's various artistic sectors, be these museums, educational organizations or other creative groups and communities, while simultaneously providing a further international voice to Greece's artistic scene.
3. The Biennale launches open calls for artists
For the first time on such a large scale the selection of almost 50% of the artists participating in the 6th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art was made following an open call by the curatorial team. It is noteworthy that 1,352 proposals were submitted from Greece and abroad, which proves that the Thessaloniki Biennale has become established in the consciousness of the art world in an encouraging way.
4. The Biennale launches an artists’ residency program
This is the first year that the Biennale launches an artists’ residency program. Eight artists chosen by the SMCA curators are being hosted in Thessaloniki with the support of collaborating institutions to produce works specifically to be included in the main exhibition of the 6th Biennale. The program launched on 25 May is underway.
5. The Thessaloniki Biennale collaborates with the Çanakkale Biennale
The 6th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art collaborates with and hosts works of art from the Çanakkale Biennale, which were not presented in the first place. This is an artistic collaboration between the two neighboring Biennials that share common challenges along with contextual and conceptual parallels.
The 6th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art program is divided into main and parallel programs. The main program includes the main exhibition, the performance festival, the artists’ residency program, events, exhibitions by the Movement of the 5 Museums of Thessaloniki, and educational activities for children and adults.
The parallel program includes self-funded exhibitions / actions that are presented under the auspices of the Biennale.
Venues: The main exhibition will be broken down into modules, taking place at the State Museum of Contemporary Art’s site at the Moni Lazariston, the Contemporary Art Center of Thessaloniki at Warehouse B1 located in Thessaloniki port, in premises within the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as in the Agioritiki Estia.
As with previous editions, the 6th Biennale will also utilize other museums and public spaces in Thessaloniki, including architectural monuments and archaeological sites.
The Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art is co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund).
To visit the 6th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art website, please press here
Organizational Framework of the 6th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art
Organizing Institution: State Museum of Contemporary Art
Board of Administration
President: Andreas Takis
Vice President: Sophia Kaitatzi-Whitlock
Members: Giorgos Divaris, Aliki Kostaki, Alexandros Baltzis, Giota Myrtsioti, Anastasios Nikakis, Lois Papadopoulos, Giorgos Tsakiris
SMCA Director: Maria Tsantsanoglou
Director of the 6th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art: Syrago Tsiara, CACT director
Project Manager: Athina Ioannou, director of SMCA administrative services
Curatorial Team: Domna Gounari, Areti Leopoulou, Thodoris Markoglou, Yannis Bolis, Eirini Papakonstantinou, Maria Tsantsanoglou, Syrago Tsiara, Angelica Charistou, SMCA art historians-curators
Evi Papavergou, Katerina Paraskeva, SMCA Educator
Advisory Committee: Giorgos Divaris, Thouli Misirloglou, Maria Tsantsanoglou, Syrago Tsiara, Elli Chryssidou
