Stadtgespräch. Metropolitan Perspectives #15

Wednesday, October 21, 2015, 7 pm
Cary Coals to Newcastle: On Politics of Public Spaces in Times of Crisis
Debate with Gigi Argyropoulou (artist and theoretician, Athens) and Constantina Theodorou (architect and researcher, Athens)
In English language

Focusing on reclamations of self-organized spaces and models for collective participation Gigi Argyropoulou und Constantina Theodorou explore the current complexity of cultural-spacial strategies in Athens against glorification and impoverishment. In their debate they introduce new social and political approaches. They consider bottom-up initiatives as well as top-buttom political strategies caused by the continuing austerity crisis. What do these new forms of cultural crisis-urbanism mean for artistic practices and which political demands can be formulated?

Gigi Argyropoulou is a researcher, artist, and curator. She lives and workes in Athens and London and organizes international performance-festivals and cross-disciplinary projects. She is a founding member of Mavili Collective, Institute for Live Arts Research, Green Park and F2 Performance Unit/Mkultra. She completed her PhD at Roehampton University and works as a research fellow at Birkbeck College. Currently she co-edited with Hypatia Vourloumis Performance Research, On Institutions (Nr. 4 / 2015).

Constantina Theodorou is an architect-researcher working with urban issues in Athens. Her videos have been presented at international festivals and exhibitions. She is a member of the editorial committee of the periodical Architektones and a founding member of the team ΚΟΙΝΟ Athina which works on urban commons. She also runs the blogs Omonia Diary and City Issue.