TABOO - TRANSGRESSION - TRANSCENDENCE

During a webinar held in March 2020 on curating contemporary art* I was asked by one of the participants if I had any advice on how to be creative during the Lockdown period. My answer was that in times of emergency, such as the one we live in, the problem is not being creative in solitude, but rather, to try to generate positive changes through the projects we carry out, acting with the aim of generating a different reality. The GOLEM, as a concept, was born from this reflection. 

In May, the Trojan Dao Foundation asked me to curate an artistic event in live streaming to raise awareness about the fundraising for the “Hellas COVID19 3D Printing Supplies” program**. The latter aimed to contribute to cover the cost of supply raw materials for 3D printing of protective masks for the medical and nursing staff of public hospitals. This offered the possibility for the GOLEM-concept to materialize. To my invite to participate in this initiative answered generously the following artists: Adonis Adoniou, Yannis Adoniou & Andrius Mulokas, Nicola Fornoni, Lucia Bricco, Athina Kanellopoulou, Kangela Tromokratisch, Marta Lodola & Valerio Ambiveri, Andreas Papamichael, Yannis Pappas, PASHIAS, Bill Psarras, Marcel Sparmann, Angeliki Chaido Tsoli, Fillipos Vesileiou, Kostas Voulgaris, who joined in the live streaming programme which took place on June 5, 6, and 7 (2020). At the same time, the following artists were invited as Guests of Honour, and contributed to the event with their works to realize the movie GOLEM: Dimitris Alithinos, Marilyn Arsem, Franko B, Francesca Fini, Francesca Leoni, Francesca Lolli, Guillermo Gómez Peña, Leda Papaconstantinou, Stelarc, Theodoros, VestAndPage.

The complete video with footage from “Golem” is available for screening during the days of the conference to all visitors in TTT2020 Vienna/Online.

CURATORIAL

GOLEM
to be generative in solidarity
rather than be creative in solitude

“On a planetary level, the whole of our societies is like a complex and interdependent organism in its geopolitical, cultural, and economic parts. This fragile organism is constantly under the influence of extreme exploitation mechanisms of its human, natural, economic and energy resources.

The organism that we have built and in which we live is similar to a sort of Golem: a clay giant with inhuman strength and lacking in sensitivity and intelligence.

According to the myth*, the Golem has written on the forehead the word “truth” (in Hebrew אמת [emet]) which keeps it alive until one of the letters of this word is erased, turning it into the word “dead” (in Hebrew מת [met]).

Like the words emet and met, today’s Golems and viruses contain each other; they feed and annihilate each other.”

* “Curating Contemporary Art” is a 7-month long seminar series organized in cooperation by Open Dialogue Istanbul and Akbank Sanat

** Hellas COVID19 3D Printing Supplies is an independent initiative launched on March 22, 2020, in response to the COVID19 epidemic, by two individuals from the 3D printing industry. Simos Kokkinos and Kostis Koutretsou. In consultation with the Ministry of Health, they have organized a decentralised supply chain. Trojan DAO was actively supporting this initiative.

More information on this event can be found here http://www.francescokiais.com/golem-3/