Terrapolis

NEON and the Whitechapel Gallery are proud to present TERRAPOLIS, the second major collaboration in Athens between the two organizations following the presentation of ‘A Thousand Doors’ at the The Gennadius Library of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (4 May – 30 June 2014). NEON works to widen access to contemporary art and is committed to contributing to the vital cultural activity in Athens.

A garden of an archaeological institute in Athens provides the backdrop for works of art that reconnect the human with the animal. Echoing the satyrs, sphinxes and centaurs of Greek statuary, contemporary sculptures, installations and films draw on myth, drama and the animal kingdom to suggest a ‘bioethics’ for the 21st century.

Co-curated by Iwona Blazwick with the NEON Organization, this is the second in a three part series of outdoor art projects that bring significant artists from Greece and around the world into the public realm.

TERRAPOLIS, a term proposed by science philosopher Donna Haraway, combines the Latin ‘terra’ for earth, with the Greek ‘polis’ for city or citizens. This show asks should we regard animals as citizens? How do processes of nature, such as metamorphoses relate to the creation of art? How do mythic narratives resonate in contemporary society? And can we recalibrate our relationship with other species?

Figurative works in mediums ranging from bronze to ceramic by 25 mid century and contemporary artists explore myth, drama, metamorphoses and bioethics.

http://neon.org.gr/en/

http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/