2 Apr '14

Bozar's new show the first to explore Greek economic crisis

Summary

The new exhibition No Country for Young Men presents the largest collection of contemporary Greek art outside Greece in a decade, with a special focus on social concerns

 

Crisis in words and images

Although not officially part of the cultural programme of the Greek presidency of the EU Council, the timing of No Country for Young Men is most certainly no coincidence. Its predecessor exhibition in Bozar, Nautilus: Navigating Greece (ongoing until 27 April), looked back to antiquity to show us the currents – often quite literally maritime currents – that have shaped Greek culture over the millennia. No Country takes us no further back than 2008, when a butterfly fluttered its wings on Wall Street, and the Greek economy was plunged into a catastrophe that has only grown worse since.

Greek-born, Brussels-based curator Katerina Gregos invited 30 contemporary artists to reflect on their experience of the last several years. “Their work explores the current crisis in Greece –  its effects but also causes – with a special focus on the social and humanitarian parameters,“ she explains. “It is the largest presentation of contemporary Greek art outside Greece in a decade, and the first exhibition of its kind to deal with the subject.”

There’s work by Belgo-Greek comic strip illustrator Philippe Grammaticopoulos (pictured), whose 2009 animated short The Bellies anticipated some of No Country’s recurring themes: greed and predatory consumption. Nikos Navridis presents a neon installation that subverts Samuel Beckett’s clichéd wisdom: “Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” In the context of the crisis, this otherwise benign dictum looks like just another first-world problem.

There’s also the cleverly titled Depression Era, a Greek arts collective. Inspired by documentaries commissioned by Franklin Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration, the collective has been recording the crisis in words and images since 2012. Depression Era’s 30-odd artists have amassed far more material than they can display at No Country, so a simultaneous satellite exhibition is on across the street at Atelier Bouwmeester (until 16 May).

In keeping with these explicitly social concerns, entry is free for both exhibitions to all and sundry. 

Until 3 August at Bozar, Brussels
www.bozar.be

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