Ornithotheomachia: The Battle of Birds and Gods
The flocking mind

Artists of the Greek diaspora take the NTNG’s production of the “Birds” as the starting point for their art
 
Artists of Greek descent from around the world spread their wings and, through their palettes and lenses, take to the skies in the company of Aristophanes’ “Birds”, which the NTNG is staging this summer translated into Modern Greek by K. H. Myris and directed by [ΑΒ1] Giannis Rigas. The “Ornithotheomachia: The flocking mind” exhibition is touring along with the National Theatre of Northern Greece production. In all, 28 plus artists from the Greek Diaspora (the US, Argentina, Mexico, Italy, Russia, France, Hungary, Belgium, Italy, Germany) star in a parallel artistic event as... “Birds” of a different feather.
 
Note from the NTNG’s Artistic Director

A visual art event staged in parallel with the “Birds”, the exhibition is a comment on contemporary impasses. Dozens of artists from the Greek diaspora were called upon to express themselves in multiple dimensions for the show, creating a polyphonic and universal response to the problems of today’s world, offering an escape but also a fruitful raising of awareness.

Like a second Chorus, the artists, photographers, visual poets and architect-sculptors gave wings to Aristophanes’ lyricism with their works (the parodos, the vanguard) and add their voices to the hoopoe’s call to move on from all forms of tyranny (restriction, deprivation, fear, separation) in a world struggling to attain the utopian kingdom between Earth and Heaven. In so doing, they will also shed light on an aspect of the Greek spirit that has not fallen silent for centuries now.

So marvellous works by Greek artists arm in arm with brushes and paints, oils and acrylics, side by side with the amphora and baskets and tripods of ancient Greek comedy, the Nightingale, Tereus, Pesthetaerus, Euelpides, Triballus, Iris and the flautist. And playing lead roles, as providers of the armoury with which a kingdom of the birds—their very own Cloud Cuckoo Land—may be acquired, the Inspector, the Constitutional Lawyer, the Oracle Man, and all of us in the audience are first summoned then sent on our way—“Will I fly..?”... “Will we fly..?”—taking this year’s offering from the NTNG beyond the clouds... beyond borders.
 
Nikos Kolovos

Exhibition concept - oversight - production: Chrysa Samou
Featuring the following artists:
Lisa Sotilis, Italy
Philip Tsiaras, United States
Georges Nassos, Germany
Adam Karamanlis, Germany
Stelios Papageorgiou, Hungary
Andrea Papageorgiou, Hungary
Μarina Vamvakas, Belgium
Yiannis Vellis, Neherlands
Flora Κavoura, Egypt
Stella Sevastopoulos, United Kingdom
Lydia Leventeris, Argentina
Alkistis Athanasiadou, Mexico
Rena Fili, Turkey
Anthia Loizou, Austria
Giorgos Kontis, Germany
Yorgos Maraziotis, Germany
Katerina Christidi, France
Nia Hefe Filiogianni, United Kingdom
Stelios Karamanolis, Germany
Vassiliea Stylianidou, Germany
Danai Sioziou, Germany
Ifigenia Papadatou, United States
Mary Anna Pomonis, United States
Costas Picadas, United States
Christophoros Doulgeris, Germany
Κοstas Pappas, United States
Elena Poka, United Kingdom
Persefoni Myrtsou, Turkey
Georgia Kotretsos, South Africa
Stylianos Papadopoulos, United States
Lydia Venieris, United States
Nina Ioannidou, Russia
Evaggelos Papadopoulos, Germany
 
4 Greek Artists welcome the Artists of the Greek Diaspora:
Giannis Metzikof
Angelos Panagiotou
Giorgos Stathopoulos
Alekos Fassianos