On the occasion of the World Cities Day on October 31, the City of Athens extends an open invitation to artists, architects, graphic designers, sketch artists and other creators to submit their proposals for the future of their city.
Cities reflect the major social challenges facing Europe today. Indeed, along with the increasing social polarization and the proliferation of incidents of racist violence, Europe’s urban centers are confronted with new forms of inequality and an unprecedented housing crisis. In addition, the coronavirus pandemic made us witness the disintegration of physical spaces and the virtual mediation of civic and social life. Covid-19 may have exposed the instability of urban and socio-political systems, but it has also reignited debates about universal access to public spaces and goods, giving impetus to new forms of urban solidarity networks and community support.
How do we therefore imagine the future of the cities? In what ways can urban centers become more welcoming, sustainable, and energy efficient in an era of climate and environmental crisis as well as overpopulation? How can phenomena of social exclusion be tackled with spatial tools? What are the current possibilities and challenges or limitations in the experience of the city for the local community?
The proposals – utopian, dystopian, hypothetical, descriptive, exploratory, provocative, critical, and reflective – that will be selected by a committee comprised of experts in the fields of visual arts, graphic design, and architecture, will be presented in the form of posters in an outdoor space, at the stands along Vasilissis Olgas Avenue.The exhibition, which is being organized with the support of the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) (https://unric.org/en/) and the Eurocities Network, will be presented during October and November 2022 and will serve as an open archive, documenting discussions, exchanges, and interventions in order to produce a publication.
With this open-air exhibition, the Municipality of Athens offers the possibility for a real-time investigation into how we perceive and how we can reinvent the city artistically, creatively, and collectively.
Those interested are invited to send their projects until Sunday 25 September 2022, in JPG/TIFF (106cm wide x 150cm tall) format as well as their contact details to the email address: cityhallculture@cityofathens.gr.
For further clarifications, interested parties should contact +302103722082
All emails will be addressed.