ΝΕΟΝ Organization, in collaboration with the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades presents the group exhibition of contemporary art Constellations in the dirt, on the site of the presently formed Kouphonisi Archaeological Collection (former elementary school of Kouphonisi).

ΝΕΟΝ collaborates with institutional bodies of culture and activates historical sites in artistic actions that creatively connect the archaeological past with contemporary culture. Through this collaboration, the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades realizes an opening to contemporary art, underlining the timelessness of the creative process and the necessity for a dialogue between the “established” past and the contemporary artistic expression.

The exhibition will take place in the building of the former elementary school of the island, which has been granted by the Municipality of Kouphonisi to the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades in order to host the Kouphonisi Archaeological Collection.

Centered around the archaeological load of the Small Cyclades, Kouphonisia and Keros island complex – an arid land, but at the same time a “fertile” archaeological ground – the exhibition’s curatorial approach focuses on the ‘archaeological find’ and its position in the respective present.

What happens when the products of a civilization are converted into “findings” and appear as fragments? What defines then, the archaeologists’ process of composing anew a picture based on these findings?

Which would be the position of the “present antiquity” in the future? Through which route are findings translated from undefined fragments of material into recognizable objects and how does the interpretation of the archaeologist affect the view of the spectator?

The exhibition Constellations in the dirt includes visual works, sculptures, small installations and soundworks from the following nine artists: Hypercomf, Thalia Ioannidou, Konstantinos Kotsis, Theo Michael, Malvina Panagiotidi, Vasilis Papageorgiou, Kostas Roussakis, Kostas Sahpazis and Vangelis Vlahos.

The archaeological environment of the area functions as motivation for visual creation in two new commissions by NEON to artists Malvina Panagiotidi and Kostas Roussakis. At the same time, the exhibition opens up to the external landscape of Kouphonisia, inviting the visitors to explore and discover spots of archaeological interest.

The exhibition includes the film Triumph Over Time by archaeologist Oscar Broneer, filmed in 1947 for theAmerican School of Classical Studies in Athens and highlights the archaeological landscape of Greece right after the war.

The exhibition is curated by Fanis Kafantaris and Irene Kalliga.

Co-ordination of the exhibition for the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades: Stefanos Keramidas.