The art exhibition Eleonas ’23 – Chthonic and Anthropocene hosts the works of 48 artists, accompanied by a rich public program, performances, and other activities. It focuses on the Chthonic element and the Anthropocene era, exploring their conflict and dialogue within the Eleonas area, which serves as both the field of study and the point of reference.

The exhibition, encompassing artworks, speeches, and project activities, aims to highlight the critical and complex situations arising from the ongoing dialogue and conflict between Nature and Man. These polarities dominate the region due to the profound human imprint, and the exhibition delves into the relationship between the past and the present, and vice versa. Eleonas, once renowned during Peisistratus, evolved over time due to human choices, transforming from fertile agricultural land into barren wasteland by the 1960s, a consequence of anarchic industrialization.

The Chthonic and Archeological aspects are showcased with the fertility of the soil and the ritual dimension of the Iera Odos path of mysteries. Simultaneously, the Anthropocene era is depicted through human activity’s reflection in the political and economic development of the region. This chronological journey reveals the destructive consequences on nature and the landscape, left by the human footprint. It raises the critical question regarding the present and the future of the region, and beyond: “What should we do now?”

Participating Artists | Dimitris Alitheinos, Dimitris Ameladiotis (perfomance), Avgoustos Veinoglou, Mpampis Venetopoulos, Dimitris Georgakopoulos, Giorgos Giparakis, Collectif MASI (performance), Campus Novel, Stella Dimitrakopoulou (performance), Martha Dimitropoulou, VIII Painting Workshop ASFA, Giorgos Zampoulakis with Chryssa Karousi, Anastasia Kiritsi, Vasiliki Lentza, Georgia Milona and Asimina Christopoulou (performance), Theodoros Zafeiropoulos, Vasia Zorbali (performance), Capten, Michail Karikis, Katerina Katsifaraki, Dimitris Kontodimos, Zisis Kotionis, Alex Loyloydis (performance), Nikos Moschos, Pandora Mouriki, Mania Benissi, Dafni Nitsou, Maria Ikonomopoulou, Maria Papadimitriou, Nikos Papadimitriou, Myrto Papadopoulou, Eleni Panouklia, Kostas Pappas, Vivi Perysinaki, Lea Roussopoulou, Vasilis Skylakos, Marios Spiliopoulos, Danai Stratou, Stefania Strouza, Savvas Stroubos with Elli Igliz (performance), Theodoros Terzopoulos (talk), Tassos Triantafyllou, Giorgos Tsakiris, Giorgos Tserionis, Filippos Tsitsopoulos (performance), Ehsan Fardjadinya, Marios Fournaris, magazine FRMK (performance), Pantelis Handris, Vivetta Christouli, Dionisis Christofilogiannis.

Scientific Advisors | Mania Benissi (photographer, MSc Arch. Eng. NTUA /  MSc Geol. Eng. Imperial College), Calliope Papaggeli (archaeologist, Honorary Department Head of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and Museums of the West Attica Antiquities Authority),

The exhibition Eleonas ’23 – Chthonic and Anthropocene is supported by NEON through its annual Grants Programme.