For a second consecutive year, NEON activates the emblematic building of the former Public Tobacco Factory as part of its collaboration with the Hellenic Parliament to present Dream On, a contemporary art exhibition that celebrates art in the public space.

Curated by Dimitris Paleocrassas, Art historian and consultant of the D.Daskalopoulos Collection, Dream On brings together 18 large-scale installations from the D.Daskalopoulos Collection by Greek and international artists, as well as a newly commissioned work, and 20 drawings.

The exhibition follows the announcement of the D.Daskalopoulos Collection Gift, presenting some of the most important works of the Collection which will then be donated to 4 museums in 3 countries over 2 continents (EMST, Tate, and jointly to the Guggenheim and MCA Chicago).

This is the first time that a crucial mass of the large-scale works of the D.Daskalopoulos Collection will be exhibited in Greece, gathered in the open, freely accessible space of the former Public Tobacco Factory.

According to the exhibition’s curator Dimitris Paleocrassas, Dream On is permeated by a sense of plenitude brought about by the realization of a great dream: an artist’s ambitious yet elusive goal attained through the unbridled creativity of large-scale installations. Similarly, through the D.Daskalopoulos Collection Gift, the dream of its owner becomes a reality: a private collection transformed into a public good to be preserved for future generations of audience and artists. Dream On features 18 large-scale installations by artists John Bock, Helen Chadwick, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Martha Dimitropoulou, Peter Fischli & David Weiss, David Hammons, Thomas Hirschhorn, Damien Hirst, Michael Landy, Maria Loizidou, Paul McCarthy, Annette Messager, Maro Michalakakos, Wangechi Mutu, Paul Pfeiffer, Alexandros Psychoulis, Matthew Ritchie and Anna-Maria Samara.

In addition, Kostas Ioannidis, a new commission by NEON, creates a large-scale audio work delivered in whistling language.

Alongside the installations are 20 artist’s drawings of some of the works prior to their creation.