NEON and the Whitechapel Gallery present a survey of international public art located in the gardens and interiors of a renowned site in the heart of Athens.
‘A Thousand Doors’ explores how sculpture can be a portal to time travel, to scientific and philosophical enquiry and to imaginative worlds. Sculptures, installations and films take visitors on a magical journey through the parterres and avenues of the gardens and the magnificent marble colonnades, sunken courtyards and magisterial interiors of the Gennadius Library. Situated in the grounds of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens in Greece, the Library is a centre for the study of Hellenic culture and its legacies. Housing over 120,000 books and archives, its holdings include texts by Homer and Heroditus as well as poems by the English Romantic poet, Lord Byron.
Free and open daily the gardens will be filled with sculptures and sound pieces by artists offering visitors a place for engagement and contemplation. Iconic works by some of the world’s greatestcontemporary artists will be shown alongside site specific installations.
Artists include: Edward Allington Matthew Barney, Christian Boltanski, Pavel Büchler, Michael Dean, Nina Fischer and Maroan el Sani, Ceal Floyer, Isa Genzken, Shuruq Harb Nigel Henderson, Georg Herold, Susan Hiller, Hannah Höch, Kostas Ioannidis, Valentina Karga, John Latham, Mark Manders, Juan Muñoz, Nikos Navridis, Giuseppe Penone, Annie RattiMeriç, Algün Ringborg, Daniel Silver, Francis Upritchard, Adrián Villar, Rojas Paky, Vlassopoulou Jane and Louise Wilson.
‘A Thousand Doors’ is curated by Iwona Blazwick OBE, former Director, Whitechapel Gallery. As well as bringing to Athens sculptures that have defined contemporary public art, it celebrates the dynamism of Greek culture featuring new commissions by Greek artists at different stages of their careers.
This is the first major collaboration on an exhibition between NEON and the Whitechapel Gallery. NEON and the gallery work together on an annual curatorial award and exchange programme between London and Athens. A vibrant public events programme led by Greek and British curators from the NEON Curatorial Exchange will include screenings, performances, music,
readings and talks. It will engage artists, curators, academics and the public in a lively debate around art and ideas.
