Victoria Square Project
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Full project title
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Project Description
Victoria Square Project (VSP) is a social sculpture, a contemporary artwork, while at the same time a physical space of reference for Victoria Square. Under the curatorial research question "Who is the contemporary Athenian?” it attempts to identify the elements that define an inclusive Athenian society today beyond labels like “immigrant”, refugee, second generation or Greek, by putting in the public sphere the questions of belonging, democracy, crisis, fascism, while empowering our community.
Project Region
EU Programme or fund
Description of the project
Summary
Victoria Square Project (VSP), located in Elpidos 13, is an evolving social sculpture created by the artists Rick Lowe and Maria Papadimitriou during documenta 14 (2017), in Athens. VSP, is a rooted contemporary art space/reference for the neighbourhood, acquiring its meaning and value from the neighbourhood’s urban socio-political dynamics.
The multiplicity of the social, cultural and political layers of this neighborhood are a condensed reflection of the new Europe, or European identity. Bringing Europe together is simply inscribed in the transition taking place in this local context over the last decades.. Victoria Square is a mosaic of cultures. Once the epicenter of a high society neighborhood, today a symbol of the refugee crisis Victoria Square is home to refugees, migrants, immigrants, people with lower income and ours. By being a mosaic of cultures Victoria Square provides the appropriate elements that contribute to a new european identity, that best describes the contemporary society we live in.
VSP aims to be a catalyst for highlighting the importance of culture, art and creativity in order to build a more humane society. “Who is the contemporary Athenian?”, is the question posed, as an attempt to identify concretely the elements that define an inclusive Athenian society today beyond labels like “immigrant”, refugee, first or second generation, Greek etc, but under the common ground of the neighbours and co-citizens. Our aim is to have a concrete contribution in identifying this collective identity and putting in the public sphere more actively the questions of belonging, democracy, the crisis, fascism, while empowering our community with a special focus on the youth, and become a reference for community engaged art projects in Greece.
Key objectives for sustainability
→ VSP from documenta 14 until now. Victoria Square Project is the only active artistic project remaining from documenta 14, Athens 2017, along with the work-public space intervention, “Desire Line”, by David Harding at Rizari Park (Evangelismos). Although VSP was initially thought of lasting three months (documenta 14 duration), it was soon decided to make an effort to keep it for one year, that then became two and eventually three years, moving now to the fifth year of its presence in the neighborhood of Victoria. It is the result of the large engagement of the neighbourhood who considers VSP part of their everyday life, as well as the large participation of artistic groups and initiatives who have been present and active at VSP, urging its continuation.
→ A new era. The first two and a half years, functioned as a period of experimentation and social engagement. The project was run by the two founding artists Rick Low and Maria Papadimitriou. In October 2019, VSP’s first Artistic Director, a brand new position, was assigned to Niovi Zarampouka-Chatzimanou, with the main direction to reorganize, give a new curatorial approach, and ensure a long lasting impact and sustainability for VSP. During 2019, VSP team managed to acquire a valuable fund through Stavros Niarchos Foundation which covering two years of salaries for the core team as well as the renovation of infrastructure. Allianz Kulturstiftung is covering the rent for the space and some smaller expencies. For the needs of individual projects we have acquired partial fundings from institutions and organisations such as Hellenic Ministry of Culture, Municipality of Athens, Counterpoints Arts, NEON and more. Currently we are finalizing alternative membership programs in order for the community to become participant also in covering the needs of the project, passing on a further responsibility.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
A large number of artists, architects, researchers, local entrepreneurs, educators, academic institutions, neighbours and various other organizations are linked to these goals of ours and ensured that the strategies followed by the project are in line with local sensitivities and community needs. With this network and partners, we have managed to evolved and bring artistic practices actively in the neighborhood through hundred of activities through the first years. Currently we are crystallizing our direction under the curatorial program Who is the contemporary Athenian?
The program consists of three main strands. The Living Room as an organic meeting point for the neighborhood, the Victoria Now-Learning Programs strand, and Artist in Residence program.
THE LIVING ROOM - The Social Sculpture / Creating a Living Room for the neighbourhood of Victoria Square has been the main concept for the idea of Rick Lowe and Maria Papadimitriou when establishing the Victoria Square Project in the framework of documenta 14.
βικΤΩΡιΑ ΤΩΡΑ | VICTORIA NOW - Learning Programs /This is an interdisciplinary outreach program designed for the actual carriers of this emerging cultural identity, while at the same time the most vulnerable social group in the broader Victoria Square neighborhood, the young people. The program is divided into the Young Artists (ages 4-12) and Young Co-Curators (ages 13-19) programs.
Station One AIR/ Focusing on socially engaged artistic practices, it wishes to promote the dialogue amongst the Greek artistic scene on a wide range of community engaged practices and give the opportunity to younger artists to work along with more established and experienced in this field. Collaboration and collectivity is the main working method driving this program.
Hood Mapping & Public Art Commission This is an ongoing process of networking and mapping of the urban space of our neighbhorhood. An annual commission takes place. For year
Key objectives for inclusion
We believe in long-term relationships, thus we invest in people. The most characteristic impact is on the youth group of Victoria Square Project. Schools around the neighborhood have a significant impact and participation in our activities. The 2nd High School of Athens especially has been implementing projects with VSP since 2017, allowing us to build and sustain a relationship with tens of students throughout their last stages of their compulsory education. A local newspaper, one to one interviews with people of reference in the neighborhood, a mural in their schoolyard are some of the joint projects we undertook during the last years. Particularly one student, David, has been serving as a bridge between us, the school and the whole youth community of Victoria. David participated in all the aforementioned projects but also encouraged a lot of other youngsters to participate in creative projects. Since December 2020, David has been in a paid internship with VSP, allowing him to come in contact with all the stages of artistic creation and community building.
Results in relation to category
Our members often do not have any other opportunities, but once they are given to them, they grab them. Our young people protect VSP from every street fight, defend it in their national communities, trust and respect the team into leaving stereotypes behind, both about the others but also about themselves. We are now deeply rooted in the community but we can always do better.
-->Young people Our biggest impact is on the neighborhood’s youth, through our longterm collaboration with the local schools. Approximately 30 young people are VSP’s close circle, participating and engaging more and more students in our safe context.
-->Cultural InstitutionsThe sensibilization of large institutions towards engaging with underprivileged communities and young people. Stimulate more public and private institutions to invest more on community engagement and access programs.
--> Stakeholders Activate a large network of local stakeholders, invite them to closely follow our process and progress, take into consideration their advice and feedback, create valuable collaborations and inspire them to support even further our mission. Expand co-operations into the community. Provide support to local initiative and creativity. Highlight good practices.
-->Artistic Community Provide artists with a reference to artistic community engaged projects, access to methodologies and a space to share their good/bad practises in a supportive environment. Urge more artists to get involved with their local communities on the side of their main artistic practice. Give access to a generation of young artists, students, cultural professionals to gain experience with community work and interaction. Support female artists.
-->Families and Social Circle of the VSP participants One of our main focuses is creating projects related to local youth. By bringing them together, creating presentatio
How Citizens benefit
We believe in long-term relationships, thus we invest in people. The most characteristic impact is on the youth group of Victoria Square Project. Schools around the neighborhood have a significant impact and participation in our activities. The 2nd High School of Athens especially has been implementing projects with VSP since 2017, allowing us to build and sustain a relationship with tens of students throughout their last stages of their compulsory education. A local newspaper, one to one interviews with people of reference in the neighborhood, a mural in their schoolyard are some of the joint projects we undertook during the last years. Particularly one student, David, has been serving as a bridge between us, the school and the whole youth community of Victoria. David participated in all the aforementioned projects but also encouraged a lot of other youngsters to participate in creative projects. Since December 2020, David has been in a paid internship with VSP, allowing him to come in contact with all the stages of artistic creation and community building.
Innovative character
Victoria Square Project is not a community center, but a contemporary artwork transitioning into an institution. The multiplicity of the social, cultural and political layers of this neighborhood are a condensed reflection of the new Europe, or European identity. Bringing Europe together is simply inscribed in the transition taking place in this local context over the last decades. This is why we set the core of our activities in Athens, inviting our partners to contribute with their own experience and input, while then form a larger network for diffusing this process to take place in the next two years. Victoria Square is a mosaic of cultures. Once the epicenter of a high society neighborhood, today a symbol of the refugee crisis Victoria Square is home to refugees, migrants, immigrants, people with lower income and ours. By being a mosaic of cultures Victoria Square provides the appropriate elements that contribute to a new european identity, that best describes the contemporary society we live in.
