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Sym

bios

is ?

Symbiosis?

XV Biennale de la Mediterranée

Thessaloniki / Rome 2011

The XV Biennial has been characterized by some important changes.For the first time, the name of the event has changed in Biennale de la Méditerranée, with the aim to focus our attention more and more on the Mediterranean area and its social, political and cultural context. Furthermore the format has changed, including 2 cities: Thessaloniki and Rome, each of them focusing on particular disciplines (Cinema, Literature and Music in Rome; Visual Arts, Applied Arts and Gastronomy in Thessaloniki). This choice offered the possibility to create an articulated path through the different Countries which are part of the BJCEM network and made possible for a large audience to take part to our activities. The idea was originally born in order to support Casablanca, that was the candidate city for hosting this Biennial. Unfortunately due to the international economical crisis burst in 2011, the organizers in Morocco were not anymore in condition to ensure the realization of the event and hopefully our partner in Rome and Greece showed their interest to host part of the already planned activities.

 

Theme: Symbiosis?

This Biennial articulated its subject in the form of a question: Symbiosis?, as a clear and straightforward indication of the urgency of responding to a current question: how could we live together in the present?.

Rather than reformulate the moral imperative at the heart of the notion of “living together” (symbiosis), this project aims to raise a series of questions. This choice reflects the awareness of the complexity involved in engaging with the urgent notion of “togetherness” within the context of a Biennial. It also stems from a will to provoke multiple answers, and give voice to conflicting positions, within the framework of this temporary event.

Numbers:

More than 500 artists, aged between 18 and 30 years old, from 27 Countries (Albania, Algeria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Finland, France, FYROM, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Montenegro, Palestine, Portugal, Republic of San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey, Austria, Israel, Kosovo, Syria, UK) participated to the event. Half of them were part of the official program, while the other half took part to parallel events, particularly in Thessaloniki where for a month the city was animated of activities linked to our Biennial. Artistic director of the event in Thessaloniki was Christos Savvidis, well-known independent curator and producer, accompanied by Stephanie Bertrand and Efi Halivopoulou. In Rome the Director was Mr. Costantino d’Orazio and the curator, Ms. Costanza Paissan from the MACRO Museum. The public was assessed around 20.000 presences in Thessaloniki and 2.000 in Rome. To be signaled the works and performance of the following artists: Scarlett O’Hanna, musician from France, Salma Badawy, visual artist from Egypt, Didem Erk, visual artist from Turkey, Khaled Jarrar, video-maker and performer from Palestine, Point Blank Poets, collective of writers and performers from UK, Muhammad Ali, visual artist from Syria, Daniel Markus Klark, writer and storyteller from UK, Jocelyne Allen, Photographer from UK, Mathias Isouard, visual artist from France, Hypen Hypen, pop rock band from France and Liburn Jupolli, contemporary musician from Kosovo.

Warehouse 15 at the port,

Thessaloniki, Greece

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