“wanderlust / all passports”: 44 artists of contemporary art at the Schliemann-Mela Mansion

An immersive experience, encouraging each visitor to engage in a process of introspection and connect with the universal search for new meanings, identity and connectedness

The municipal non-profit organisation artefact athens presents the contemporary art exhibition wanderlust (filapodimia) / all passports, curated by Kostas Prapoglou, which will take place in various spaces of the emblematic Schliemann-Mela Mansion at 46 Panepistimiou Street in Athens.

Built in 1890 by the architect Ernesto Chiller (1837-1923) for the family of the amateur archaeologist Henri Schliemann, the mansion began life as a complex of family residences. Later, during the Second World War, it housed the Arsakio educational establishment, became a hotel for a short time and was later converted into lawyers’ and notaries’ offices, as well as shops that left their mark on the social life of the city. Later in the 20th century, the iconic Inteal cinema and the restaurant of the same name were added, becoming historic Athenian landmarks. Today, the building is once again in transition as it is being converted into a hotel, regaining its lost glory with the restoration of all the architectural elements and decorative features that have been lost over time.

Taking into account the conceptual importance of the journey, and more specifically the Homeric journey and what it can mean to each of us, the exhibition will attempt to bring the public closer to ideas of inner exploration, existential quest and emotional uplift.

The physicality of the building, as architecturally conceived and executed by Chiller, is inextricably linked to the history of Athens and has been a point of reference for both tradition and national identity on multiple levels since the founding of the Greek state.

The notion of the interconnectedness of people and realities, both metaphorically and literally, will be another axis of the exhibition. What makes us travel, beyond the need to experience new cultures? Is it the attraction of the unknown? And especially today, is it the sense of security and ease of communication between distant places? Could it be the technology that accompanies us every step of the way? Or is it the relationship between countries on a political, diplomatic and cultural level? What does the modern traveller have in common with an ancient conqueror or a 19th century explorer? And how do we interpret Schliemann’s passion for antiquities, ancient artworks and the need for recognition today?

The participating artists engage with concepts of space and time, addressing meanings related to the future through the lens of the past and present. Such ideas are transformed into subjective conditions in which one point of view interferes and influences the other, rewriting and subverting it, leading to a restructuring of our mental axes and our perception of the world we live in.

The large halls, the smaller rooms, the corridors and the various passages form a stream of consciousness and an emotional journey.

The activation of this space symbolically represents a breath of life, creativity and inspiration. It represents a vital force and a desire for rebirth and evolution. It is like a new passport to countless destinations.
This exhibition aims to provide a fully immersive experience, encouraging each visitor to engage in a process of introspection and connect with the universal search for new meanings, identity and connectedness. Bringing together past, present and future, we are invited to reflect on the nature of our journeys – however we experience them – in an ever-evolving world.

The curator Kostas Prapoglou has invited 44 contemporary artists from Greece and abroad to present works that respond to the site-specific and conceptual context (context-responsive), using their visual, multimedia vocabulary to create spatial installations, videos, sculptures and paintings.

Visitors are requested to wear closed shoes when entering the exhibition space.

Participating Artists

Eozen Agopian (Greece), Anna Abariotou (Greece), Lydia Andrioti (Greece), Anna Antarti (Greece), Klitsa Antoniou (Cyprus), Thomas Valianatos (Greece), Apostolos F. Vettas (Greece), Robert Cahen (France), Asaf Gam Hacohen (Israel), Cleo Gizeli (Greece), Irini Gonou (Greece), Lydia Dampasina (Greece), Susan Daboll (USA), Anji Dracopoulou (USA), Sophia Zarari (Greece), Maro Zacharogianni (Greece), Eleni Zervou (England), Harriet Hedden (England), Michal Heiman (Israel), Daniel Hill (USA), Anita Kalimeri (Greece), Giorgos Kontonikolaou (Greece), Stevie Love (USA), Haris Marini (Greece), Nefeli Masia (USA), Jonas Mekas (USA), Stella Meletopoulou (Greece), Manolis Babousis (Greece), Dimitris Mylonas (Greece), Sandra Osborne (USA), Kriton Papadopoulos (England), Ada Petranaki (Greece), Lea Petrou (Greece), Lina Pigadioti (Greece), Pipilotti Rist (Switzerland), Dimitris Savva (Cyprus), Evi Savvaidi (Greece), Ismeni Samanidou (England/Greece), Dimitra Skandali (Greece), Jesse Leroy Smith (England), Marianna Strapatsaki (Greece), Tonoptik (Montenegro), Claire Tsalouchidi – Hadjimina (Greece), Nikos Tranos (Greece).