“STOA 01”: A Creative Crossroad in Contemporary Art

Stores in Orfanidou Arcade, which sell coins, stamps, antiques, hats, clothing, jewelry, and sweets, will be transformed into art spaces from October 5 to October 12, 2024. The shop windows will display artworks, bringing together local shopkeepers and 22 Greek and international artists.

The group exhibition “Stoa 01” will be hosted for one week in Orfanidou Arcade, the timeless heart of Athens’ collectible coin and stamp market. Today, the arcade houses a variety of eclectic stores and remains the liveliest part of a network of neighboring arcades. It connects Stadiou Street, which is already showing signs of revival, with bustling Sofokleous Street, once the economic hub of the city.

The idea came from Piyi Wong Poi-Ein, Panagiotis Voulgaris and Dionysis Pappas‘ walks and intense interest in the arcades of Athens, especially in this neglected and battered part of the city centre, stretching from Claythmonos Square to Omonia, where for many years the arcades were a vital network of corridors with intense economic activity, an integral part of the everyday life of Athenians and visitors to the city.

The three artists, after presenting the idea for the exhibition to the shopkeepers of the arcade, invited the artists to visit the arcade, view the individual shop windows and make contact with their owners, proposing the installation of artworks inspired by the particular character of each shop and its merchandise. As part of this process, the shopkeepers also shared their thoughts and concerns about the various problems they face, as well as their hopes for the revitalisation of the area.

The exhibition contains an element of surprise for the visitor, who follows a path from display case to display case, as it is organised by the different works of art presented. Paintings, sculptures, weavings, photographs, collages and installations coexist with the products displayed in the shop windows, forming a kaleidoscopic whole that unfolds along the entire length of the arcade.

Participating Artists: Blanka Amezkua, Natasa Antonov, Iakovos Volkov, Panagiotis Voulgaris, Mary Cox, Elli Embedokli, Iliana Theodoropoulou, Helen Kyrkilis, Loula Leventi, Angela Liosi, Alexandros Maganiotis, Dimitra Maltabe, Christina Mitrentse, Pandora Mouriki, Maria Bourbou, Vivi Papadimitriou, Dionisios Pappas, Sergios Pappas, Caroline Pradal, Ioanna Terlidou, Panos Tsonis, Piyi Wong Poi-Ein.

A Creative Crossroad in Contemporary Art