Art exhibition to raise funds for Ark of the World
An art exhibition by members of the Group for UNESCO Arts, Literature and Science will be inaugurated at the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation in Athens at 7.30 p.m. on Monday, December 10.
By lowering the opening bid of each art piece to 50 euros with a cut-off at 5,500 euros, the group hopes to raise money for the Kivotos tou Kosmou (Ark of the World) charity, which supports almost 400 child victims of neglect, racism and social exclusion.
“We’re trying to do things that bring people together,” said Nina Diakovassili, general secretary of the Group for UNESCO Arts, Literature and Science.
Over 60 artists are members of the group, including Botis Thalassinos, Evangelos Daskalakis, Roula Pappas, Dimitris Sarakatsanas and Rena Kourpa.
Street artist Yiannis Kountouris (Yiakou), who at 24 years old is the youngest member of the group, says there is a changing dynamic in Greece, where the old paradigm of graduating from a superior art school in order to be successful has disappeared. “Now you can imagine a parallel world,” Yiakou said, “with colors, beauty and different messages that compete for the interest of passers-by.”
Through woeful economic times, Greece’s cultural sphere has flourished and Athens has become the forefront in a resurgence of creative ventures.
Yiakou believes there is a reason that the cultural scene in Athens is one of the only sections of Greek society that has not stagnated during the economic crisis: “People have recognized the artwork in every part of the city, simply because human nature requires some sort of release.”
The exhibition will remain on display until Thursday, December 13. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.mcf.gr.
