Since 2022, the EoC group gathers each year in a different city to learn about sites and infrastructures under pressure and ways of working with(in) them. This year we gathered in Athens and joined the celebration of 10-years of Avtonomi Akadimia, durational art work and open grassroots university at the Akadimia Platonos / Plato's Academy, founded by the artist and activist Joulia Strauss.
The programme in Athens was convened by Elke Krasny and Joulia Strauss.
In Athens we explored the site of the Akadimia Platonos that is in danger due to a "development" plan – a new museum of the city of Athens that includes cutting of 580 trees and extraction of 30% of the park from the free use; we learned about the history of the park where Plato taught soldiers and were re-writing military roots of education by practicing Việt Võ Đạo Kung Fu with Joulia on-site; we learned about ongoing diverse uses of the park that is the largest green lung for the western part of city; shared and discussed ways of working with infrastructures under pressure and the feminist infrastructural critique; we observed the effects of gentrification in the city; were introduced to the work of the Athens based Mouries Collective, and took part in Paula Flores’ art work "Quelites".
Thank you all for two days of enriching, touching, and meaningful gathering!
Photographs by: Inês Moreira, Nada Rosa Schroer, Urška Jurman
