Space of Togetherness

For The European Pavilion 2024, NEON raises some of the most pressing issues facing Europe today. What is our imagined future in relation to the present and how can we get there? What are the ideals for a shared civic understanding? Entitled Space of Togetherness, the proposal encompasses a five-week exhibition held at the National Drama School in Athens, which will explore how preconceived ideas of racism, social and climate mobility, and rights of migrants, are woven into our daily lives and how we can find a sense of belonging and learn to co-exist through the thoughtfulness of class, race, and gender.

The artistic and civic practice of 25 contemporary artists reflects this ethos. As a point of departure, an ongoing community project, The AfroGreeks by Døcumatism collective, provides an audio-visual archive of members of the African Diaspora in Greece.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a versatile public programme bringing together various contributors, including artists, scholars, social actors, and policy makers. NEON will also commission the Athens-based think tank diaNEOsis to produce a research paper on migration policy in Greece and Europe, leading to a policy brief, as a series of recommendations, for Greek policy makers.

The project is curated by Elina Kountouri, NEON Director, in collaboration with an advisory committee:  Nabila Abdel Nabi, Curator, International Art, Tate; KJ Abudu, Assistant Curator, Public Programs and Residencies, Swiss Institute; Naomi Beckwith, Chief Curator, Guggenheim; and Dr. Nadina Christopoulou, founder Melissa Network of migrant women.