ΙΟΝΙΟN CENTER FOR THE ARTS & CULTURE

1ST INTERNATIONAL KEFALONIAN FESTIVAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL ARTS
Title “WE ARE NATURE’’

Design credits : Professor Nada Abdallah

‘’Today, works of art and the creative activities representing them are excellent tools for municipalities and art-carrying cities, aiming to establish themselves on the international map of Cities of Art. The subject ‘’art and public space’’ remains extremely relevant, whether in the form of urban art creations or landscape interventions, creation of spaces for social activity or the corresponding conversion of sites. The process of utilizing art in space concerns not only art experts, but constitutes a positive social experience for the inhabitants of the modern cities”. Dr. Haytham Nawar (https://www.aucegypt.edu/fac/haythamnawar) .
‘’Perhaps at no other time in the human’s history has connecting with our environment been more important. Our species is just starting to become aware of the impact of its actions on the planet. Our species survival may be dependent on our future actions’’. Dr.Pierre Liechner (www.leichner.ca).
The 2005 UNESCO Convention, a comprehensive compendium of past declarations and conventions, remains a landmark in international cultural policy as, based on human rights and fundamental freedoms, it provides a theoretical and legislative framework for participatory systems of culture-driven governance. Through the Convention, the inseparability of culture and development was officially recognized, so as to define the focus of the creative economy. In its context, it was formed by defining the implementation of policies and measures that support the protection, creation and access to cultural goods and services” from an article of the Ionion Center for Arts & Culture (https://ionionartscenter.gr/)

Image credits: Dr. Pierre Leichner

A. “We are Nature” Festival

1. GOALS
The main goal of a multi-media environmental art festival is to strengthen the relationship of Kefalonia residents with their environment. At the same time, the festival through the activities will provide us with information on what we can do to improve our environment at a local level, while we will have the opportunity as a society to participate ourselves in the creation of art or to enjoy art events.
Another goal is to establish a bridge between the arts and the sciences. During the events, the opportunity is provided for presentations related to the environment by local agencies, experts and scientists. It is also the opportunity for local and international artists to share their works, thus enabling the possibility to make Kefalonia an international destination of ecology and art.
‘2. Cooperating Entities
Geopark, OΦΥΠΕΚΑ (and organizations proposed by the Geopark)
Municipality of Argostoli
Municipality of Palliki
Ionion Center for the Arts & Culture
Rifortso Cultural Association
Community and Voluntary Association of Farsa

I. ENVIRONMENTAL ART AT THE KEFALONIA FESTIVAL
Environmental art can take many forms:
It often takes the form of installations created with natural materials and projects designed to be non-destructive or ecologically beneficial, site-specifically applied.

Image credit: Ioulia Kagadis

The festival includes:
Sound arts or lighting arts, environmental poetry, visual interventions, such as ephemeral or permanent sculpture installations, painting exhibitions, environmental poster exhibitions, etc.
The Environmental Art Festival will provide live art experiences in the everyday life of the island and through the projects and events will advocate for a healthy and sustainable environment.
There are examples of environmental festivals and parks dedicated to environmental arts. The present proposal, which was initiated by Dr. Pierre Liechner, in the case of Kefalonia it will be unique because: It will bring the local scientific and artistic community in contact with the international field of arts and environmental protection through a variety of events, which will highlight the island and its environmental wealth.

II. DURATION
August 1st –September 30th 2023

III. SCHEDULE
August 2 -9, 2023 Jillian Cremens “PLASTIC REFRACTIONS OF THE IONIAN SEA” installation exhibition at the Ionian Center for Arts & Culture.

August 6, 2023, Craig Dongoski, Kostas Frantzis, Emily Williams “Children of the Algorithm”

August 10, 2023, Professor Craig Dongoski, Exhibition

August 12, 2023, Dr. Pierre Liechner, EARTH WORMS Laboratory

https://leichner.ca/Paintings/cephalonia/wawk_install_web.jpg

19 -20-21 August 2023 lighting of buildings in Lixouri, Farsa, Argostoli, Nick Azidis & Rose Staff.
August 22-23, 2023 Blueprint Workshop led by Ioustini Drakoulakou.
August 23, 2023, Dr. Pierre Liechner ”Every Venus Tells a Story” Exhibition of figurines at the Korgialenio Library.
August 24-25, 2023, Dr.Pierre Liechner, “Root sculptures” installations in the Park of Koutavos.
https://leichner.ca/Installations/RememberingRoots/RememberingRoots.html.
https://leichner.ca/Photographs/grassrootsprojectphotos.html.

August 28 to September 6, 2023 ”Every Venus Tells a Story” Figurine Exhibition at Kefalonia Geopark (http://leichner.ca/Installations/Venus/venus.html, http://leichner.ca/Installations/everyvenus/everyvenus .html).
August 29, 2023. Ephemeral eco-art installations by the local community in Koutavos Park. (https://leichner.ca/Curating/VictoriaPark/VictoriaPark.html, http://leichner.ca/Curating/Ephemeral/ephemeral.html, http: //leichner.ca/Curating/Contour/contour.html).

IV. ART SECTORS
1.
● Visual exhibitions (on the subject of the environment)

a. Jillian Cremens, PLASTIC REFRACTIONS OF THE IONIAN SEA” installation exhibition
b. Dr. Pierre Liechner, Exhibitions and workshops
c. Tsu Wang, Exhibition
d. Dr. Yana Chebotova, Project exhibition and workshops.

● Sound & Multimedia Arts

a. Georgia State University, USA, Professor Craig Dongoski

b. Melbourne University, Australia, Dr. Anthony Lyons,

c. Hunderfield University, U.K. Dr. John Bonner,

d. Concordia University, Canada, Dr. Kurtis Lessing.

e. Being Sound Technology (Mary Keena Frisbee, Gueorgui Borov, Giulia Gallina, Hugo Santos, Iana Misuina , Matt Lindsay , Lua Brice , Fateme Banishoeib).

● Lighting Arts (Nick Azidis – Rose Staff)

August 19, 2023 lighting of buildings in Lixouri
August 20, 2023 lighting of a building in Farsa
August 21, 2023 lighting of a building in Argostoli

● Video : Pam Longobardi, film presentation: “Kefalonia Plastic Free Island”
Susan Knippenberg, presentation of the video “Antisamos”

● Workshops and art exhibitions that will address the local community or give an opportunity to local artists and the local public to participate by creating and exhibiting the works
Specifically:
August 23, 2023, Dr.Pierre Liechner(www.leichner.ca) ”Every Venus Tells a Story” Exhibition of figurines at the Korgialenio Library.
August 28 to September 6, 2023 ”Every Venus Tells a Story” the Figurine Exhibition will be installed in the Kefalonia Geopark (http://leichner.ca/Installations/Venus/venus.html, http://leichner.ca/Installations/ everyvenus/everyvenus.html

● Bioart workshop, exhibition and demonstrations for the public by Dr. Pierre Liechner, in Argostoli (Koutavos) and Lixouri. Presenting a series of art paintings created with earthworms.

● August 22-23, 2023, Cyanotypes Workshop, to be organized and supervised by Ioustini Drakoulakou, offered to the local community by Ioustini Drakoulakou & Ionion Center for the Arts & Culture.

● August 24-25, 2023, Dr.Pierre Liechner, “Root sculptures” installations in the Koutavos Park.
https://leichner.ca/Installations/RememberingRoots/RememberingRoots.html.
https://leichner.ca/Photographs/grassrootsprojectphotos.html.

Roots sculptures will be installed in Koutavos with a parallel presentation to the public of the value of the environment. The dried roots can later be preserved and become part of another indoor art installation in another space.

● August 29, 2023. Ephemeral ecological art installations with natural materials. They will be created by the local community along the trails in Koutavos Park. (https://leichner.ca/Curating/VictoriaPark/VictoriaPark.html, http://leichner.ca/Curating/Ephemeral/ephemeral.html, http:// leichner.ca/Curating/Contour/contour.html).

2. DAY MEETING ON THE ENVIRONMENT
In collaboration with scientists and artists, an international meeting on the environment and its protection (topics to be discussed /decided in collaboration with the Geopark, etc. agencies. TBC the possibility of including the earthquakes of 1953 in the topics). The Ionion Center offers its premises free of charge for the conference/meeting).

V. BENEFITS EXPECTED FROM THE FESTIVAL
International promotion and recognition of Kefalonia as a destination for arts, environmental awakening and protection.
Announcement of the continuation of the festival for 2024 with a greater range of activities and scope.
Participation of the local community and especially families and young people in events that promote a better tomorrow.
Awareness of all social structures, private and public, regarding the environment and its protection.
Economic advantages for the local community
Attracting an international audience, scientists, artists, activists and communicating their knowledge and work.
Long-term advantages that will be obtained by the Municipalities and the Geopark.
Offer of 2 awards, one to a local and one to an international artist.

Sets of sculptured roots by Dr. Pierre Liechner will be installed in the gardens, with a parallel presentation to the public of the value of the environment. The dried roots could later be preserved and become part of another indoor art installation in another space later.

Image credits: Dr. Pierre Liechner
● Ephemeral installations of works with natural materials, which during the festival, the community will be invited to create along the paths of the park- Koutavos

● Creation of a catalog in edited form including the entire Festival, available by the end of the activities.

IONION CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND CULTURE
Metaxata 28100, Kefalonia, Greece
info@ionionartscenter.gr, www.ionionartscenter.gr
All rights reserved Ν. 2121/1993 , N. 3057/2002 (άρθρο 81) Ν.3207/2003 (άρθρο 10 παρ. 33)