Tour 1 – Documenta 2017

Art Tour documenta 14 Athens (in German)

Documenta is one of the world’s most significant series of exhibitions for contemporary art and takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. For the very first time the Documenta opening reception will be held in two cities; Kassel, and in  a second location: Athens, Greece! Additionally, the Athens events will begin before the Kassel opening! What does that mean? And why Athens? This and many other questions will be the subject of this art tour of Athens.

In 2014, when the selection committee appointed Adam Szymczyk (former director of Kunsthalle Basel) as the director of Documenta 14, no one imagined Athens would play a prominent role. Titled Learning from Athens, Documenta 14 programs and events will not be about the study and analysis of the ancient past. The programs and exhibitions of Learning from Athens will be more about the contemporary socio-economic crisis, migration flows and the examination of European and global interrelations.

ART TOUR documenta 14 ATHENS is an extraordinary opportunity for participants to experience both the ancient and contemporary city of Athens on a much more in-depth level than the average tourist – and thereby embrace the significance of this city in the landscape of Western cultural history. We will visit Documenta 14 venues and other important art institutions, exchange ideas with local artists and curators and discover the many unique places of Athens.

Itinerary

Friday, April 7 – Thursday, April 13, 2017

Day 1 (Friday): Welcome to Athens 
Individual arrival in Athens and the Fresh Hotel (or any other hotel of your choice).  
*Early evening welcome drinks and briefing of the tour on the roof terrace of the Fresh Hotel. Joint dinner in the old city of Athens, just below the Acropolis of Athens (Plaka, 15 minutes walk). The Athenian artist Manolis Anastasakos will join us and talk about his projects. 

Day 2 (Saturday): documenta 14 (Part 1) 
After breakfast we take the Metro to one of the main venues of the documenta 14. The national museum for contemporary art (EMST) is located at the edge of the old city and used to be the brewing house of the beer FIX. Lunch after the documenta 14 in the nearby trendy area Koukaki and then walk to the hotel through the Plaka via the picturesque Apostolou Pavlou Street (or by Metro). 
*Evening cocktails in the hip Romantso Bar (where regularly art shows are presented) and then dinner in the nearby area.  

Day 3 (Sunday): Benaki Pireos Museum | Art Project Piraeus 
Pick-up at the hotel by the tour bus and transfer to the Benaki Pireos Museum in the morning. The Benaki is one of the most acknowledged art and cultural institutions in Greece and is housed in several buildings – the new Pireos building stands for the development of the whole Gazi area. We follow the old Ermou Street, pass by the Keramikos excavations and arrive at the Thission. The archaeologist O.S. accompanies us on this stroll and explains us why these ancient remains constitute such an importance for the Athenians. The rest of the afternoon is free. 
*In the early evening transfer by bus to Piraeus where we visit the local art project of the Berliner Weissensee Kunsthochschule and the Kunstakademie Athens directed by Prof. Hannes Brunner and Andreas Schlaegel. Dinner in Piraeus with the project managers. 

Day 4 (Monday): Acropolis Museum | Plaka 
After a short walk to Omonia Square we take the Metro to the Acropolis Museum. A few years ago Swiss architect Bernard Tschumi constructed this spectacular building which now houses the Acropolis artifacts. Guided tour through the exhibition by a licensed guide. After the museum we have a walk through the Plaka and have lunch in the Psirri area with a prominent street artist. Cacao Rocks will guide us afterwards through the quarter and will show why Athens is the new Berlin. Studio visit included. 
*Free Evening 

Day 5 (Tuesday): documenta 14 (Part 2) 
By Metro to the documenta venue Parko Eleftherias (according to the time required we may visit another documenta venue). Lunch in the nearby Kolonaki area. 
*Evening starts with a visit of the well-known foundation TAF Metamatic + FLUX LAB (including an introduction by the curator). Then drinks at the trendy TAF-Bar. Dinner in the Psirri area (by foot) with the curator of the TAF. 

Day 6 (Wednesday): Benaki | Cycladic | Niarchos 
Our tour starts with a bus transfer to the Kolonaki area where we visit the Benaki Museum (main building) and then the Cycladic Museum which presents the anniversary exhibition of the well known DESTE Foundation. Lunch together in a classic restaurant of Kolonaki (proper lunch is recommended since dinner will be a late-night-drink/snack only due to the ballet evening). Optional trip to the nearby top of Lycabettus hill (by cable car) where we enjoy a stunning view over the whole city. On foot down to the city center (passing by the neo-classical buildings of the Academy/University/Library) and back to the hotel.  
*Early evening transfer by bus to the brand new Opera of Athens (donated by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and built by Renzo Piano): 90 minute guided tour through the complex including the new opera, new National Library, exhibition spaces and park area). Transfer to the Greek National Opera, Olympia Building where we will see the contemporary dance piece ‘Topia’ by Antonis Foniadakis. The newly appointed ballet director Foniadakis returned to Greece after working for various companies (Maurice Béjart, Lyon Opera, Martha Graham). The evening ends with late night drinks nearby the hotel – if the weather permits on one of the many rooftop bars with Acropolis view. 

Day 7 (Thursday): Athens | Departure | Extension 
Farewell and individual tour of the city before departure.

In case you want to celebrate Easter in Greece (this year the Greek and the Catholic Easter is at the same time) you may continue your journey to the island of Syros. Swiss artist Judit Villiger has a base there and will show us the island (separate tour program).

Services included

THIS TOUR IS FULLY BOOKED

Tour guide Jordanis Theodoridis in German
 
Guided tour through the Acropolis Museum 
Guided tour through the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center 
All entry fees to the respective museums and venues 
All transfers by bus 
Metro-Tickets 
Tickets for the ballet evening ‘Topia’ (best seats) 
Welcome drinks 

Price: CHF 650 per person 
Minimum number of participants: 12
As soon as the minimum number is reached I will notify the participants so that they can proceed with their individual flight and hotel booking – the sooner the better.
A cancellation of the 'Art Tour documenta 14 Athens' after confirmation and payment is not possible.  

Registration: 
jordan@0010.ch 

Not included: 
All meals and beverages 
Accommodation in Athens 
Flight to Athens 

Travel recommendations: 
Hotel: Fresh Hotel, Sofokleous 26, 10552 Athens, Greece, www.freshhotel.gr (DR approx. Euro 114 including breakfast). The hotel is located in the city center, close to the food hall.Metro: Omonia or Monastiraki. 

Flight: Swiss and Aegean have several flights per day from Zurich to Athens. There is a Metro that runs from the airport Eleft. Venizelos to the city center. (Flights approx. CHF 400). 

Note: 
The booking of the flight and the hotel is carried out independently by the participants. 

The Fresh Hotel has reserved a number of rooms for 'widmertheodoridis Zurich'. You may book any other hotel or apartment though (see links). 

The tours begin every morning at 9.30 am in the Fresh Hotel with a little introduction by myself.
 

Lunch is scheduled as a smaller meal, whereas dinner is the main meal. Feel free to join (the price for a dinner meal, including beverages, is about Euro 30/p.p.). Single parts of the tour may be omitted. However, the “Art Tour documenta 14 Athens” can be booked only as an entity. 

The tour will be in German. Artists/curators speak Greek or English though. 

The same tour will take place again from April 28 – May 4, 2017 in English. 

You may want to participate in the documenta 14 installation 'The Parthenon of Books': http://www.documenta14.de/en/news/1601/call-for-book-donations 

Tour guide: Jordanis Theodoridis 
During the last ten years as managing director of the gallery widmertheodoridis I have built up a professional experience in the gallery business. In more than sixty exhibitions and more than twenty national and international art fairs I have gained a sound knowledge of the contemporary art world. On behalf of widmertheodoridis I have developed art tours, presentations and art education workshops. I travel to Greece four to six times a year to visit my family and friends – Greek is my mother tongue. widmertheodoridis has been in business with Greece since 2015 and can rely on a network of contacts in the local art world. 

Links 
http://www.0010.ch  
http://freshhotel.gr  
http://www.boutiqueathens.com  
http://www.documenta14.de/en/  
http://www.emst.gr  
http://www.benaki.gr  
http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en  
http://theartfoundation.metamatic.gr/EN/About_TAF/  
https://www.cycladic.gr/en  
http://deste.gr  
http://www.snf.org  
http://www.nationalopera.gr/en/  
http://www.art-athina.gr

copyright images:  
SNFCC – oikos.gr  
EMST – George Messaritakis  
Plaka travel book – Iraklis Milas
Acropolis Museum – villalikehome.com