Konstantinos Doumpenidis
Visual Artist and Creative Director
Lives and works in Athens, Greece
Creative Director of Juicer Studio
Part of Esto Association
Works
Publications
CV - About
Visual Artist and Creative Director
Lives and works in Athens, Greece
Creative Director of Juicer Studio
Part of Esto Association
Works
Publications
CV - About
L' Autre Europe avec Jean
EMERGENCY, Vevey - SwitzerlandJune, 2018
This project was conceived and executed during the artist-in-residence program "Emergency" in Vevey, Switzerland. Its central theme revolves around the pivotal role played by Ioannis (Jean) Kapodistrias in the post-French Revolution reconstruction of Europe, along with the transformative ideas he introduced. These contributions ultimately led to Switzerland's attainment of independence and the establishment of the Constitution of Neutrality, which was firmly rooted in ancient Greek democratic principles.
Kapodistrias envisioned a Europe characterized by freedom, the self-determination of peoples, equality among states, the protection of human rights, general disarmament, and the active participation of citizens in fostering genuine democracy. Regrettably, this vision has encountered numerous challenges and setbacks.
Through the installation, I sought to underscore the imperative need for a thorough reevaluation of the factors that undermine the idealized national narrative. I aimed to transport the viewer into a realm of "dream archaeology," where the boundaries between the past and the present blur. It's important to clarify that I don't intend to promote ancient Greece as a strict paradigm; instead, I propose that it be considered a hybrid entity bridging the historical and the futuristic. In this context, ancient Greece serves as a source from which a new Europe can be redefined.
The future of Europe may very well draw inspiration from its past, embracing concepts such as direct democracy, autonomy, self-determination, and self-governance as the building blocks for its rejuvenation and evolution.