Topic.
The whole project has and intends to have a strong human character. We refer to the concept of Humanitas, which defines the ethical value of understanding and assistance to those we recognize as our fellow human beings. We want to focus on the common matter belonging to every human manifestation, among different times and spaces, and to underline the proximity between ways of being that are apparently distant. 
The title “Beds” comes, consequently, as a metaphor of an intimate and custom place, regarded as familiar even if far from home. Each artist will be given an imaginary bed in the form of a physical place in which to freely create her/his artwork.

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Beds.
The first edition of Beds will involve the city of Athens (GR) and 6 performance artists:  LukasKolm (LT),  Zoe Antipa (GR)/Sandra Johnston (UK), Antti-Juhani Manninen (FIN), Macklin Kowal (USA/GR), Ximan Wang (CHN/IT).
Each artist is invited to perform in a particular place in the city of Athens, chosen in relation to the deep similarities between the artist’s practice and the assigned place. 
Beds is based on three pillars: the chosen place (considered for its own specificities), the alive relationship created by performance art, and solidarity.

 

Beds in solidarity.
The idea of Beds intends to intersect the “structure” of an artistic event with the human facts that have determined and determine the past and contemporary history of a city, in this case, Athens.
As a natural consequence of the approach adopted, we combine the art project with the choice to create a strong contact between the artists and some of the realities that are facing humanitarian problems in Athens in recent years. 

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Beds program.
Each artist will spend in Athens a period of one week (expected to be in 2021) during which she/he will be supported in the preparation of her/his performance art piece and invited to hold an artist talk in the two participating art spaces currently active in the Athenian art scene, Potential Project and Noucmas. 
In addition to what is concerning her/his personal artistic practice, the artist is invited to collaborate or simply get involved with some organizations committed to providing basic necessities, support, and closeness to people in need. 

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Partnerships.

Beds project is patronized by the City of Athens. The project has established partnerships and collaborations with several institutions/organizations including the Performance studio of the Department of Fine Arts, School of Art, University of Western Macedonia, the Fine Art Academy of Rome, Und.Athens (Athenian alternative art guide); Athenian art spaces active in the contemporary art scene: Come Alone, Potential Project, Noucmas, PS:; supported by TelepART, Τσεχικό Κέντρο Αθήνα / Czech Centre Athens, Finnish Institut at Athens; Club Unesco Romania; solidarity organizations: ECHO (mobile library for asylum-seekers waiting indefinitely in Greece), and Pilipala (art association active in refugee camps).

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Ending...
We believe that this project, even if small in size, is able to highlight both private and collective debate.
Through the artist’s body performance art brings aliveness, temporality, and instability to the artwork. The live presence of the artist’s body becomes central to the notion of “the real”. We believe that Beds can trigger a process that leads to a more articulated perception of what is considered familiar.