825 thank-yous

"We live in the explosive now of a world in constant transition”. This was the phrase that introduced the Future N.O.W. Open Call of the Onassis Stegi, which searched for new original works to be staged during the artistic years 2020-21 and 2021-22. But nobody could have predicted in early-March (when the first cases of Covid-19 emerged in our country) that the present would be at once so unpredictable and explosive.

With the sudden outbreak of the pandemic, we locked ourselves within our homes but not within ourselves. In the silence imposed by the restrictive measures, we managed to remain restless. We thought about the future and redefined it through the “here and now”, with each of us experiencing, paradoxically, the contradiction of a Future Now.

This is confirmed by the 825 Νew Οriginal Works that reached Onassis Stegi through the Open Call, which coincided with the advent of the pandemic in Europe (10.03–20.04.2020). 825 applications from outstanding artists who proved that art carries its own antibodies and survives in the most difficult conditions. That talent does not remain behind closed doors and creativity cannot be restrained. Thank you all and everyone. The future belongs to you.