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Oedipus in search of Colonus | Loukia Alavanou

Dates

Age Guidance

13+

Prices

5 — 8 €

Location

Onassis Stegi
Get Tickets

Time & Date

Day
Time
Venue
Day
Wednesday - Sunday
Time
19:00 - 23:30
Venue
Exhibition Hall -1

Tickets

Type
Price
Full price
8 €
Reduced, Friend & Groups 5-9 people, Neighborhood residents
7 €
Unemployed, People with disabilities, Companions
5 €

Onassis Stegi Friends and general presale: from 22 SEP 2023, 17:00

Information

Available time slots

*19:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00, 21:30, 22:00, 22:30, 23:00

Duration

15 minutes

Language

The installation is entirely in English.

Information

Persons who are pregnant, who have heart or vision problems, who suffer from epilepsy or some other serious medical condition, who use hearing aids, or who use a pacemaker or some other implanted medical device are advised to consult their physician before using a VR headset.

The use of VR headsets by minors is restricted to those aged 13 and over, accompanied by an adult.

ARIONA accepts no liability for any damages incurred by VR headset users who fail to comply with the guidelines set out above.

The VR installation by Loukia Alavanou, who represented Greece at the 59th Venice Art Biennale, is coming to the Exhibition Hall -1 of Onassis Stegi. A 15-minute film shot with 360° VR technology and members of the Roma community from Nea Zoi in Aspropyrgos of Western Attica, in the roles of a cast of actors who follow in the traces of Oedipus.

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The VR installation by Loukia Alavanou, who represented Greece at the 59th Venice Art Biennale, is coming to the Exhibition Hall -1 of Onassis Stegi. A 15-minute film shot with 360° VR technology and members of the Roma community from Nea Zoi in Aspropyrgos of Western Attica, in the roles of a cast of actors who follow in the traces of Oedipus.

Documentary, fiction, drone flights, slapstick, video clips inspired by the trans-Balkan pop culture of contemporary Roma artists, sophisticated pranks, VR technology, hemispherical domes, and hybrid posture chairs—inspired by the architect of modernist utopia Takis Zenetos—comprise Loukia Alavanou’s installation “Oedipus in Search of Colonus.”

In the semi-lit exhibition space of Onassis Stegi at -1 Level and within a theatrical atmosphere, the visitors of the installation are led to the specially formulated hemispherical domes, inside of which are the hybrid posture chairs—a cross between an office chair and an anatomical TV recliner chair—that, due to their ergonomic design, allow the visitors to experience the 360° spectrum of the film unrestrained. In addition, the sound design of the VR film is directional and, like the image, is responsive to the movements of the visitors, culminating in an unparalleled experience.

With her installation, Loukia Alavanou invites the audience to a journey through time, with a plot revolving around the themes of aging and death, human dignity and universal freedom, and permeated by our current societal reality, immigration, displacement, minorities, and human rights.

Alavanou has previously been an Onassis Foundation scholar and is currently a fellow artist at ONX Studio, the New York-based and global-wide initiative led by Onassis Foundation on Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality.

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    Photo: Pinelopi Gerasimou

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    Photo: Pinelopi Gerasimou

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    Photo: Pinelopi Gerasimou

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    Photo: Pinelopi Gerasimou

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    Photo: Pinelopi Gerasimou

“I was visiting an off-the-map area to the west of Athens when I got lost and found myself in the Roma ghetto, which is one of the toughest places in Greece. This Roma community moved here in the 1980s from Thebes, just like Oedipus, who was also from Thebes. There is actually an assumption that the path Oedipus took on his way from Thebes to Colonus passed through this precise location, Nea Zoi—which interestingly means ‘New Life’.” – Loukia Alavanou

A journey through time, with a plot revolving around the themes of aging and death, human dignity and universal freedom, and permeated by our current societal reality, immigration, displacement, minorities, and human rights.

The first edition of the film "Oedipus in Search of Colonus" is part of the Onassis Collection and was powered by Onassis Culture, supported by PCAI/Polygreen Culture and Art Initiative.

The installation’s presentation at the 59th Venice Art Biennale, curated by Heinz Peter Schwerfel, was realized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, powered by the Onassis Foundation, and implemented by the National Gallery, as well as the further support of the Greek Film Center, NEON Organization, the Thessaloniki International Film Festival, and OUTSET.

The film was initially developed at the program FEATURE EXPANDED (HOME, Manchester / awarded by Lo schermo dell’arte, Florence) where the director had received a scholarship.

Photo: Jacopo Salvi / Courtesy of La Biennale di Venezia

Installation view of Loukia Alavanou, Greek Pavilion, 59th International Art Exhibition—La Biennale di Venezia, 2022

School Visits

Εxhibition Credits

  • Artist

    Loukia Alavanou

  • Curator

    Heinz Peter Schwerfel

  • Production Advisor

    Christina Pigaki

  • Architectural & Installation Design

    Korres Engineering

  • Head of Construction

    Martin Tabaku

  • Sound Designer

    Manolis Manousakis

  • Light Design Concept

    Sakis Birbilis

  • VR Consultant

    Michael Tebinka

  • Audio Engineer

    Kostas Stylianou

Onassis Culture

  • Director of Culture

    Afroditi Panagiotakou

  • Deputy Director of Culture

    Dimitris Theodoropoulos

  • Head of Digital & Innovation

    Prodromos Tsiavos

  • Head of Production

    Vasilis Panagiotakopoulos

  • Production Manager

    Christina Pitouli

  • Lead Line Producer

    Dimitra Bouzani

  • Line Producer

    Mariana Antzoulatou

  • Technical Coordinator

    Antonis Kokkoris

  • Digital & Innovation Coordinator

    Heracles Papatheodorou

Communication & Content Department

  • Group Communication & Content Manager

    Demetres Drivas

  • Content Leader

    Alexandros Roukoutakis

  • Head of Creative

    Christos Sarris

  • Campaign Manager

    Elisavet Pantazi

  • Commercial Manager

    Nikos Rossolatos

  • Media Office

    Vaso Vasilatou, Katerina Tamvaki, Nefeli Tsartaklea-Kasselaki

  • Social Media

    Vasilis Bibas, Sylvia Kouveli, Alexandra Sarantopoulou

  • Social Media Performance Specialist

    Giorgos Athanasiou

  • Copywriter

    Elizampetta Ilia Georgiadou

  • Creative Studio

    Georgia Leontara, Constantinos Chaidalis, Jillian Viglaki, Theodoros Kovaios, Maria Poyiadji

  • Audiovisual Coordinators

    Smaragda Dogani, Elena Choremi

  • Audience Development Coordinator

    Dimitra Pappa

  • CRM Specialist

    Maria Proestaki

  • Website Editor

    Andrianna Iosifidi

Onassis Stegi

  • Technical Director

    Lefteris Karampilas

  • Deputy Technical Director

    Giannis Ntovas

  • Administrative Support

    Rebecca Stamou

  • Electrical Dept.

    Fotis Andrianopoulos, Kyriakos Xanthopoulos

  • Sound Dept.

    Alexis Politis, Thodoris Tsachalos

  • Stage Technicians

    Iakovos Darzentas, Stelios Mpourdis, Leonardo Cela

  • Office Services Coordinator

    Vasilis Korompilis

  • Office Services Assistants

    Christos Giakoumis, Dimitris Lianos

  • Office Services Support / Recycle Lab

    Giannis Kouros, Dimitris Nazos

  • Office Services Support / General Duties

    Panagiotis Stergiou, Loukas Drosos, Ihor Davyda

  • Building Technical Director

    Giorgos Raptis

  • Secretary of the Technical Directorate

    Chara Sidirokastriti

  • Building Technicians

    Andreas Mpranis, Panagiotis Generalis, Ioannis Karropoulos

  • Electricians – Building Lighting Technicians

    Dimitris Mpougioukos, Vasilis Chatzieleftheriou, Marios Chatzis

  • ICT Manager

    Manos Karteris

  • Network administrator

    Giannis Chazakis

  • Food & Beverage Manager

    Evaggelia Aggelidou

  • Food & Beverage Assistant

    Despina Papastergiou

  • Director of Financial Services

    Haris Gkizas

  • Chief Accountant

    Theofilos Nikolaou

  • Accountant

    Vasia Filippopoulou

  • Supplies Officer

    Antonis Seitelmann

  • Visitor Experience Coordinator

    Niovi Polichronidou

  • Visitor Experience Team

    Xenia Agkistrioti, Konstantinos Iakovou, Konstantinos Psychopedis, Emmanouil Chatzakis

  • Safety team

    Andronikos Pandis, Dimitris Stamatopoulos, Nikos Kampanis, Spyros Triantafillakis, Anastasia Sampani, Christina Pretzia, Ioannis Giannakos

  • Legal Services

    Saplegal - A.S. Papadimitriou & Associates Law Firm

  • Insurance Consultant

    SKRAPAS A.E. Insurance Broker

  • Insurance Broker

    ALLIANZ HELLAS AAE

Film Credits

  • Produced by VRS [Virtual Raw Synergy]

    .

  • Writer & Director

    Loukia Alavanou

  • Actors

    .

  • Oedipus

    Panagiotis Tsiriklos

  • Antigone

    Mary Louloudaki

  • Creon

    Evangelos Tsiriklos

  • Theseus

    Orfeas Vasilaris

  • Narrator’s Voice

    Alexandros Mylonas

  • Antigone’s Voice

    Rena Kyprioti

  • Voices of Oedipus & Creon

    Gregory Patrick Karr

  • .

    .

  • Associate Producer

    Afroditi Panagiotakou

  • 360 Cinematographer

    Giannis Kanakis

  • Music & Lyrics

    Elbrus Hysenaj

  • Editing

    Natalia Papadopoulou, Loukia Alavanou

  • Animation

    Haris Lalousis, Em Kei

  • Audio Production / 360 Location Sound Services

    FigureOfSound

  • Programming / Ambisonics Mix

    Kostas Stylianou

  • VR Post-Production

    VRS and East City Films

  • 360 Ambisonics Sound Design & Sound Synthesis

    Manolis Manousakis

  • Mediators / Translators from and to Romani

    Despina Tsiriklou, Matina Vavouli Production Manager: Nikitas Vasilakis

59th Venice Biennale

  • Commissioner at 59th Venice Biennale

    National Gallery of Greece—Alexandros Soutsos Museum

  • Production Advisor at the
    Greek Pavilion

    Christina Pigaki

  • Exhibition Catalogue Design & Layout

    Nowhere Studio

  • Research Advisor at the
    Greek Pavilion

    Yorgos Tzirtzilakis

  • Acoustics Advisor at the
    Greek Pavilion

    Georgios Theodoropoulos

  • Associate Curator at the
    Greek Pavilion

    Phaidonas Gialis

  • Executive Producer at the
    Greek Pavilion

    Despina Mouzaki

  • Architectural Concept at the
    Greek Pavilion

    Loukia Alavanou in collaboration with AREA—Architecture Research Athens

Read more about the artist

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