Forming a Distance

A workshop at HfK with Prof. Dr. Zafos Xagoraris from the Athens University of the Arts

An introduction includes historical examples of Avenues of Heroes, as well as cases of statues in motion. Avenues of Heroes exist in many countries and are routes along which statues, or busts of figures associated with the local history are placed. Sculptures like these or others are sometimes withdrawn due to political changes, moved for emergency reasons, or demolished.

Students are asked to design, or choose any object, gesture, mechanism, or sound. This set of ephemeral monuments could be installed outdoors or moved a short distance in a kind of suggestive procession. The successive images create a narrative, while a certain distance in the urban environment becomes a temporary inscription.

The course/workshop encourages students to discuss the relationship between history and contemporary artistic creation, the institutional role of art and its critique, and the expected or unexpected positions of artworks in the city.Zafos Xagoraris’s personal interpretations are presented, while students are invited to position themselves according to their personal work and research.

Zafos Xagoraris‚ artwork includes drawings, outdoor sound installations and reconstructions focusing on details of historical events. He has participated in exhibitions such as the 58th Venice Biennale, documenta14 (Athens and Kassel), the 4th Athens Biennale, Manifesta 7, the 1st Thessaloniki Biennale and the 27th São Paulo Biennial. He was one of the curators of the 2nd Athens Biennale and the 9th Venice Architecture Biennale. Zafos Xagoraris holds a Master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, while his PhD thesis at the School of Architecture of the NTUA refers to the construction of miracles by Hero of Alexandria. He is a Professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts.

Workshop dates 23-25 October 2024 at Halle 2, Speicher XIA
Wednesday, 23. October 2024 from 2pm until 5pm – lecture and introduction to the topic
Thursday, 24. October 2024 from 10am until 1pm – propose objects, or elements related to your work and research
Friday, 25. October 2024 from 10am until 1pm – finalize the projects and temporary installation outdoors

Here are some pictures from the final presentation: