Athens Biennale 2027 "new institutional phase," say organizers

After a 20-year career as an independent initiative of the local art scene, the 8th Athens Biennale (AB8) is entering a "new institutional phase", the organizers of the exhibition said in a press conference unveiling the Athens Biennale 2027.

The eighth edition, with the title "Stasis/Ekstasis", will run from 2 April to 27 June 2027 at the former Public Tobacco Factory of the Hellenic Parliament - which will serve as its central venue - and is curated by Thiago de Paula Souza under the artistic direction of Poka-Yio.

The press conference was held in Athens, CE Report quotes ANA-MPA.

Beginning with intimate ideas such as proximity, nostalgia and emotional connection, organizers said, AB8 expands towards broader political and social realities shaped by displacement, fear and collective complicity.

Through STASIS/EKSTASIS, the Biennale explores whether artistic practices can create spaces of solidarity, exchange and transformation, while also challenging the certainties that define contemporary life.

Rather than illustrating or commodifying history, the exhibition seeks to place historical memory into dialogue with contemporary art and everyday experience. At its core lies a pressing question: how can we remain emotionally and politically engaged without surrendering to silence or indifference?

The title unfolds through the tension between two interconnected conditions. The word stasis, derived from the Greek hístamai ("to stand" or "to defend"), was historically associated in Ancient Greece with moments of civic conflict and internal division.

Here, it reflects a condition of immobility and uncertainty - a state marked by paralysis, restriction and the inability to envision meaningful change. At the same time, it becomes a metaphor for the contemporary moment, in which crisis often appears endless and the tools for transformation seem increasingly difficult to identify.

In contrast, ekstasis (or ecstasy) originally referred to the act of "standing outside oneself" - a state connected to emotional intensity, displacement and transcendence. Across centuries and cultures, the term evolved through associations with ritual, celebration, trance and bodily transformation.

Within the framework of the exhibition, EKSTASIS is approached as a force of energetic change: a concentrated emotional and political intensity capable of shifting perception and opening new possibilities. Through these two "sister-images," the Biennale proposes a reflection on the fragile balance between stagnation and transformation that defines our contemporary condition.

AB8: STASIS/EKSTASIS proposes a dynamic relationship of friction and exchange between these two concepts, exploring both their historical meanings and their contemporary resonances through a dialogue between local and international artists. According to the organizers, the exhibition does not seek to remain silent in the face of today’s concerns, yet it equally refuses to instrumentalise them.

Emerging from Athens, a city shaped by histories that resist simplification, but also a city where collective practices have increasingly become responses to the complexities and contradictions of the contemporary world, the 8th Athens Biennale 2027: STASIS/EKSTASIS positions itself as an attempt to understand the present moment.

The press conference also followed a recent announcement regarding the restructuring of the Athens Biennale organisation, including the establishment of a Board of Trustees, an Advisory Board and a Curatorial Committee, marking a significant new chapter in the institution’s history.

According to senior board member Dakis Ioannou, "the Athens Biennale is entering a new phase of institutional maturity," while an effort is being made to enhance its role.

"What matters to us is not only the presentation of art, but also the Biennale’s ability to actively contribute to contemporary artistic production and to keep art open, vital and connected to its time. Each founding member of the Board of Trustees has contributed in their own way to the field of contemporary art, but this is the first time we have come together through a shared initiative," he added.

Poka-Yio described the new era of the Biennale as a "paradigm shift." Reflecting on the future direction of the institution, he noted that while the first Athens Biennale in 2007 contributed to placing the city on the international art map, this new chapter aims to establish Athens as a leading and forward-looking platform for contemporary art in Europe.

He also highlighted that AB8 is the first edition developed within this renewed institutional framework. For the first time, the curator was selected following the recommendation of an international Curatorial Committee featuring Massimiliano Gioni, Katerina Gregos, Stefanie Hessler and Gabi Ngcobo.

The appointment of Thiago de Paula Souza, he explained, reflects a curatorial practice shaped by extensive international experience, while the Biennale itself seeks to strengthen collaborations with artists, independent initiatives and cultural institutions through an expanded network of exchange and cooperation.

Thiago de Paula Souza, the Brazilian curator of the AB8, stressed that the relationship with Athens and the wider region is fundamental to the development of the exhibition.

"For me, the 8th Athens Biennale represents a creative challenge that motivates me to consider artistic practices through the lens of a city marked by a complex history and intense political and social experiences. Athens has shown that, even in times of crisis, collective struggle can create spaces in which we can reconfigure what we have long considered certain in our lives, and to do so this exhibition will be built in constant dialogue with local and international cultural agents,” he said.

The 8th Athens Biennale is co-financed by the European Union through the Regional Programme "Attica" 2021-2027.

Photo: Facebook/theAthensBiennale