"MARCEL DUCHAMP"

The performance uses, as a ready-made title, the name of the legendary 20th century avant-garde artist Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968), who influenced and continues to influence our perception of art, as only a handful of artists have achieved. An independent soul and lover of games and irony, Marcel Duchamp was a cubist painter, a member of Dada, a surrealist, a denialist of painting, an inventor of the ready-made, a professional chess player, an organizer of exhibitions, a forerunner of conceptual art, an important reference for pop art and postmodern aesthetics, an intelligent and successful man, and a very lucky guy…

Nova Melancholia is interested in the "Marcel Duchamp" method; its strategies, the ideas, the practice. Their anniversary performance claims a certain legacy: the pervasive spirit of challenge, the constant irony and self-irony, the search for subversion, for the new and the challenging, the playful approach to things, the inclusion of the random in the artistic process, and the significant gesture.

The title of the performance functions as a platform for additional signification and loose connections between different materials. "Marcel Duchamp" can only be the pretext, the wrapper of a content. And the content is Nova Melancholia itself that has been trying to define - over the years - a genealogy of people, artists, methods, ways of working; a specific sensitivity to things.

The show is a celebration of the 15 years of the group's presence (2007-2022) in the changing landscape of theatrical and artistic performance. It will be hosted successively at four spaces of Athens’ contemporary art scene: State of Concept Athens, EIGHT, TAVROS and Enterprise Projects, for five days in each space, spread over a period of four months.

* A first version of the performance was presented on Anafi, at phenomena (Association Phenomenon & Kerenidis Pepe Collection) in July 2021, as a diptych together with an artwork by VASKOS under the common title "Data: 1st The Momentary Immobility, 2nd The Cracks."

* The production of the show is carried out with the subsidy of the Ministry of Culture.

details

Concept & coordination: Vassilis Noulas & Kostas Tzimoulis
Directed by: Vassilis Noulas
Sets-Costumes: Kostas Tzimoulis
Assistant director: Elisavet Xanthopoulou
Duration: 90 min.

Performers: Christina Karagianni, Stavros Karambatsos, Mario Banushi, Nikos Ntasis, Despoina Hatzipavlidou

► STATE OF CONCEPT
Tousa Botsari 19, PC. 11741
https://stateofconcept.org/
27-28-29-30-31 March 2022

► THE EIGHT
Polytechniou 8, PC 10433
https://8athens.wordpress.com/
8-9-10-11-12 April 2022

► TAVROS
Anaxagora 33, PC 17778
https://tavros.space/
18-19-20-21-22 May 2022

► ENTERPRISE PROJECTS
Chalkidonos 58, PC 11527
http://enterprise-projects.com/
3-4-5-6-7 June 2022

press

22.03.2022 - ATHINORAMA
What tou ches us deeply in Marcel Duchamp is the transformation of the denial of art into a resolution of life [gr]
Vassilis Noulas and Kostas Tzimoulis interviewed by art critic Despina Zefkili

28.03.2022 - ELCULTURE.GR
Nova Melancholia celebrates its 15th anniversary with" Marcel Duchamp ": Vassilis Noulas and Kostas Tzimoulis talk about the new performance [gr]
Vassilis Noulas and Kostas Tzimoulis interviewed by Lina Rokou

29.03.2022 - ATHENSVOICE.GR
Nova Melancholia becomes 15 years old and celebrates it... with Marcel Duchamp [gr]
Interview of Vassilis Noulas and Kostas Tzimoulis with Ioanna Gokouza

03.04.2022 - EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON
We believe in the power of the spectator [gr]
Interview of Vassilis Noulas and Kostas Tzimoulis with George Voudiklaris

04.04.2022 - MONOPOLI.GR
Marchel Duchamp": The performance of Nova Melancholia for the 15 years of the team [gr]
Review by dance critic Paraskevi Tektonidou

30.05.2022 - EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON
With a More Subversive Element, Innocence [gr]
Review by theatre critic Grigoris Ioannidis

03.06.2022 - CULTURENOW.GR
Bonjour Monsieur Duchamp! [gr]
Review by art critic Faye Tzanetoulakou