Condensation Cube: Gathering the fragments of a society in crisis

“Condensation Cube” is a hands-on exhibition documenting the ways in which the political, economic, social and cultural reality was shaped in Greece during the previous decade (2007-2017). It is the spatial materialisation of the Condensation Cube Project, previously accessible in its entirety exclusively online. The exhibition, which will run until March 31, takes place at the Contemporary Greek Art Institute (ISET), a foundation focusing on art produced in Greece from 1945 to this date; it is also organised with the support of ΝΕΟΝ, a nonprofit organisation for the promotion of art and culture.

Condensation Cube is a concept by Vassilis Vlastaras (Assistant Professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts), an artist whose multifaceted body of work includes paintings, photography, video and audio. His recent artworks mainly unfold in the form of large-scale installations, where he experiments with various media, performances and interactive presentations. Vlastaras is always interested in examining the links and contradictions between personal and social discourse and tries to capture the fleeting moment, the succession of confrontation and oblivion within the public sphere.

This particular project is the result of ten years of keeping records: photos, videos, news reports, audio recordings, clippings, pamphlets, internet comments, social media statements etc. Vlastaras tracks transitioning trends in public speaking, the emergence of conflicting sides and divisive narratives, the discovery or fabrication of enemies, the alternative representation and emotional interpretation of facts and stories, illustrating the state of turmoil of a society in the maelstrom of crisis.

Some of the exhibits have already been publically presented in the past, in separate events: “burn(all)e” (2009) and “it’s us or them” (2012) were audiovisual presentations, created in collaboration with painter Maria Glyka (the former as part of the Athens School of Fine Arts “Utopia” workshop in Crete), while “symptoms” (2013) was an installation at the Agora 4th Athens Biennale, 2013. The project’s internet site showcases a compilation of the various fragments used in these shows, especially those in digital form or those captured via photography or video. Today, ten years after the accumulation of the archives began, this exhibition offers viewers an integral experience through digital, audiovisual and physical evidence, creating a chronicle for a difficult decade, using a patchwork of multiple records in an attempt to “condense” the essence of an era.