Athens Biennale

Read on Artsy the predictions for the art trends of 2024 from 15 leading curators, including Stefanie Hessler , co-curator of AB6: ANTI, and Larry Ossei-Mensah , co-curator of AB7: ECLIPSE.



In early 2023, curators anticipated technology's significant impact on the art world, driven by the growth of ChatGPT and advancements in AI. The year served as a "reset," prompting artists to reevaluate their practices.

As 2024 begins, 15 leading curators predict the art world will be influenced by global sociopolitical events, including ongoing conflicts and the U.S. 2024 election cycle.

Expectations include politically urgent art addressing violence and divisiveness. There is also a growing focus on environmental and social justice, particularly through the perspectives of female and Indigenous artists, reflecting a broader interest in bold, activist approaches to contemporary global challenges.

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1/ Portrait of Stefanie Hessler by William Jess Laird. Courtesy of Stefanie Hessler.
2/ Portrait of Larry Ossei-Mensah. Courtesy of eStudio em Obra.

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The Guardian features an interview with Katerina Evangelatos, the artistic director of the Athens Epidaurus Festival Φεστιβάλ Αθηνών & Επιδαύρου, highlighting the festival's shift towards a contemporary perspective on theatre. According to the editor, Arifa Akbar, this move aligns with a broader trend in contemporary culture in Greece, which traces back to the Athens Biennale in 2007.

As Akbar mentions: "Evangelatos' drives towards the contemporary could be seen as part of a larger cultural push to escape the enormous "heritage" shadow of the Acropolis, and bring Greek culture fully into the 21st century. The Athens Biennale, launching in 2007, aimed to put the city on the contemporary art map, while the appointment of Nicholas Yatromanolakis in 2019 as secretary for contemporary culture bears its own symbolism."

‘I thought people would throw bottles’: o**y in Athens as ancient Greek drama strips off and lets rip Naked choruses, sexual fantasies, rubbish tip wastelands and nods to refugee camps … Athens’ Epidaurus festival is thrilling audiences – and thrusting theatre into the 21st century