State of Concept
Athens

State of Concept, in the framework of the first solo exhibition of Ahmet Öğüt in Greece “Labour after Pay, Love before Work – An Artworkers VIP Lounge”, is happy to announce the workshop V.I.P MEMEOSAS FOR FED UP ‘SLOBS’, moderated by Socrates Stamatatos, on the last day of the show, 23rd of September 2023 at State of Concept Athens at the Artworkers VIP Lounge. 

Artworkers VIP Lounge is a newly commissioned installation that includes previous works, the artist is re-creating visually a VIP Lounge for precarious cultural workers, making a potent comment on the precarious conditions of freelance art workers in Greece and beyond, that many times work for free, without contracts or with short term zero hour contracted jobs. The work comes at a poignant time when discussions in the Greek art scene are leading to the formation of a union and collective struggles for contemporary art work to be recognised in the tax system. Within the installation previous pieces of the artist are activated, and the viewer can see examples of past collaborative and collective projects. 

More info about the workshop 

“The title “V.I.P MEMOSAS FOR FED UP ‘SLOBS’” draws inspiration from Ahmet Öğüt’s exhibition “LABOUR AFTER PAY, LOVE BEFORE WORK – AN ARTWORKERS VIP LOUNGE” and the opening day’s “Fair Wage for a Made Up Job” performance. Meanwhile it satirises the corporate absurdity in art openings. 

From sipping cheap wine to superficial conversations resembling reality TV, and pseudo-philosophical posturing to questions like “when’s your next art project?” these scenarios may sound familiar.

In this workshop, cheap wine becomes memeosas (making memes, not mimosas). Tricky questions turn into shared experiences, fostering unity. Those labeled “slobs” due to capitalist pressures transform into artists/memers.

Aligned with the exhibition’s themes, this workshop offers a haven for Greek artists and cultural professionals navigating the art world’s uncertainties, where they can vent, share trauma, and discuss injustices freely.

We invite participants to gather, relax, and embrace helplessness and lethargy. As Tung-Hui Hu suggests in “Digital Lethargy,” immersing in lethargy can be liberating—a necessary step before action. The Greek art scene currently grapples with inertia. This workshop aims to motivate action amid inaction.

Starting from individual experiences, we’ll collectively create, using metaphorical artistic language—memes—to express emotions and fuel our determination to challenge an unjust system.” – Socrates Stamatatos

…….

Workshop duration: approx. 3 – 4hrs 

The workshop will be conducted in Greek & English. 

The participants should have with them: a smartphone, “Phonto” app downloaded on smartphone (if possible prior to the workshop), earphones. 

To participate in this workshop please send a short motivational letter (max. 200 words) at [email protected] answering the following questions: 

1) What inspires you to participate in this workshop?

2) In which areas do you feel this workshop will be helpful to you? (e.g. artistic/curatorial practice, ways to participate in collectives and unions etc.) 

Part of the research platform   

With the support of the