2013 - 2023

MYKONOS BIENNALE

The Mykonos Bienniale is held every odd year at during summer on the Greek island of Mykonos. Originally created by Lydia Venieri, the biennale does not consider itself in the standard form but that of a symposium where art and philosophy meet to work with the energy of island.

For one week the island of Mykonos, hosts an extensive range of artworks, projects, and a program of events. The biennial commissions leading and emerging artists to make and present permanent and temporary public artworks, as well as long-term community-based projects. These newly commissioned and existing artworks and projects are presented in diverse locations, including unusual public spaces including windmills, pirate houses, warehouses, schools and churches, as well as the city’s galleries, museums, and cultural venues. The town hall, School of Fine Arts and the other organizations in Mykonos provide context for the presentation of contemporary art and culture.

Biennials

Upcoming 2023 - Orphic Mysteries

Lydia Venieri, The Last Supper

2021 - 1821

The 5th 2021 Mykonos Biennale theme was Eighteen Twenty-One and exhibited works and installations by various artists as well as international short films during the first week of September.

Participating artists

Irvin Aguilar Shayma Aziz Tjorg Douglas Beer Panos Charalambous Nikos Charalampidis Thalia Chioti Thanasis Dapis Dimitris Efeoglou Marianne Federal Yannis Gazetopoulos Gabriela von Habsburg Steven C. Harvey Anastasis Ioannou Wilfred Jansen Zisis Kotionis Panos Kouros Alexandros Koxias Giorgos Kyprianidis Andreas Liberatos Elvis Lopez Romelinda Maldonado Luis Maly Natalia Manta Irene Miga Osaira Muyale Luigi Ontani Spiridon Paloukis Sophia Papacosta Yannis Papadopoulos Panos Papadopoulos Chelsea Peterson Patsy Pitts Ioanna Ralli Velvet Zoe Ramos Samuel Samiento Lola Montes Schnabel Peter Schuyff Giannis Selimiotis Katerina Skassi Fani Skoulikidi Vicky Stamatopoulou Malte Urbschat Augustus Veinoglou COMOTIRIO - Naira Stergiou and Eriphyli Veneri Zafeiro Vlachou Iria Vrettou Alydia Wever Darwin Winklaar Ken Wolff Jess Wolff Louiza Zachareas

Participating Short Film Directors in Dramatic Nights

Dimitris Andjus, Ziba Arzhang, Félicien Bonniot, Megan Combs, Charles Dudoignon-Valade, George Eid, Daniele Gangemi, Pauline Jacquelin, Nancy Kamal, Anthony Légal, Kellen Mcgrath, Michaël Marie, Akash Navare, Hamid Nezamzadeh, Paul Sirague, Joana Solnado, Rodrigo Sopeña, Deniz Telek, Manos Triantafillakis h3> Participating Short Film Directors & Video Artists in Video Graffiti Yuula Benivolski, Anna Bolińska, Alydia Catalina Wever, Panos Charalampous, Rafika Chawishe, Christian Filek, Yannis Gazetopoulos, Martin Gerigk, Wilfred Jansen, Lindsey Johnson, Gabriela Jung, Harshini Karunaratne, Sara Koppel, Gio Lingao, Daniela Lucato, Shiva Momtahan, Chloe Parre, Nicola Piovesan, Haraka Platform, Mey Seifan, Georges Sifianos, Valinia Svoronou, Domenica Varvalouka, Nvard Yerkanian, Theodoros Zafiropoulos

Participating Performers

Adham Hafez Michalis Katachanas Androniki Marathaki Max ZT

Babis Amidides - Matiss Evreoux - Michalis Babelis - Lefteris Sikiniotis Kantansos - Maria Christara - Irene Karagianni - Apollonios organization - Vassilis Tzavaras - Adham Hafez - Michalis Katachanas - Rigas - Androniki Marathaki - Max ZT

Farewell Aggelos

Farewell Aggelos (video projection) was a homage to Aggelos with a performance by Irene Karagianni

2021 Curators

Lydia Venieri, Sozita Goudouna, Elvis Lopez

2021 Team

Lydia Venieri, Rallou Avramidou, Elli Skreta, Thanos Vassilakis,

2019 - APATHIA

''The 4th 2019 Mykonos Biennale theme was Apathia and exhibited works and installations by various artists as well as international short films during the first week of September.

Participating artists

Rene Alvarado, Francisco Alvarado-Juarez, Michelle Andrade, Dimitris Barouchos, Tjorg Douglas Beer, Constantinos Bouras, Arnaud Bourgain, Loreto Buttazzoni, Khadim Dai, Medri Davide, Christofilogiannis Dionysis, John Duff, Thalia Gatzouli, Yannis Gazetopoulos, Maria Georgoula, Peter D. Gerakaris, Cris Gianakos, Zhen Guo, Eugenia Hanioti, Kleopatra Haritou, Yannis Iliopoulos, Irene Karayanni, Vassilis Kavourides, Zoe Keramea, Peggy Kliafa, Barbara Knight, Charis Kontosfyris, Amanda Kyritsopoulou, Konstantinos Ladianos, Thanasis Lalas, Eirini Linardaki, Afrodite Liti, Alexandros Maganiotis, Jenny Marketou, Margarita Myrogianni, Steve Miller, Mitsuko Nazo, Ilias Papailiakis, Valia Papastamou, Hara Piperidou, Sebastian Piras, Patsy Pitts, Joanna Przybyla, Hamid Razmkhah, Karl Grumpe & Rene p.g., Georgia Sagri, Nikolaos Sarlis, Angelos Spyropoulos, Vicky Stamatopoulou, Nikos Tranos, Vassilis Tsokopoulos, Pedro Tyler, Giorgos Vdokakis, Anna Vekri, Kostis Velonis, Lydia Venieri, Ioanna Vlachou, Fiona Walsh

Participating Short Film Directors in Dramatic Nights

Leila Abdelrazaq, Hanieh Bavali, Joan Bentosela, Marcos Bonisson & Khalil Charif, Alexandra Brodski, Ramazan Çardak, Emanuel Cossu, Khadim Dai, Hossein Rabiei Dastjerdi, Bracq Fabrice, Thomas Giannakis, Florian Goralsky, Joseph Laguidice, Dima Proykova, Stefano Schiavone

Participating Short Film Directors & Video Artists in Video Graffiti

Francisco Alvarado-Juarez, Capitana F, Marco Cucurnia, Giorgos Efthimiou, Matthew Gibson, Sara Koppel, Joseph Laguidice, Armin Monfared, Marina Petrie, Fawn Rogers, Alexandria Searls, Amr Singh, Nima Valibeigi, Giorgos Vdokakis, Olia Verriopoulou, Behnaz Zahmatkesh

Participating Performers

Babis Amidides - Rigas and Anemomyloi - Matiss Evreoux - Michalis Babelis - Lefteris Sikiniotis Kantansos - Dimitri Vassilakis - Maria Christara - Irene Karagianni - Apollonios organization - Vassilis Tzavaras

Farewell Takis

Farewell Takis (video projection) was a homage to Takis with live jazz from Dimitri Vassilakis, dance performance by Maria Christara & vocals by Irene Karagianni

2019 Team

Lydia Venieri, Vassilis Kavourides, Elli Skreta, Vassilis Tsokopoulos, Andonis Andoninis, Angelos Spyropoulos, Vicky Stamatopoulou, Thanos Vassilakis, Costas Picadas,

2017 - Trans Allegoria

''The 3rd Mykonos Biennale theme was Trans Allegoria and exhibited works and installations by various artists as well as international short films during the first week of September. Allegories are symbolic figures which identify ideas and give to the abstraction a face, an expression, a position, a costume which reveals the meaning. Victory has wings, Death is a skeleton with scythe, when Spring is surrounded by flowers. The Allegory can freeze the temporality of an idea, like the gold fleece, the holy grail, the “immortal" water, or the Spring of Youth.''

Participating Artists

Anastasia Pelias, Andrew Ellis Johnson, Antonakis, Antonia Papatzanaki, Antonis Maros, Arezoo Moseni, Aristides Logothetis, Artemis Potamianou, Augustus Goertz, Bill Pangburn, Bong Jung Kim, Bruce Robbins, Cecilia Whittaker-Doe, Constantine Bouras, Debby Lee Cohen, Della Rounick , Despo Magoni, Devon Farber, Dimitris Kioukas, Dominick Lombardi, Don Doe, Egon Zippel , Emelia Filipopoulou, Eozen Agopian, Evi Eleftheriadi, George Tzin, Ilias Koen, Jacci Den Hartog, Jeffrey Bishop, Joo-Hyun Kang, Jordi Enrich, JT Steiny, Julia Robbins, Kallina Maiopoulou, Katherine Liberovskaya, Konstantinos Stamatiou, Leonidas Papadopoulos, Liliane Lijn, Luis Orozco, Lydia Andrioti, Lydia Dambasina, Lydia Venieri, Lykou Isis, Margarita Myrogianni, Maria Efstathiou, Maria Karametou, Meghan Boody, Myreille Miller, Natalia Koursoumi, Nicholas Moore, Pavlos Samios, Ran Hwang, Renee Magnanti, Seth McBride, Sofia Touboura, Stephen Cox, Twofourtwo , Vassilis Tsokopoulos, Yannis Gazetopoulos

Participating Short Film Directors in Dramatic Nights

Farnoosh Abedi, Alejandro Alberola, Mert Amasyalı, Ilia Antonenko, Price Arana & Adam Rothlein, Fabrice Bracq, Julia Campanelli, Bob Celli, Pasquale Encell, Emilija Gasic, John Hellberg, Ali Kalthami, Sezen Kayhan, Ella Kohn, James Francis Khehtie, Jennifer Perrott, Julián Quintanilla, Kalilah Robinson, Mohsen Serajian & Marzieh Hakim, François Sibiude, Alexander Tuschinski, George Vatistas, Rowena Woods

Participating Short Film Directors & Video Artists in Video Graffiti

Nancy Allison, Thomas Apostolou, Laura Boato, Lexi Bass, Martin Gerigk, Rakel Jonsdottir, Katherine Liberovskaya, Liam Morgan, Nirvana Paz, Costas Picadas, André Shannon, François Sibiude, Seyed M. Tabatabaei, Patrick Tarrant, Kirk Tougas, Jeannie Weissglass

Participating Performers

Babis Amidides - Rigas and Anemomyloi - Michalis Babelis - Lefteris Sikiniotis Kantansos - Silvia Macchi - Matiss Evreoux

Participating Philosophers in A PHILOSOPHICAL MARATHON

Paul Boghossian, Kyriaki Goudeli, Bobi Hatisi, Meriam Korichi, Stelios Virvidakis, Michel Paroussis, Yannis Prelorentzos, Barry C. Smith, Spiros Tegos, Maria Venieri
Event created by Meriam Korichi

Team

Lydia Venieri, Cecilia Dupire, Lydia Andrioti, Thalia Vrachopoulos, Sylvia Macchi, Meriam Korichi, Andonis Kioukas, Thanos Vassilakis, Kimona Venieri, Angelos Spyro

2015 - Antidote

Participating Artists

Aga Ousseinov - Glenn Goldberg - Heide Hatry - Ioanna Gouzeli - Jeannie Weissglass - Jim Shaw (artist)|Jim Shaw]] - Joshua Levine - Kate Shaw - Konstantinos Patsios - Kostas Varotsos - LC Armstrong - Loukia Dousi-Rassia - Lucia Oceguera - Luis Luna Matiz - Lydia Andrioti - Lydia Venieri - Macklen Mayse - Manolis Baboussis - Marcia Grostein - Margarita Myrogianni - Maria Efstathiou - Maria Papadimitriou - Marnie Weber - Mary Hrbacek - Michael Zansky - Michel Abajoli - Narooa Lizar - Panos Charalambus - Panos Famelis - Pedro Barbeito - Phyllis Yampolsky - Raul Hott - Richard Pasquarelli - Stathis Alexopoulos - Stephen Dean - THAVMA Collectiva - Takis - Tassos Vrettos - Thordis Adalsteinsdottir - Yannis Gazetopoulos - Tassos Vrettos - Katerina Skassi - Panos Kostouros - Perikles Kanaris - the Synergy Dance Group of Silvia Macchi - the Flower Girls - Jean Paul Gomez.

Participating Short Film Directors

Pour Issa - Teddy Cecil - Diego Fiori]] & Olga Pohankova - Nancy Allison - Paul Allman - Rob Lobosco - Jay Lifton - Tahsin Ozmen - Emma Eisner - Marnie Weber - Konstantinos Chaliasas - Orfeas Peretzis - Heath Hanlin - Sigal Yona - Paul Surety - Margaret Corn - Dimitris Panakis - Victoria Trzeciak - Rhys Collier - Joel Moffett - Mohammad zare - Daniel Lecanda - Jonathan Kitzen - Andronikos - Konstantinos Dimopoulos - Patrick Kelley - Rami Yasin - Jianan Fan - Cristian Sulser - Daniel Thorsteinsson - Eva Colmers - Adriane Little - George Vdokakis/Nikos Kounitis - Mustafa Mahdi - Peter Kalisch - Cole Mercier - Mathieu Guimond - Hugo Hubert - Kryssa Schemmerling - Donald Gray - Emilija Gasic - Tom Schroeder - Bob Celli - Nancy J. Rodwan - Santiago Echeverry - dominique t skoltz - Isis kiwen - Jeff Wyatt Wilson - Sally Grizzell Larson - William Spencer - Mark Spencer - Saman Hosseinpuor - Elena Stamatogianni - Raisa Al Mansoori - Aleksei Abib - Mark Playne - Mete Sozer - Damon Silvester - Luis Luna Matiz - Danliewen Lu - Mario Garefo - Daniele Sartori - Josephine Massarella - Daniel Bloch - Andreas Hadjipateras - Yianna Dellatolla - Alexi Papalexopoulos - Tracey anarella - Alex Bak - Thiago Zamprogno - Aggeliki Bozou - Michael Achtman - Elizabeth Kedrick - Joseph Accardi - Frank Perrin - Felix van Cleeff - Despina Economopulu - Gustavo Raulino - Alkis Papastathopoulos - nicolas citton - Jack Chapman - Maida Withers - Thomas Storesund - Alexander Tuschinski - Ritika Bajaj Vijra - Mike Friedrich - Jeff Dupre - Shahrukh Kavousi - Thomas Apostolou - Minji Kang - Theodoras Vogiatzidis - Paul Turano - Sophia Kiapos - Amanda Milius.

Participating Performers

Babis Amidides - Rigas and Anemomyloi - Aposperites - Musical School G.Axiotis - Michalis Babelis - Flower Girls - Lefteris Sikiniotis Kantansos - Perikles Kanaris - Pole Dancing Pelecans - Tina Psalida - Mykonos Chorous - Anna Pangalou - Synergy Dance Group - THAVMA collective

Team

Lydia Venieri - Andonis Kioukas - Sylvia Macci Varotsos - Michael Skafidas - Elefteria Kotzaki - Christina Spanos - Demeter Stamatopoulou - Alexis Fideztis - Lydia Andrioti - Nikos Asimomytis - Thanos Vassilakis - Kallia Filippaki - Dimitra Tampakopoulou - Xeno Angelus - Katerina Skassi

2013 - Crisis and Paganism

June 21 through 24, the inaugural Mykonos Biennale took place at the heart of the Greek Cyclades islands. Lydia Venieri, a New York-based Greek artist, curated the core exhibition under the banner 'Crisis and Paganism'. Gallerists, young artists, locals and, of course, tourists convened for a series of happenings where poetry and dance, along with suitably Dionysian amounts of food and wine, combined in a part-sacred, part-pagan voyage around the party-worn alleys of Mykonos and the deserted ruins of nearby Delos. Venieri's stated intention was to commit "an art crime" in Greece, a country that has, in Europe at least, lately been synonymous with social suffering. Her ideas seemed to suggest that the currently embattled Greeks know how to sustain their ancient values and confront their fears through gatherings and dancing.

Participating Artists

Participating artists

Venues

The venues of the Mykonos Biennale are located in many strategic points to initiate the visitor into the cultural inheritance of the island. The contemporary and international art works will blend with traditional culture in a haunted dialog hosted by the ghost of the past creating together Historical Time.

Town Hall (The Russian House)

Then the art installation Rendez-vous was presented, followed by the Flower Project Part 2 by the «Flower Girls»Anna Pangalou sing the aria John Cage from the main balcony of Town Hall.

Old Port

The Sylvia Macci dance group presented "Yaloudes" a work inspired by Mykonian sea ghosts.

The Windmills

Nobuhiro Ishihara - Installation: Dragon is reborn as a Cetus κητος from the Japanese to the Greek mythology. Lucas Samaras - Video installation in the windmill.

The Archeological Museum

Takis & Lydia Venieri

Big White Gallery

Yiannis Gazetopoulos, Alexis Fidetzis, Olga Goulandris, Patrick Swirc, Robert Flynt, Lydia Andrioti, Lydia Venieri, Christos Markogiannakis Antonis Volanakis,Theodoulos Gregoriou, Fotis Sagona, Thomas Stavropoulos.

Delos

Alternative Baptism, a performance by Lydia Venieri and Adonis Volanakis accompanied by the music of Dimitris Vassilakis and the Sylvia Macci Dance Group. Lydia Venieri performed Words about Women by Betty Tompkins.

The Folklore Museum (The house of the Pirate Mermelakas)

Pato Hebert, Aleta Lee, John Henry, Dean Monogenis, Camila Santin.

Kouseyares church

Shashpour Pouyan & Pedro Tyler.

Lena's House

Andonis Volanakis, Pepa Prieto, Anita King, Manos Pontikakis, Rafaele Shirley.

School of Fine Arts

Works by Liana Anastasiadis, Lydia Andrioti, Panagiota Apostolopoulos, Leonidas Chalepas, Mark Hadjipateras, Marie Jacotey, Anita King, Esther Lemi, Christos Markogiannakis, Maria Nymfiadi, Costas Picadas, Fotis Sagonas, Cam Santin, Katerina Skassi, Alice Skoulikidis, Lydia Venieri, Iria Vrettos, Tassos Vrettos, Cindy Tower, Katernia Skassi. The festivals inauguration ceremony was opened by the children's choir of the Music School "George Axiotis," conducted by Tina Psalida. Η παιδική χορωδία της Δημοτικής Μουσικής Σχολής «Γεώργιος Αξιώτης»,κάτω από την διεύθυνση της Τίνας Ψαλίδα άνοιξε την τελετή των εγκαινίων.

Venieri Mansion, Matoyanis, Mykonos Town

Anna Pangalos, Antonis Volanakis and Din Heagney perform the poetry of Kurt Schwitters, Henry Miller and John Ashbery respectively.

Venieri House, Ano Mera

The Mystic Party with music by Michalis Kounenis and Lefteris Sikinotis, and dance performances: The Last Supper by Lydia Venieri performed by the Dance Group of Sylvia Macci and Manage á Trois performed by Andonis Volonakis and the Flower Girls.

Municipal Gallery

Delos Revisited – a mosaic workshop for children was held by Irini Sirianou.

The Organic Vinyards of Paraportianos

Among the ancient vines of his organic vineyard, Paraportiani, Mr Nikos Asimomytis hosted a Dionysian feast for biennale. Dimitris Vassilakis his music for the ancient vines.

Cine Mando (Open air Cinema)

The Mykonos Biennale Art Video Film Festival

Team

Lydia Venieri - Andonis Kioukas - George Tsokopoulos - Maria Papadaki - Andonis Volonakis - Dimitris Vassilakis - Ana Pangalou - Tassos Verttos - Sylvia Macci Varotsos - Michael Skafidas - Fotis Sagonas - Elefteria Kotzaki - Christina Spanos - Demeter Stamatopoulou - Alexis Fideztis - Yannis Voliotis - Lydia Andrioti - Panos Kostouros - Annable Aronis - Nikos Asimomytis - Thanos Vassilakis - Katie Peyton - Lee Wells - Tina Psalida - Babis Amoiridis

Sponsors

Aφrodite Mykonos Beach Hotel - Airfrance - Androkikos Hotel Mykonos - Avion Films - Cine Manto - Hellenic Seaways - Lo Yachting - Municipality of Mykonos - Paraportiani Vineyards - Qatar Airways - School of Fine Arts

Mykonos Biennale

The Mykonos Biennale is a cult event which brings together artists from all over the world to create something new, to break the borders of their own art, using the telluric energy and hermetic beauty of this cosmopolitan island.

Returning to the essence of the island: Sexy, hippy, historic nudist-naturalists, paganistic and mythic is the Mykonos Biennale Destination.

The international multicultural events will interact with the local memories, traditions and historical spaces creating a unique experimental event.

The art exhibitions, the installations, and performances of the artists, the musicians and dance group will spread through out the monasteries, the museums, the old houses, the ancient island of Delos, the windmills and other monumental buildings, like a treasure map of the old island. The heart of the festival is the Cine Mando which will host the first open air video film festival.

Biennale Statement

This is not a biennale, it is a symposium where Art and Philosophy meet with the extraordinary energy of Mykonos.

Our ambition is to create a unique event where personalities are invited to communicate the spirit of humanity.

Today’s economic disaster presses the populations into depression, a dead-end of confusion darkness and anonymity.

Before finding any solutions we must find ourselves.

Living poetically, celebrating human existence, communicating with art and philosophy, walking in this territory of culture, history, and genuine vitality we will manifest ideas, strength, enthusiasm and optimism to look together for the DESTINATION.

Like Baudelaire’s Kythera and Cavafy’s Ithaca, Mykonos is a symbolic island: the transcendental land of the alternative thought.

With the Mykonos Biennale we will create a historical event with momentum where the universal spirit of art, liberated, will regenerate in the eternal spring of life.

Art Program

The venues of the Mykonos Biennale are located in many strategic points to initiate the visitor into the cultural inheritance of the island. The contemporary and international art works will blend with traditional culture in a haunted dialog hosted by the ghost of the past creating together Historical Time.

Education & Internship Progam

During the biennale there will be numerous lectures and discussions on the arts, philosophy, music and civilization which be held in the amphitheater. This interaction will lay the ground and build the foundation for the future communication between the participants

The Biennale’s internship program gives the youth from many countries important training and experience and real exposure in event management and art curation. Their time with us and the certificate awarded by the Biennale will help and inspire them in their future in further education and employment.

In the educational season the foundation of the biennale will organize exchange programs between various educational establishments in the Greece and the rest of the world with the aim to build strong bonds and projects between them.

Awards

Mykonos Biennale The Golden Pelican Award -aka-The Petros

The
Golden Pelican Award
The Petros

The Mykonos Biennale Byron Award

The
Byron Award

The Mykonos Bienale Manto Award

The
Manto Award