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Communitism (2017 - 2023)

Communitism, much like Kunsthalle Athena, emerged within the Kerameikou 28 building in Metaxourgeio during Greece's economic landscape. The group was originaly founded in 2016 as a project to motivate community structures to activate abandoned cultural heritage buildings in Athens. The distinction between these two initiatives lies in their affiliations. Communitism was closely linked with the subculture art scene of Athens, while Kunsthalle Athena maintained connections with the mainstream art scene, including blue-chip galleries, museums, and art fairs.

The group originally initiated at a neoclassical building located at 15 Paramythias & 57 Salaminos streets in Metaxourgeio, not far from Keramikou 28. With the start of Documenta14, more artists relocated to Athens, many of whom became involved with Communitism and eventually moved to Keramikou 28 in 2017, which had been empty for two years.

Keramikou 28 under Communitism was more complex and functioned differently from how the building was used by ReMap and Kunsthalle Athena. Under the umbrella of Communitism, Keramikou 28 adopted a unique approach to space utilization and collaboration. The building was organized into distinct circles, each with its own goals and responsibilities. This structure allowed for the simultaneous operation of multiple autonomous initiatives within the same physical space. During this time, the building hosted a vibrant ecosystem where artists, activists, and community members exchanged ideas and collaborated on projects.

Over the years, Communitism has shaped by a variety of projects and initiatives that contributed to its development. Notable initiatives include Perspectives Art, Balkan Can Kino Film Festival, Typographio, Kino 28, Free the Kitsch Film Festival, Keramo Lab, Butterflies & Camels, MEME Athens, and the last to join the building, PS: (Project Space), which during the COVID-19 pandemic took over the space previously occupied by MEME Athens. While MEME Athens was one of the most well-known initiatives in the building, they split from Communitism in 2020 over a controversy regarding autonomy, leading to considerable distrust and acrimony within the community.

MEME Athens and PS: (Project Space) hosted many renewed artists, including Ron Athey, Karl Heinz Jeron, Alexis Vasilikos,Gianni Kazakis, with other artist like Andreas Angelidakis, Dimitra Vamiali, Juliette Bonneviot, Alexandros Georgiou, Lydia Dambassina, , Annika Larsson, Matthieu Laurette, Ylva Ogland, Angeliki Papoulia, Robert Pettena, Theo Prodromidis, Iraklis Renieris, Yorgos Stamkopoulos, Stefania Strouza, Paul Zografakis, and Socratis Socratous.

Each initiative operated autonomously, with its own space within the building. Despite their independence, these initiatives regularly convened for weekly assemblies aimed at coordinating and organizing the functionality of the building collectively. These assemblies provided a platform for collaboration and ensured effective communication among the initiatives, enhancing the overall synergy of the communal space.T he building housed a diverse group of artist and curators including Ronny Bulik, Stephanie Farkashazy, Nani Cooper, Janna Linke, Frank Holbein, Kiron Guidi, Ulrike Reible, Vera Nicolopoulos, Max Stivala, Fritz Buettner, Klara Meinhardt, Charles Irvin, Ida West-Hansen, Regina Magdalena Sebald, Korallia Stergides, Emanuel Ehgartner, Margarethe Drexel, Panos Sklavenitis, Maaike Stutterheim, Farid Masoudi, Bjorn Ricketts, Wael Habbal, Amin Aghili, Mohammed Alghamyan, Vangelis Lø, Paul Schengber, Felix Deufel, Costis Barbas, Paraskevi Kapa, Domenikos de Visser, and Emma Chapuy.

Project Space of Kerameikou 28

The porject space of Kerameikou 28 is also known as PS: (standing for ProjectSpace, PostScriptum, PerformanceSpace, PrivateSpace, PublicSpace, PlaySpace, PrintSpace, PhotoSpace).PS: hosted exhibitions that aimed to challenge conventional norms and provide a platform for artists to explore new ideas and concepts. These exhibitions were known for their dynamic and inclusive nature, encouraging dialogue between artists and visitors and engaging a diverse audience.

Project Space of Kerameikou 28

The curators at PS: recognized the importance of offering artists an open space to showcase both finished artworks and works-in-progress. This unique approach allowed visitors to witness the artistic process firsthand, fostering intimacy and connection between artists and their audience.

PS: embraced various mediums, including visual arts, performances, installations, public engagements, playful interventions, prints, and photography, transforming the exhibition space into a multi-dimensional experience. The goal was to break down barriers between different art forms and promote cross-disciplinary collaborations, resulting in immersive and thought-provoking exhibitions.

The exhibitions at PS: attracted not only local art enthusiasts but also artists and curators from diverse backgrounds, contributing to a rich artistic discourse and facilitating cultural exchange on both national and international levels.

Film, TV and Music video Shoots

The building's architectural beauty made it an attractive location for film productions, including those for platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, as well as Greek cinema. Notable films shot inside the building include "What If..." (2012).

Other film initiaves of the building inculde Kino 28 and Free the Kitsch Film Festival,

New Owner

After the eviction of Communitism, Bios organization director, and president of the European Creative Hubs Network Vasilis Charalampidis bought the building of Keramikou 28 for 1.200.000 million euros from Iasson Tsakonas in 2023.

Typo - Creative Makerspace

Typo was the creative makerspace of Kerameikou 28.