Utopia Project
(2006 - 2011)

Utopia Project
The Workshop (July 2006 – July 2010)

Utopia Project was an annual summer art residency program organized and fully funded by Vassilis Vlastaras and the Athens School of Fine Arts.

The project was launched through the initiative of the artist Vassilis Vlastaras, which is responsible for the coordination and organization of the whole project.
The project takes place every July in the ASFA annex in Rethymno Crete, is funded by Vassilis Vlastaras and Athens School of Fine Arts.
Vassilis Vlastaras co organizes the project with Maria Glyka, artist, accredited lecturer of Derby University and collaborates with Klaas Hoek, artist, part time lecturer in the MA Fine Arts, at the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL, London and course leader of the MA Fine Art MAHKU, Utrecht and Gary Woodley, artist, part time lecturer in the MA Fine Arts, at the Slade School of Fine Art, UCL, London and visiting lecturer at the Camberwell College of Art, London.
Vassilis Vlastaras is in charge of facilitating quests, theorists and artists, and organize a program of workshops, lectures, group and individual tutorials and critiques, research and discussion projects through which the participants are expected to gain critical, technological and aesthetic experience.

The first Utopia project was held in 2006 under the title “Utopia as an Island” with an international body of 15 participants, guests and faculty (http://www.islandworkshop.blogspot.com/).

That was followed by “Utopia and Violence” in 2007 (http://www.utopiaworkshop.blogspot.com/),

“Utopia and Praxis: May68-May08” in 2008 (http://www.utopiaproject2008.blogspot.com/),

“Utopia and Youth” in 2009 (http://www.utopiaproject2009.blogspot.com/)

and “Utopia and Nature”, based on H.D. Thoreau’s “Walden” in 2010 (http://utopiaproject2010.blogspot.com/).
By now the whole body of participants, guest artists and theorists numbers over eighty (80) persons.

Utopia Project Participants

Alexandra Antonaki (GR), Annabel Emson (UK), Aspasia Kristala (GR), Caesar Vrettos (GR), Chrissa Lamprakopoulou (GR), Danae Hatzaki (GR), Ellie Reid (UK), Jedsada Tangtrakuwong (THA), Jeffrey Nakamura (USA), Lay Ngo Koay (MAL), Patrick Loan (UK), Sonia Almeida (POR), Indiana Audunsdottir (ICL), Brian Chan (CHN), Maria Chrysochoidou (GR), Helen Dowling (UK), Kieran Drurry (UK), Maria Filipakopoulou (GR), Karem Ibrahim (EG), Lila Maragoudaki (GR), Andreas Mitropoulos (GR), Kostas Pardalis (GR), Alaena Turner (UK), David Yu (USA), Angeliki Valvi (GR), Alexandros Tsamouris (GR), Alexandra Hughes (UK), Daniele Genadry (USA), David Karshmer, (USA), Fotini Kalle (GR), Francesca Anfossi (ITA), Janne Malmros (DEN), Laurien Versteegh (ND), Rachel Ichniowski (USA), Rob Phillips (UK), Woon Jeong (KOR), Sarah Wilson (UK), Katerina Botsari (GR), Paulina Michnowska (ITA), Michalis Adamis (GR), Melis van de Berg (ND), Xanthie Kostorizou (GR), Jayne Wilton (GB), Ben Youngman (UK), Kjartan Abel (ICL), Larry Achiampong (UK), Julia Tcharfas (USA), Panagiotis Tomaras (GR), Giannis Kokkalis (GR), Giorgos Zitis (GR), Maria Georgoula (GR), Victor Mavedzenge (Zimbabwe), Aglae Bassens (Belgium), Ryan Riddington (UK), Kristbjörg Olsen (ICL}, Giannis Papagiannakis (GR), Andreas Vakalios (GR), Dimitris Dimitriades (GR), Klaas Hoek (ND), Gary Woodley (UK), Caroline de Lannoy (UK), Eddie Farrell (UK), Michael Wedgwood (UK), Bryan Parsons (UK), Natalia Chatogianni (GR), Angeliki Avgitidu (GR), Dora Giannaki (GR), Yannis Stavrakakis (GR), Jim Hobs (USA), Alexandros Kioupkiolis (GR), Fay Zika (GR), Katerina Gountziouli (GR), Maria Glyka (GR), Vassilis Vlastaras (GR).

Utopia as an expression of unlimited imagination and desire is a concept that has always fascinated artists. Art can see in utopia a means to lift the restrictions of reality and accomplish the free expression of its visions. Starting from this connection and its various instantiations in the history of art, this workshop deals with the multiple significations, implications and dimensions of utopia. In everyday discourse the term ‘utopia’ is usually connected with an ideal future, with what seems impossible within the confines of reality, and is thus bound to create margins for many and often contradictory interpretations. Utopias are the places of dreams and hopes for a better life, which provide an escape from an always incomplete and constraining status quo. Sometimes they involve grandiose metaphysical schemata, other times they take the form of ephemeral shelters distanced from detailed sociopolitical reflection. Always, however, their creation is based on the criticism of established (political and aesthetical) institutions and social structures. Inspiring antithetical political and artistic practices, praised but also criticized, utopia has been a focus of debate for many disciplines and approaches. By blending theoretical discussion, aesthetic reflection and the artistic work of the participants, this workshop aims at critically exploring the various interconnections between theory and praxis, vision and reality, desire and finitude, utopia and dystopia.