BRONX – The special exhibition Athenian Topographies by talented artists Mary Cox and Panagiotis Voulgaris opened on December 10 at AAA3A, 309 Alexander Avenue Apt. 3A, in the Bronx. The exhibition runs through January 5, 2023.

Cox and Voulgaris operate FokiaNou Art Space, an artist-run project inside a small apartment in the center of Athens, Greece. The apartment has been transformed into an open space that encourages collaborative creative efforts between Greek and foreign artists, and promotes and supports the local art community. FokiaNou Art Space was initiated in the spring of 2014.

For Athenian Topographies, artist Panagiotis Voulgaris through an installation of photographs and videos presents a series of ephemeral interventions that took place on the hill of Lycabettus, the highest point of Athens, during the pandemic lockdown in a period of four months. These were artworks made of masking tapes on the branches on the trees with a lifespan that varied from 45 minutes to 6 hours, before being removed and recycled, depending on the time Voulgaris spent in the area walking by making use of the government’s B6 code, the only one that allowed people to go outside for exercise during that pandemic.

In contrast to Voulgaris’ urban focus, artist Mary Cox seeks out forgotten places and unnoticed details in the southern suburbs of Athens. Scenes from Athens’ former, now abandoned airport recall another era, one more promising of an upward trajectory, as do the old, not-quite-abandoned houses in what used to be a fishing village. She records the cumulative effects of the inability to maintain public infrastructure, in sharp contrast with the proliferation of new apartment buildings. The subjects receive a facelift through the inevitable smoothing over of bumps, cracks and rust that occurs with the age-old technique of classical oil painting on small canvases.

Both artists were present for the opening on December 10 and will be present during the run of their show. Hours: By appointment only.

As noted in the exhibition’s press release: “Senyelistli is the Nahuatl word for family. Artists that take part in senyelistli at AAA3A hail from another state or a different country. They are artists/friends that continue to create despite all odds. The primary reason for partaking in senyelistli is because they extend their work beyond their personal practice. As a result of their social engagement and for the many ways they transform and influence their neighborhoods, AAA3A considers them their close senyelistli.”

This exhibition is made possible by the Bronx Council on the Arts, Material for the Arts, and AAA3A.

More information is available online www.blankaamezkua.com/aaa3a.