Arbit City Group’s outdoor installation ‘A.C.G.: The Legion of the Modest’ presents a sculptural narration that comments on the debate on the controversial initiative of the ‘Antonios Christophoros Giannopoulos’ foundation for the creation of a Philosophy Museum inside the park of Plato’s Academy.
The sculptural complex is an allegory for the clash of opinions and judgements among sciences —as it would be in a battle between equal powers where the outcome is open to debate. “Philosophy” is struggling to evade the fate of degradation and ignorance, similarly to Laocoon in the famous sculpture who is trying to rid himself of his enemies.
The “ Institution” another body of the complex — with its diagonal position, intensifies the formation of a multifaceted battle. Other characters of the allegory are the “Movement”, the “Clash Committee”, “Capitalism” and the “Church”. Arbit City Group doesn’t position itself openly towards one side, instead questioning the intense matters the debate brings up.
Is it possible for an oversized architectural project — that is temporarily suspended, to be representative of a Museum of Philosophy, when it has such an aesthetically maximalist character? Does philosophy and the city of Athens need such a Museum? And does a private institution like this one, have the right to intervene in such a way in the park of the Academy?
The venture continues to divide the local people, as well as the intellectuals. It is not often that we see interest in philosophy and its history, which one way or another have a strong geopolitical presence. Arbit City Group’s work tries to expand this discussion and to shed light on a subject that many might not be aware of yet.
1/07/2015
reading action at Avtonomi Akadimia, at Plato’s Academy, Athens, Greece
27/08/2015
reading action at Berlin: Spree-Athen, in Berlin, Germany
24-28/09/2015
reading action at conference Institutions, Politics, Performance at Greenpark in Athens, Greece
Arbit City Group 