About
Phoenix Athens is a fully registered Greek non profit gallery and residency that was created by Greek-American artist Dimitri Yin with the aim of providing artists, academics and other creatives with the space, facilities and support they require to develop and showcase their work in Greece. The philosophy of the project is to demonstrate how art and design can inspire and transform society by generating and offering creative solutions and perspectives.
With two large galleries and a Makerspace facility, Phoenix Athens provides a physical hub for the community where visitors and residents of Athens can discover emerging artists through exhibitions, workshops and conferences. The Villa Exarchia Residency provides international artists and students with a chance to fine tune their practice and immerse themselves in the diverse and dynamic culture of Athens. The model for the residency is flexible with three different formulas provided for academic researchers, professional artists wishing to exhibit, or lifelong learners and students. In addition to the residency program, The Makerspace production studio gives artists time and space to discover new material processes and share their technical knowledge and skills with the community through public workshops.
Phoenix Athens focuses on lifelong education, social equality and transparency and we would like to make vital long-term contributions to these areas in Greece by partnering with other like-minded organisations and individuals in Europe and internationally. We advocate creative projects which address pressing local and global topics such as education, social inclusion and ecology.
We welcome proposaIs and letters of interest from individuals or organisations wishing to collaborate with us.
Phoenix Athens :
Dimitri Yin
Founder & Director
Dimitri Yin is a classically trained artist from San Diego, California and has exhibited his work in the United States and Europe. He worked for the San Diego Art Institute and the San Diego Museum of Art. Dimitri worked closely with the research department at The University of the Arts, London where he obtained an MFA in Fine Art in 2017. That same year, Dimitri launched Phoenix Athens Gallery and Residency in Athens in order to provide a creative base for makers, socially engaged practitioners and researchers in Greece.
About
Phoenix Athens is a fully registered Greek non profit gallery and residency that was created by Greek-American artist Dimitri Yin with the aim of providing artists, academics and other creatives with the space, facilities and support they require to develop and showcase their work in Greece. The philosophy of the project is to demonstrate how art and design can inspire and transform society by generating and offering creative solutions and perspectives.
With two large galleries and a Makerspace facility, Phoenix Athens provides a physical hub for the community where visitors and residents of Athens can discover emerging artists through exhibitions, workshops and conferences. The Villa Exarchia Residency provides international artists and students with a chance to fine tune their practice and immerse themselves in the diverse and dynamic culture of Athens. The model for the residency is flexible with three different formulas provided for academic researchers, professional artists wishing to exhibit, or lifelong learners and students. In addition to the residency program, The Makerspace production studio gives artists time and space to discover new material processes and share their technical knowledge and skills with the community through public workshops.
Phoenix Athens focuses on lifelong education, social equality and transparency and we would like to make vital long-term contributions to these areas in Greece by partnering with other like-minded organisations and individuals in Europe and internationally. We advocate creative projects which address pressing local and global topics such as education, social inclusion and ecology.
We welcome proposaIs and letters of interest from individuals or organisations wishing to collaborate with us.
Phoenix Athens :
Dimitri Yin
Founder & Director
Dimitri Yin is a classically trained artist from San Diego, California and has exhibited his work in the United States and Europe. He worked for the San Diego Art Institute and the San Diego Museum of Art. Dimitri worked closely with the research department at The University of the Arts, London where he obtained an MFA in Fine Art in 2017. That same year, Dimitri launched Phoenix Athens Gallery and Residency in Athens in order to provide a creative base for makers, socially engaged practitioners and researchers in Greece.
ABOUT PHOENIX ATHENS
Phoenix Athens was created by artist Dimitri Yin in in 2018 in order to provide artists, academics and other creatives with the time, space and facilities to develop and exhibit their practice within the Athenian community. The Villa Exarchia Residency at Phoenix Athens was thus created. It's name was inspired by the fact that the most exciting art is often most vibrant and engaging where it grows on the rugged fringes of society.
The residency provides international artists and students with a chance to conduct research, fine tune their practice, and immerse themselves in the diverse and dynamic culture of Athens. The residency model is flexible with different packages designed to suit academic researchers, seasoned creative practitioners or those simply wishing to discover and understand Greece through the lens of art and creativity.. In addition to the residency program, The Makerspace production studio gives artists time and space to discover and acquire new techniques and share their technical skills with the community through public workshops.
Now in its sixth year, Phoenix Athens has held over 100 exhibitions and hosted over 80 artists in residence. While larger organisations are often top-heavy and influenced by political or economic agendas, Phoenix Athens is committed to addressing the needs of artists and society in a nimble yet direct and concerted manner while maintaining interaction and engagement between artists and members of the Athenian community.
ABOUT THE FOUNDER
Dimitri Yin is a French-American artist of sino-hellenic ancestry. His work has been exhibited in both the US where he was born, and Europe.
After completing his BA in sculpture in California, Yin moved to Europe in 2004 where he would study under the late Stas Paraskos for one year at the Cornaro Institute (Formerly The Cyprus College of Art). He would then go on to pursue a studio practice in Paris for 9 years, which was followed two years in London where would obtain his MFA at UAL Wimbledon in 2016.
There was a sense of urgency for me in developing Phoenix Athens, a departure from the economy of tourism and casual observation, and a way for myself to both connect with, and contribute to Greek society. Phoenix Athens was also designed to address inequalities in society by creating common ground around art. As an art student, I often found the stories and autobiographies about artists to be just as exciting as the artwork that they create, most notably where artists were able to embody and capture the zeitgeist or feeling of their times.
As both an artist and a lifelong learner, I enjoy being able to "stage" conversations between visiting artists and the Athenian community as this is something that often proves to be immensely revitalising for both. It means that the artist is able to expand into new territories of knowledge and practical skill while being able to both give something to, and receive from the community. For me this is the power that art has over nearly any other discipline for while it can be provocative, it is essentially something that is peaceful, even having the added value of being able to benefit individuals and give lift to communities.