Interdependency Now, February 21 through April 3 ,2020 Artists: Eirini Linardaki, Jenny Marketou, Vincent Parisot, Peter Soriano Fanzines and editions: Julien Gardair, Tattfoo Tan Panel discussion: Juanli Carrion Interpretive participation by Maria Dimanshtein Curated by Eirini Linardaki and Jenny Marketou During several discussions Eirini Linardaki and Jenny Marketou co-curators and participating artists discussed terms of interdependency, participation, performance, collaboration in relation to art and social practice. They began by asking how they could bring together sustainable relations among themselves, the artists/curators, and most important with their audiences from the diverse communities across the five boroughs of New York City. They reflected on artistic actions as political and social forms in the context of contemporary art discourse, as well as, within their work and the works of other artists. They envisioned Interdependency Now being an exhibition based on the potential of participatory, performative and socially engaged practices. Interdependency means to learn from one another; to take care of one another; to cultivate human exchanges; to change perspectives; to overcome differences in experiences of everyday life. One of the things contemporary art can help make visible is how creativity resides within our society in multiple ways. Our connectivity with each other. Our environment is not a linear process of development, as it is a process in which we are all relational and interdependent beings. As Judith Butler, American philosopher mentions the idea of Interdependency establishes a principle of equality and connectedness. (1) Interdependency Now brings together the works of artists who contribute to this participatory experience which takes place from February 21st through April 3rd, 2020 at Radiator Gallery in Long Island City. Eirini Linardaki and Vincent Parisot are creating a common installation titled “Monkey meets war”. They are combining magnetic fragments of drawings and collages both from previous explosions and faux marble drawings of dismembered monkeys. The fragments can either be assembled into separate drawings or be messed up to create abstract collages. For a long time, the artists thought about the techniques each one is using in their installations. Vincent practices drawing and painting inspired by intriguing objects interrogating our perception of heritage and nature. Eirini works with patterns from countries in war and is using imagery from disasters and explosions to speak about our human condition, tragedy and our psyche in war. Under the auspices of interdependency, they have decided to join their works in one installation, intertwining their materials, techniques and practices. They are displaying them in a way that the visitors become the authors of the images that are created anew from their fragmented artworks. Jenny Marketou creates a new iteration of Evergrowing through my city originally realized for The Garden. It is her ongoing art & praxis initiative for youth in Athens which was presented during the School of Everything, Parliament of Bodies, Documenta 14, Athens/Kassel. Evergrowing through my city is an ephemeral sculptural intervention meant to be constructed over time with the participation of the audience which develops the artist’s interest in working with models and infrastructures for play and civic engagement. Jenny’s inspiration has been Karl Johansson’s (1890) self-stabilizing prototypes of the tensegrity construction systems in which each part is essential to the function of the larger structure. Evergrowing through my city is made out of tensegrity units of wooden sticks, knotted together with elastic threads, colorful yarns, found materials, and objects. Throughout the exhibit participants are offered the opportunity to build and add their own colorful wooden units, to attach found objects, textures and material. A digital data system compiles all of the objects along with the names of participants. By the end of the exhibition, the evergrowing construction becomes whimsical and joyful embodying the character of the participants by the construction of relationships with the elements that have been used. Peter Soriano whose work is instructional based wall drawings contributes with a work titled ““Jungfrau- Aletsch””. It is a section of a larger wall drawing project that he will exhibit this summer in the Université de Bordeaux. The work is based on observations and the experience of being on a glacier last summer, and forms part of a larger project observing melting snow. More specifically he focuses on the large cracks that form on the ice surface. During the exhibition Peter intends to complete the wall drawing with the help and interpretation of other participants. These individuals will choose from a large selection of preselected marks, to complete the drawing as they see fit. Juanli Carrion’s participation takes the form of a panel discussion that he organizes titled OSS Project Inc: Community + Conflict + Art = Garden .The panel addresses public gardens as art, interventions, using urban farming, storytelling, educational programming and community building as means to address sustainable social or political structures and art practices. Julien Gardair participates with a series of Fanzines and Tattfoo Tan is offering reading possibilities with his current editions.RadiatorArts (Radical Mediator for the Arts) is venue located in Long Island City that gives space to artists to thrive, through available studios and a gallery (Radiator Gallery). Radiator Gallery provides local and international emerging and mid-career curators and artist-curators an excellent opportunity to work with and learn about the operations of a multi-disciplinary organization. Radiator regularly presents contemporary art exhibitions, performances and video programs. Each curator is expected to work cooperatively with the artists, be flexible, self-motivated, and interested in contributing to the ongoing needs of this active multi-arts center.