— PRESS RELEASE —

On the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2025
A group exhibition and parallel program revolve around the central concept of the front page—the way news appears in both print and digital media.

The exhibition brings together 55 artists from Greece and abroad, along with journalists, academics, and media professionals in a dialogue between contemporary art and the news.

The FRONTPAGE project is organized by the European Communication Institute and the Office of the European Parliament in Greece, in collaboration with the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA), the art collective AxionArt, the Institute of Mediterranean Culture, and with the support of the City of Athens Culture, Sports and Youth Organization.

The initiative is an evolving interdisciplinary project exploring the impact of front pages and mass media on society and culture, translating journalism into artistic and conceptual language. It includes exhibitions, lectures, performances, video screenings, and “debates,” inviting the audience to discover new interpretations of information and the power of image and word.

The aim is to create a powerful artistic expression that arises from collaboration between artists and professionals in visual arts, journalism, and the broader field of communication. Participants are inspired by newspaper headlines they select themselves, as well as major local and international news stories from both print and electronic media. These “front pages” become canvases for creation, commentary, expression, and positioning.

As part of the exhibition, a one-day symposium will take place on May 3, 2025, marking World Press Freedom Day, with prominent journalists, university professors, and art experts discussing the theme:
“Art in the Age of the Front Page: Dialogues on the Image of News.”

In the third week of May, university student teams will engage in public debates on the theme:
“Beyond the Front Page: What Remains Unseen.”

The Athens exhibition will serve as the prologue to the next phase of the initiative, involving artists and communication professionals from Central and Southern Europe, and culminating in Vienna in 2027.

Participating institutions include:

• University of West Attica (Departments of Graphic Design & Visual Communication and Interior Architecture)
• Cyprus University of Technology (Department of Fine Arts)
• Athens School of Fine Arts
• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (School of Fine Arts)
• Ionian University (Department of Audio and Visual Arts, MA Program)
• University of the Peloponnese (Department of Performing and Digital Arts)
• Danube University Krems (Austria)

Mediators team: Laskarina Karagianni, Efi Seitanidou, Bani Koronaki, Dimitra Savva, Vivi Vilaeti
Exhibition Dates:
May 2–10, 2025
Venue: Melina Cultural Centre, Athens
Participating Artists:
Oksana Akopov (USA), Sofia Vlazaki, Penny Geka, Valia Gouzia, Giorgos Gizis, Thalassini Douma, Vasilis Theos, Giorgos Kazazis, Kyriakos Kallis (Cyprus), Anni Kaltsidou, Giorgos Kambourakis, Dimitris Katsikis, Niki Kapokaki, Niovi Kritikou, Peggy Kliafa, Kostis, Dimitra Maltambe, Eva Maragaki, Efstratia Machairidi, Panagiotis Mitsobonos, Manolis Merambeliotis, Christina Mitrentse, Efsevia Michailidou, Ismini Bonatsou, Tasos Biris, Elena Navrozidou, Dimitris Neocleous (Cyprus), Aspasia Papadima (Cyprus), Nikos Podias, Artemis Potamianou, Vicky Pericleous (Cyprus), Marina Rajeva (Hungary), Liora Redman (USA), Andreas Savva (Cyprus), Efi Savvidi (Cyprus), Panos Sarafianos, Panagiotis Siangris, Andreas Sitorenko, Annetta Spanoudaki, Varvara Spirouli, Nikos Sinnos (Cyprus), VIK TOUR / Oksana Akopov (USA), Hourig Torossian (Cyprus), Viktor Vinichenko (Spain), Raed Yassin (Germany/Lebanon), Konstantinos Tiligadis, Giorgos Triantafyllopoulos, Tasos Triantafyllou, Kostas Tsolis, Makis Faros, Dimitra Chanioti, Youla Chatzigeorgiou (Cyprus), Cleopatra Chatzigossi, Yiannis Christidis (Cyprus), Lambros Psirrakis

Symposium
"Art in the Age of the Front Page: Dialogues on the Image of News"
May 3, 2025 | 12:00–15:00
Program:
12:00 – Anni Kaltsidou, performance: “Eat, Drink, and Be Happy”
12:20 – Opening remarks & speaker presentations
Moderation & Welcome:

• Mario Nottas, Director of the European Communication Institute
• Anna Efimiou, Press Officer of the European Parliament Office in Greece
• Eva Maragaki, Curator of the Project, Director of AxionArt
• Yulia Sysalova, Project Curator, Art Critic (AICA), Vice President of the Institute of Mediterranean Culture, Academic Member of ECI

Guest Speakers (in alphabetical order):

• Anna Ampazoglou, PhD in Modern Greek Philology, Lecturer, Athens School of Fine Arts
• Georgios Archontas, PhD in Political Philosophy & Economic Theory, Director of ECI Programs
• Penny Geka, Artist & Lecturer, 1st Painting Workshop, Athens School of Fine Arts
• Sotiris Dalianis, Professor of Digital Systems & AI, University of West Attica
• Giorgos Kambourakis, Engineer, Former Director of the Acoustic Media Technology Lab, ECI Board Member
• Spyros Kapralos, Journalist & Political Analyst, Coordinator of ICEI Master’s Program, PhD Candidate, NETPOL
• Efi Kyprianidou, Associate Professor of Aesthetics & Philosophy of Art, Cyprus University of Technology
• Georgios Markou, PhD, Assistant Professor of Art History, Cyprus University of Technology
• Artemis Potamianou, Artist-Curator, Artistic Director of Platforms Project, Lecturer in Graphic Design, University of West Attica, AICA Hellas Board Member
• Fay Tzanetoulakou, PhD in Art History, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Architecture, University of Thessaly, AICA Executive Board Member

Venue:
“MELINA” Cultural Centre
66 Heraklidon St., 11851 Athens
1st floor and mezzanine level
Opening Hours:
Opening: Friday, May 2, 2025 — 19:00–22:00
Thursday – Friday: 11:00–19:00
Saturday – Sunday: 11:00–15:00
Free Admission
Contact:
Yulia Sysalova, Curator
Email: sysalovaj@eci-org.eu
Curatorial Team:

• Eva Maragaki — Concept Author, Curator, Director of AxionArt
• Yulia Sysalova — Curator, Art Critic (AICA), Vice President of the Institute of Mediterranean Culture, Academic Member of ECI
• Vicky Pericleous — Artist, Associate Professor, Faculty of Fine Arts (CUT), Curator of Cyprus Delegation
• Mario Nottas — Director, European Communication Institute