WAC’23
Participation at “WAC’23 Walking Visions/Visions for Walking” conference
Reflecting on our participation at WAC'23 conference in Prespa, Greece, I can't help but feel a sense of awe and inspiration. It was truly an amazing experience that exceeded all expectations.
WAC’23 is an international artistic event happening in Prespa, Greece every two years. The International Meetings/Conference Walking Visions/Visions for Walking is organized by the Department of Visual and Applied Arts of the School of Fine Arts of the University of Western Macedonia, Greece in collaboration with Made of Walking (VIII) / the Milena principle and Walk Listen Create.
Prespa was transformed for one week (July 3 to 9) into an open workshop of ideas and participants had the opportunity to collaborate creating innovative art practices, ideas and concepts. The 139 participants, coming from twenty one (21) countries (Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Switzerland, Greece, United Kingdom, USA, Ireland, Spain, Canada, Cyprus, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Czech Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, Hong Kong) presented walkshops, announcements, audio papers.
The opportunity to interact with such a wide range of individuals, each with their unique perspectives and artistic backgrounds, was invaluable. We engaged in deep conversations, exchanged ideas, and formed connections that will undoubtedly shape our artistic journeys moving forward.
I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this extraordinary event, surrounded by individuals who share a common love for artistic exploration. The memories created, the friendships forged, and the lessons learned will forever remain deeply meaningful to me.
The following is a list of the workshops I participated in:
03/07/2023
Walking Echoes - Vassilis Kitsos, Alexandros Chatzitimotheou
Opening Ceremony: Introducing Prespa: the Place, the Tales, the Memory
Prespa a crossroad place - Julian Hoffman
04/07/2023
Making walking journals workshop - Michal Jurys
Sentinel Species - Klitsa Antoniou [ https://www.klitsa-antoniou.com/ ]
Myths: co-making a network of fictions - Amaara Raheem [ http://www.amaararaheem.net/ ]
05/07/2023
In the heavens above as in the waters - Vassiliki Sofra
River Bioblitz - Society for the protection of Prespa [ https://www.spp.gr/ ]
Organising Committee
General Coordination: Yannis Ziogas, Geert Vermeire, Aspasia Voudouri
Administration: Nikos Theodoropoulos, Antonis Sarantidis, Rania Schoretsaniti
Graphic Design/Creative Director: Angie Papadopoulou
Texts editing: Lydia Matthews, Alexandros Abatzoglou, Antonis Sarantidis,Nikos Theodoropoulos
Secretary in the field: Aspasia Voudouri (Coordinator), Dora Siafla, Athanasia Tziona
Recording of the activities: Iris Bournazou (Coordination)
Remote digital platforms: Geert Vermeire
Social Media: Iris Bournazou
Collecting/classifying audio visual material: Sofy Papadopoulou (Coordination), Iris Bournazou
Activities in the field: Kyriakos Iliadis (Coordination)
Artistic station: Kyriakos Iliadis (Coordination), Jez Hastings, Dora Siafla, Anta Bibiri
Press releases: Yannis Ziogas (Greek), Lydia Matthews (English)
Secretary/certificates: Sofia Grigoriadou, Giota Terzi
Accounting: Antonis Sarantidis, Melpomeni Lypitka
Website: Yorgos Semertzidis
Artistic/Scientific Committee
Yannis Ziogas, Painter, Professor, School of Fine and Applied Arts, School of Fine Arts, University of Western Macedonia, (Walking Encounters/Conference coordinator, Visual March to Prespa coordinator), Greece
Geert Vermeire, Artist, Curator, the Milena principle & walk · listen · create (WLC), (Walking Encounters/Conference coordinator, “Made of Walking”coordinator), Belgium
Herman Bashiron Mendolicchio, Lecturer at University of Barcelona, Spain
Fiona Hesse, Art Historian (PhD), Independent Curator, and Associate Curator at Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel, Switzerland
Anna Luyten, Lecturer at KASK, University of the Arts Ghent and Institute of Performative Arts Hogeschool Zuyd Maastricht
Lydia Matthews, Professor of Visual Culture, Parsons School of Design / The New School, New York, USA
Clare Qualmann, Associate Professor (Reader) in Performance, University of East London, United Kingdom
Faye Tzanetoulakou, PhD Art History, General Secretary AICA Hellas.
For more information visit: https://icowaf.eetf.uowm.gr/