DIMITRIA 2016 OPENING
OPENING OF THE EXHIBITION
YOKO ONO
Installations and performances
 
SATURDAY, 1 OCTOBER, 2016
 
“Greece, I love you!”
Yoko Ono, 2016
 
The curtains of Dimitria 2016 are opening. We welcome the art of Yoko Ono to the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art. The opening ceremony of this year's festival, the 'Cityval', and the exhibition by the invited visual artist and musician, jointly highlight in the best way possible the elements that compose the essence and importance of this institution: daring, experimentation, innovation, and a type of visual spectacle for Thessaloniki, show us the way to the future! Prepare yourselves for the biggest celebration of culture and of October. Follow Dimitria 2016, because it recommends excitement, joy and action in its opening ceremony and throughout its duration.
 
Yoko Ono is exhibiting her pieces for the first time in Greece, a dynamic presence with a major exhibition at the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, sending an enthusiastic message to the festival, Thessaloniki and Greece, a constant message of peace and collectivity.
“You must imagine Peace every day and in your dreams”.
y.o. 2016
 
From her historical works to her more recent pieces, the visual artist, filmmaker, musician, activist, performer Yoko Ono, continues to ask the audience to actively participate in her art, promoting the idea of collectivity. Her interventions – either as a solo artist or as part of FLUXUS, an international network of radical and experimental artists of the late '60s – have always aimed at expanding the art audience's consciousness and to encourage a less passive relationship with art and the outside world.
A series of installations, films and performances, most of which are participatory, will take over the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art and the city. Inside and outside the Museum, in the Thessaloniki International Fair, on the old city seafront, and on Hagias Sophias walkway, the public is invited to become acquainted with the art of Yoko Ono and to meet her intellect, and to participate in the completion of her works: to climb ladders, to touch each other, to repair a broken mirror, to paint an old boat, to confront death, to write wishes and hang them from trees.
In Yoko Ono’s message to Greece she calls again for Peace and Love.
The exhibition includes her pieces
Add Colour Painting (Refugee Boat version) (1960/2016)
Imagine Peace (2003/2016)
Cut Piece (1964) -film
Cut Piece (1964/2003) -film
Cut Piece (1964/2016) -performance Many people do it together
Touch Piece (1963/2016)
Sky Piece for Jesus Christ (1965/2016)
Mend Piece (Mirrors) (1966/2016)
Skyladders (1968/2016)
Wish Trees (1996/2016)  
Ex It (1997/2016).
Especially for the major Ex It installation in Thessaloniki, Yoko Ono has asked that 50 coffins be destroyed by the public outside the MMCA premises (19-23/10/16, opening hours of the Museum), while she has agreed to donate another 50 to the Municipality of Thessaloniki for its emergency needs. This version of the piece is a worldwide first, as are Mend Piece (Mirrors), Cut Piece -performance Many people do it together, Add Colour Painting (Refugee Boat version).
The opening of the Festival will be marked by the performance Sky Piece for Jesus Christ (1965/2016) performed in 1965 with the participation of Fluxorchestra. In Thessaloniki, it will be presented with the participation of the Symphony Orchestra of the Municipality of Thessaloniki and Greek performers. So we extend our invitation and some advice: arrive in a timely fashion, especially for the performance. Seeing as this event will require conditions of complete peace and sanctity, the number of seats will be strictly limited to 230 and will be provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.
On Sunday, October 2, at 13:00, Cut Piece –performance Many people do it together  will be presented with the participation of 16 Greek performers.
 
Two special events have been organised for Yoko Ono’s piece Wish Trees with the participation of the public:
8/10, Hagias Sophias Square, 13:00-15:00
10/10, City Hall, 15:00-17:00
 
The exhibition is
Curated by: Jon Hendricks & Thouli Misirloglou
Assisted by: Gabriella Daris, Fenia Kastanopoulou, Michael Sirianni
Production: Katerina Syroglou, Stelios Theodoridis, Pantelis Ramantanis
 
OPENING CEREMONY AND... PARTY ALL NIGHT LONG!
Take a tour of the exhibition, listen to the opening speeches, we promise you that they will be short and concise so that celebrations can get underway immediately! DJ Yiannis Tsoukalas promises rhythm, a lively atmosphere and dancing. There will be free wine and snacks and an endless flow of visitors to Yoko Ono's exhibition, since the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art will remain open to the public until midnight for this special occasion. It's going to be a long night Thessaloniki, we promise!
 
A wonderful 51st Dimitria to us all!
 
 
 
 
SHORT PROGRAMME FOR 1 OCTOBER 2016
Opening of Yoko Ono exhibition: October 1, 20:00.
‘Sky Piece to Jesus Christ’ performance commences: 20:15
Exhibition inauguration and Dimitria 2016 opening: 21:00
The Dimitria opening party will follow with DJ Yiannis Tsoukalas on the decks.
 
 
Exhibition duration: 1 – 23 October 2016
MMCA Opening hours: Wednesday 18:00-22:00, Thursday 10:00-22:00, Friday: 10:00-19:00, Saturday 10:00-18:00, Sunday 11:00-15:00
 
 
Yoko Ono Exhibition sponsors:
TIF-Helexpo | Fanis Baboulas & Son – Funeral Homes | Albanidis Floriculture Products | Nautical Club of Thessaloniki | Praktiker | ALLMED STORE Medical Supply Stores