WHO “My name is Dimitri Yin, and I am an American artist with dual French citizenship. I have been living in Greece for the past 6 years, where I have been focusing on my painting and sculpture practice. More recently, I have shifted towards education, mentoring, and operations for an artist-run space called Phoenix Athens. I view Phoenix Athens as an artist-run project primarily focused on problem-solving and addressing social injustice and ecological issues. While I've had to put much of my work on hold, I see the Phoenix Athens project as an extension of my artistic practice as a painter and sculptor. In many ways, I view the entire project as a work of art in itself, though I acknowledge this may be presumptuous.
HOW As an artist, finding suitable living and exhibition spaces is a constant challenge. I only managed to deal with it when I aligned with other artists and created a residency program, through which I could maintain a steady income stream. This way, even if my paintings or sculptures do not sell, I can still use my skills as an experienced artist, teacher, and mentor to support other artists. I believe it's important to maintain my separate artistic practice alongside my work with the Phoenix. The local, grassroots character of Athens is part of what drew me to establish the project here, as I love the vibrant artistic community and abundance of local markets.
WHAT Running an artist-run space while also maintaining my artistic practice has been extremely challenging, given the difficult environment in Athens. However, I've been able to find time for my work, primarily through workshops and by developing Makerspace as a dedicated space for my creative endeavours. Being part of this community has been a deeply rewarding experience. The artists who have come through the Phoenix have left their imprint on the space, adding to it in meaningful ways. The support, advice, and mutual understanding I've found among fellow practitioners has been invaluable.
WHERE I was particularly drawn to the Exarchia neighbourhood in Athens, as I saw enormous potential there due to its student-led, revolutionary past, as well as its legacy of writers, artists, and poets. This made it an ideal location to establish the Phoenix Athens project. Athens is a very challenging environment, and running an artist-run space while maintaining my practice has been extremely difficult. I hope that as Athens continues to grow, artists and arts-focused organizations like the Phoenix Athens can play a role in guiding that growth in a sustainable and socially conscious direction, ensuring that the city's development benefits the local community and creative sectors.
WHY I see the entire Phoenix Athens project as a work of art, a grassroots, homegrown effort that has benefited from the input and imprint of the many artists involved. I feel fortunate to be part of the vibrant artistic community in Athens and to be able to provide support and encouragement to my fellow practitioners, while also receiving valuable advice and mutual understanding.
I believe we are responsible for ensuring Athens' development benefits the local community and creative sectors, rather than forcing out useful people and creating instability. Artists and artist-run spaces can help reverse-engineer these problems and work towards more sustainable progress.
More about Dimitri:
