Neon (organization)
{{Short description|Non-profit art organization in Athens}}
{{Undisclosed paid|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox museum
| name = NEON
| logo = NEON-Organization-logo.png
| established = 2013
| location = GR
| type = Non Profit Organization of contemporary art
| founder = Dimitris Daskalopoulos
| director = Elina Kountouri
| website = {{URL|https://neon.org.gr/}}
}}
NEON (pronounced /né.on/) which means new in Greek, is a Greece-based non-profit organization founded in 2013 by collector and entrepreneur Dimitris Daskalopoulos and directed by Elina Kountouri.{{Cite news |last=Mitic |first=Ginanne Brownell |date=2017-05-04 |title=For One Athens Arts Group, the City Is the Space |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/04/arts/for-one-athens-arts-group-the-city-is-the-space.html |access-date=2025-06-05 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}
The organization facilitates public access to contemporary art through exhibitions, commissions, educational initiatives, and cultural collaborations. NEON does not have a permanent exhibition space but collaborates with institutions to present contemporary art in various locations across Greece, including archaeological sites and museums.{{Cite web |last=Mun-Delsalle |first=Y.-Jean |date=2021-09-15 |title=The Greek Collector Championing Contemporary Art at Home and Abroad |url=https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-greek-billionaire-championing-contemporary-art-abroad |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=Artsy |language=en}} In 2021, NEON funded the renovation of the former Public Tobacco Factory in Athens, which was subsequently donated to the Greek state for use as a cultural center.{{Cite web |date=2020-12-14 |title=Huge historic tobacco factory in Athens to be renovated into cultural space by 2021 |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2020/12/14/huge-historic-tobacco-factory-in-athens-to-be-renovated-into-cultural-space-by-2021 |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events |language=en}} In 2025 the organization announced a trilogy with artist Michael Rakowitz at the Acropolis Museum and the old Acropolis Museum on the Acropolis Hill in Athens.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-27 |title='I feel at home here': Michael Rakowitz's Acropolis Museum exhibition locates the lines between stories of lost heritage |url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/05/27/michael-rakowitz-acropolis-museum-exhibition-locates-lines-between-stories-lost-heritage |access-date=2025-07-08 |website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events |language=en}}
Exhibitions and Projects
NEON has organized temporary exhibitions featuring Greek and international artists in public and private venues such as AS ONE a collaboration with the Marina Abramović Institute (MAI) at the Benaki Museum (2016) where Greek artists trained with Marina Abramović for long durational performance, The Theater of Disappearance by Adrián Villar Rojas at the National Observatory of Athens (2017) where the artist repopulated the Ancient Hill of Nymphs with 26 plant species and 11 large vitrines.{{Cite web |last=Features |first=Jake Cigainero last updated in |date=2017-06-19 |title=Star gazing: Adrián Villar Rojas hides a constellation of works at Athens' Observatory |url=https://www.wallpaper.com/art/adrian-villar-rojas-athens-observatory-installation |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Wallpaper* |language=en}} As part of its collaboration with Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades, they presented Antony Gormley | SIGHT on the archaeological site and museum of island of Delos in 2019 installing 29 iron sculptures on the archaeological site.{{Cite web |last=Rees |first=Lucy |date=2019-05-02 |title=Antony Gormley Installs Arresting Sculptures Amid Ancient Grecian Ruins |url=https://galeriemagazine.com/antony-gormley-delos-greece/ |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Galerie Magazine |language=en-US}}
In 2021 and 2022, NEON put together Portals{{Cite web |date=2021-06-15 |title=PORTALS: An Industrial Landmark Turned Culture Hub in Athens Hosts an Aspirational Group Exhibition by NEON |url=https://www.yatzer.com/portals-neon |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Yatzer |language=en}} and Dream On in collaboration with the Hellenic Parliament at the newly renovated former Public Tobacco Factory the later featuring works from the D.Daskalopoulos Collection Gift.{{Cite web |last=designboom |first=myrto katsikopoulou I. |date=2022-07-12 |title=john bock's tentacle sculpture sprawls out of lincoln convertible at 'dream on' exhibition |url=https://www.designboom.com/art/john-bock-tentacle-sculpture-dream-on-art-exhibition-athens-neon-07-12-2022/ |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=designboom {{!}} architecture & design magazine |language=en}} At the same time, they presented the short film Bleat directed by Yorgos Lanthimos starring Emma Stone and Damien Bonnard filmed in 35mm film and accompanied by a live orchestra, as part of the project The Artist on the Composer in collaboration with the Greek National Opera.{{Cite web |title=The new Yorgos Lanthimos movie is a Greek short with sex, death and goats |url=https://i-d.co/article/bleat-yorgos-lanthimos-movie-review/ |access-date=2025-06-05 |language=en-GB}} Its US Premiere took place a year later in 2023 at the New York Film Festival.{{Cite web |title=Bleat |url=https://www.filmlinc.org/nyff2023/films/bleat/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=Film at Lincoln Center |language=en}}
In 2024 they organized space of togetherness at the National Theatre of Greece Drama School featuring works by 20 artists and collectives.{{Cite web |date=2024-10-07 |title=A Sense of Belonging: Group Show by NEON, Athens – Canvas |url=https://canvasonline.com/a-sense-of-belonging-group-show-by-neon/ |access-date=2025-06-05 |language=en-US}}
In 2025 NEON announced an exhibition trilogy at the Acropolis Museum and the old Acropolis Museum on Acropolis Hill with artist Michael Rakowitz during 2025-2026.{{Cite web |date=2025-05-19 |title=Michael Rakowitz reconnects fragments of cultural identity at the Acropolis Museum {{!}} eKathimerini.com |url=https://www.ekathimerini.com/multimedia/images/1270007/michael-rakowitz-reconnects-fragments-of-cultural-identity-at-the-acropolis-museum/ |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.ekathimerini.com |language=English}}
Infrastructure Support
NEON has contributed to the renovation and development of cultural spaces in Greece:
- The Athens Conservatoire basement was renovated in 2016 and later returned to the institution.{{Cite web |last=Article |first=Amah-Rose Abrams ShareShare This |date=2016-09-20 |title=NEON Greece Founder Funds New Athens Cultural Space |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/neon-greece-founder-funds-new-cultural-space-at-athens-conservatory-658967 |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=Artnet News |language=en-US}}
- The Public Tobacco Factory was renovated with NEON funding and transferred to the Greek state in 2023.