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Newsletter No 10

ART-ATHINA 2010

ATOPOS Contemporary Visual Culture presents the project ATOPIC BODIES [ONE]: Mr & Mrs Myth, aka The Myths, in collaboration with the designer Charlie Le Mindu.

ATOPIC BODIES [ONE] has been specially created for ATOPOS irst participation in ART-ATHINA and inaugurates a series of events that will take place during 20102011 at the new premises of ATOPOS in Metaxourgio, Athens.

ATOPIC BODIES [ONE]: Mr & Mrs Myth, aka The Myths
A performance conceived by ATOPOS and a ilm by Vassilis Karidis and Nicholas Georgiou, featuring creations by Charlie Le Mindu and a workshop by the designer.

On Thursday the 13th May, Mr and Mrs Myth, aka The Myths, will welcome visitors to ARTATHINA on ATOPOSs exhibition stand (N1). Mr and Mrs Myth is a couple of characters, normal and strange, just like any other.

On Friday the 14th and Saturday the 15th May, Charlie Le Mindu will conduct a workshop on ATOPOSs stand (N1). Visitors to ARTATHINA will have the opportunity of following the creation of a new headpiece by Charlie Le Mindu and, when completed, to try it on and see themselves atopically, with a new body.

ATOPIC BODIES [ONE]: Mr & Mrs Myth, aka The Myths, treats the body as an eternal atopos and appearance as a sociocultural construction. The Anthropologist Ted Polhemus notes that we are our bodies and yet our bodies abstract constructions of our culture are always and inevitably atopos to ourselves. He argues that there is no such thing as natural beauty what is deemed to be attractive and desirable in one culture or era may be deemed hideous and repulsive in another.

ATOPIC BODIES [ONE] is an introduction to ATOPOSs new project entitled NOT A TOY.

NOT A TOY will irst be presented in a special edition book and then as a major exhibition.

NOT A TOY researches the growing inluence of the phenomenon of Contemporary Character design in cultural and artistic production, especially in the ield of art and fashion. Contemporary Characters are creations made by artists; they are designer igures with a peculiar form that express imaginary concepts. Contemporary Characters can either be two- or threedimensional igures with diverse characteristics and traits. They can be similar to either humans or animals, to supernatural beings or monsters, or their characteristics can be completely abstract. These creatures have looded contemporary art and are coming to life in performances and on catwalks. The human body does not follow any norm or established ideals of beauty but becomes a ield for creation and experimentation as well as a commercial trademark.

The publication NOT A TOY, a collaboration between ATOPOS and PICTOPLASMA, Berlin, will be in bookstores in April 2011.

The ancient Greek word means literally the eccentric, the unregistered, the out of the ordinary.

ATOPOS, as its name denotes, researches the contemporary , the odd, extraordinary and strange phenomena in the ields of art, fashion and design.

ATOPOS became internationally famous through the exhibition RRRIPP!! Paper Fashion.

RRRIPP!! Paper Fashion presented the fascinating and relatively unknown history of paper garments. The exhibition was irst shown at the Benaki Museum (Athens, 2007); it then went to MUDAM (Luxembourg, 2008) and MoMu (Antwerp, 2009) and has now just opened at the Museum of Design Zurich/Museum Bellerive. In the future, it will be presented in collaboration with Barbican International Enterprises.

Charlie Le Mindu is one of the participating artists in NOT A TOY. His creations are constantly shifting between the natural and the artiicial. His works wigs and accessories are sculptures made out of hair that can be worn to create a completely new personality or character. Le Mindus creatures reference nature and also imaginary and mythical worlds; they are familiar and strange, attractive and scary, beautiful in their monstrous bodies.

Charlie Le Mindu is a Frenchborn hairstylist and headpiece designer and is based in London.

After studying at the French Hair Academy, he went on to establish himself as 'Resident Hairdresser' at Berlin nightclubs after performing a series of 'Live Cuts'. Le Mindu now operates a salon from his East London home, and his regular clientele include Lady Gaga, Carri Mundane, Peaches and Jodie Harsh. A regular contributor to Dazed and Confused, iD, Super Super, Vogue, Le Mindu has shown his collections as part of London Fashion Week and has recently presented his work at Nick Knights SHOWstudio.

Vassilis Karidis and Nicholas Georgiou are the editors of DAPPER DAN MAGAZINE. DAPPER DAN is a brandnew mens magazine, created in Athens, Greece, by an international team and published twice a year. It covers fashion, culture and philosophy through striking photography and thoughtful texts.

ATOPOS Contemporary Visual Culture
ARTATHINA Booth N1
1316 May 2010
Faliro Pavilion (TaeKwonDo), Hellenic Olympic Properties
2 Moraitini Str. / 175 61 Palaio Faliro (Faliron Delta)