⟶ Performances

Spannung/tension/ένταση/tentio: The Exhibition

February is dedicated to "Tension"

The exhibition "Spannung/tension/ένταση/tentio" (February 19–28) presented the work of seven visual artists reflecting on contradiction, conflict, and the balance of power, following an opening series of 10 performances from February 5–17, which launched the "Tension" project.
"Tension" describes strength or intensity, the manifestation of something with force. The word itself has so many parallel interpretations that it expresses, beyond physical situations, emotions, conflicts and contradictions, that is, the essence of human nature.
On the one hand, tension is the feeling that arises in a situation where people are afraid and do not trust one another, on the other hand, it is the balance between opposing forces or elements in an artistic work. It becomes a synthesis of controlled dramatic forces.
"Tension" has its Latin roots in "tendere", which means "to stretch" and tension appears when something is stretched, either physically or emotionally. Emotionally, it is a complex phenomenon that arises from the interaction between fantasy and hopes on the one hand and cognitive processes and the perception of reality on the other.
Is tension an ongoing state of internal worry? Or is it a feeling of excitement and anticipation?
Georg Georgakopoulos, Michalis Argyrou - Vienna 2025