Join us in NOMA’s Lapis Center for the Arts for an enlightening evening of cross-cultural dialogue with ARCAthens resident artists Mare Spanoudaki and Nikolas Ventourakis and two of NOMA’s Creative Assembly Cohort members, Dianne Honoré and Kr3wcial. These artists with diverse backgrounds will share their experiences, perspectives, and creative processes. 

Through an open exchange, attendees will gain insight into how art serves as a universal language, transcending geographical boundaries, and fostering connections among people from varied cultural backgrounds. In conversation with NOMA’s Creative Assembly Cohort members, the visiting artists will explore themes of identity, representation, and the power of artistic expression.

This program is free with museum admission. 

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ABOUT ARCATHENS

Based in New York City, ARCAthens was created in 2017 to provide opportunities and support to visual artists, curators, and scholars through its artist residency programs. The inaugural NOLA/NYC Research Fellowship gives Greek artists and curators the opportunity to focus on cultural exchange and community engagement in two American cities: New Orleans and New York City. Visit ARCAthens to learn more about the organization and their programs.

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About the Speakers

Mare Spanoudaki

Mare Spanoudaki is a researcher, cultural manager, and curator who works in broad arenas that relate to social movements, identity politics, folk and popular culture, institutional critique, communality, intimacy, archives, and exhibition histories. Her education includes a BA in Communication, Media and Culture from Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, an MA in Cultural Policy and Management from City (University of London), and an MRes in Exhibition Studies from Central Saint Martins (University of the Arts London). She has worked for various cultural and art institutions in Europe, is actively involved with the production, communication, and organization of cultural events, and has curated community projects, art publications, and contemporary art exhibitions in Greece, the UK, and Germany, both online and offline. She has contributed to exhibition catalogues, contemporary art journals, and art books. Since 2017, she is one half of the two-person female artistic/curatorial synergy, This is not a feminist project, whose work has been presented at the Thessaloniki Concert Hall (Thessaloniki), at the Eleusis European Capital of Culture (Elefsina), at the A-DASH space and at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) in Athens. She is also a founding member of the Union of Workers in Contemporary Art (GR), an amateur photographer and dj, and a collector of archival material and vinyls.

Nikolas Ventourakis

Nikolas Ventourakis is a visual artist living and working between Athens and London. His practice situates in the threshold between art and document, in the attempt to interrogate the status of the photographic image.

Ventourakis completed an MA in Fine Art (Photography) with Merit at Central Saint Martins School of Arts (2013) and is the recipient of the Deutsche Bank Award in Photography (2013). He was selected for Future Map (2013), Catlin Guide (2014), and Fresh Faced Wild Eyed (2014) in the Photographers Gallery as one of the top graduating artists in the UK. In 2015 he was a visiting artist at CalArts with a FULBRIGHT Artist Fellowship and is a fellow in New Museum’s IDEAS CITY. He was shortlisted for the MAC International and the Bar-Tur Award. Recently he has exhibited in the FORMAT Festival, Derby; the NRW Forum, Düsseldorf, the Mediterranean Biennale of Young Artists 18, the parallel program of the Istanbul Biennale, Hors Pistes 14 at Centre Pompidou, and The Same River Twice, at the Benaki Museum. Since 2017 he is the artistic director of the Lucy Art Residency in Kavala, and is co-curator of the project “A Hollow Place” in Athens. He is a 2020 Stavros Niarchos Artworks Fellow and a 2021 and 2023 Onassis AIR resident artist. 

Dianne Honoré

Growing up in her family’s Creole restaurant in Tremé laid the foundation for Dianne “Gumbo Marie” Honoré’s work as a historic interpreter, Creole culture activist, teaching artist, and event producer. She founded the Black Storyville Baby Dolls, the Amazons Benevolent Society, and Unheard Voices of Louisiana. She masks as Big Queen of the Yellow Pocahontas Hunters Tribe for which she creates one-of-a-kind suits from thousands of beads and feathers. She has organized numerous history-related music and food events, tours, and exhibits over several decades including the Roots of Creole Cooking tour for Culinary Backstreets, the Golden Crown exhibit and symposium at the New Orleans Jazz Museum celebrating the legacy of Big Chief Darryl Montana, and descendant heritage tours. In addition to appearances on the Harry Connick Jr. Show, Flip My Food, BET, and Good Morning America, she hosted a show focused on New Orleans history and current events. She owned an exhibit store called “Gumbo Marie” curating exhibits on Louisiana history. Annually, she produces Baking for Breast Cancer with her cancer focus group the Amazons Benevolent Society, raising funds for local cancer fighters.

Kr3wcial

In the vibrant tapestry of New Orleans’ rich musical heritage, Kr3wcial emerges as a dynamic figure, transcending the boundaries of traditional hip-hop. Born and raised in the heart of the Crescent City, Kr3wcial’s music is a sonic journey through the soul of New Orleans itself. With lyrics that delve deep into the city’s intricate layers—from the gritty streets to the transcendent spirit of its people—he weaves a narrative that is both raw and poetic, reminiscent of the city’s jazz and blues roots. Kr3wcial’s tracks, often enlivened with the pulse of brass and the rhythm of New Orleans, serve as a compelling commentary on the city’s multifaceted nature. Through his verses, he explores themes of resilience, identity, and social consciousness. Beyond the studio, Kr3wcial is a community advocate, using his platform to inspire positive change. Collaborating with local nonprofits, he harnesses the unifying power of music to uplift the very city that fuels his creativity.