IFAC Athina is a new situation and praxis point for ideas which aim to bridge the divide between various cultural hot spots and the commercial centers of power. We are an extended global conceptual performance which calls into question our collective environment as a means to define the early 21st century. Artists today continue to respond through emergent behaviors as our data bodies float freely
across borders, translate language, and bypass cultural differences in order to seek wisdom from the crowd through voluntary exchanges in democratic forums. We are anonymous invisible hands set to build a vital new global agora. IFAC Athina will present a dynamic program of local and international artists and organizers which seek to engage the cultural landscape of Athens, the Mediterranean region, and beyond. After searching for a European hub of operations for over five years we came to the conclusion that Athens was the place that fit all the criteria we were looking for. We found a highly intellectual, motivated and growing art scene, a strong cultural history, and a convenient location to the international art centers. We also did not overlook the fact that fellow American mega-gallery Gagosian is here along with the upcoming Documenta 14 in 2017. In addition to all that, the affordable real estate, the nice weather, and amazing food also helped encourage us that we were making the right decision. Galaxia 11 Street in Neos Kosmos will be our European headquarters and look forward to becoming an established and committed part of the arts community in Athens in the years to come. We will be announcing our full program for the 2016-2017 season in January which will focus on new artforms, video and collective projects in both Athens and New York City. WHAT IS IFAC? The International Fine Arts Consortium is an independent curatorial platform based in New York City and directed by the artist Lee Wells. IFAC is a semi-nomadic art project functioning in the real and virtual worlds through a broad based international network of artists, curators, advisors, collectors, and culture workers seeking to expand the dialogue in the arts and the avant garde. Since its inception in the 1990’s IFAC has organized hundreds exhibitions in over 20 countries, which have included thousands of emerging and established artists. IFAC and Lee Wells played key rolls in the formation and direction of Perpetual Art Machine (the Video Art Portal), Peanut Underground New York and was a curator at large at Scope Arts Fairs from 2005-2010.
