blindspot_theatre group was formed in 2009 in Athens, Greece, by performer/writer Yota Argyropoulou and director/ screenwriter Michalis Konstantatos. It is a group that aims to create performances and artworks combining elements from different arts –theatre, film, art installation, new media, performance- and various artists.
Blindspot has participated in the international festivals: Ibsen Festival 2016 at the National Theatre of Oslo, Athens & Epidaurus Festival 2018, Theaterlandschaft Suedeuropa 2015 at Theatre an der Ruhr in Germany, Dimitria festival 2016 at the Aneton Theatre in Thessaloniki. Their play HOTEL was among the 17 finalists in the competition of new plays of the important german festival Berliner Festspiele 2017. It was chosen from an international jury among 286 theatre plays from all over Europe.
Their last performance “GHOSTS” took place a the Athens & Epidaurus Festival 2018, a modern adaptation of the renowned classic text of Henrik Ibsen.
They designed the solo long-durational performance “One Person at a Time” that was part of Marina Abramović Institute (MAI) and NEON exhibition “As One” that took place at Benaki Museum. They’ve staged “Hedda Gabler” at Onassis Cultural Centre in December- January 2015, a project that was developed both in the internet and as a performance, as happened as well with their last show, the multimedia performance “HOTEL” that took place at Fine Arts School of Athens at December-January 2016 in collaboration with NEON.
Their first performance “The Fall” was based on the homonymous novel by Albert Camus and was presented at Bios. Two contemporary Greek plays were written specifically for the group by Stelios Lykouresis: “Parklife” that was presented at Michael Cacoyannis Foundation and “X-Tokio” that was performed at Apo Mixanis Theatro. They have been repeatedly praised in the mass media for their work.
YOTA ARGYROPOULOU – Performer/writer
Yota Argyropoulou was born in Athens and studied Theatre Performance at Goldsmiths College (University of London) and History of Art at East London University. She has performed in theatre plays in England, Spain, Italy and Greece in classical texts such as Ibsen’s “Hedda Gabler” (Hedda), Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” (Ophelia), Strindberg’s “The Storm” (Gerda), in modern texts such as Martin Crimp’s “Attempts on her life” and in performances such as “An Oak Tree” written and directed by Tim Crouch. She performed in the feature films “Before Midnight” by Richard Linklater, “Luton” by Michalis Konstantatos and in the film installation “The Airport” by John Akomfrah, among others. She is the co-founder of the ‘blindspot theatre group’ in which she performs and contributes artistically in all its performances. She wrote her first play “Hotel” which premiered in 2015. She recently did a solo long-durational performance called “One Person at a Time” for Marina Abramovic Institute (MAI) and NEON exhibition entitled “As One” at Benaki Museum. Her last performance/project took place at the National Theatre of Oslo as part of the Ibsen Festival 2106. She runs workshops on performance for Onassis Cultural Centre. www.imdb.com/name/nm5264873
MICHALIS KONSTANTATOS – Director/Scriptwriter/Producer
is a film and theatre director. He has studied Directing at Stavrakos Athens Film School, Sociology at the University of Athens and holds a postgraduate degree in Architecture from NTUA. Since 2002 he has been directing theatre plays, experimental short films, TV dramas, music videos and video-installations for public spaces. He has written and directed his first feature film “LUTON” which took part in L’atelier 2011 of the Cannes Film festival. He has directed two shorts: *ONLY FOR EVER* (2003), winner of the prize of Motive at the Drama Short Film Festival and *TWO TIMES NOW* (2007), winner of Best Film at Stockholm 2007. His feature *LUTON* (2013) premiered at San Sebastian and was nominated for the Best First Feature award at the 2013 London Film Festival, after winning Best Directorial Debut at the 2013 Athens International Film Festival and CPH:PIX Award – Honorable Mention. He is currently developing his next feature film *ALL THE PRETTY LITTLE HORSES*. He is also the co- founder of Blindspot theatre group that he has directed all its performances –«The Fall», «Parklife», «X-Tokio», “Hedda Gabler», «Looking for Holden Caulfield», «Hotel». His last project was the solo-performance «One Person at a Time» that conceived and designed with performer Yota Argyropoulou and was presented at Benaki Museum for the exhibition «As One» of Marina Abramovic Institution and organization NEON.
His next film project under-development *ALL THE PRETTY LITTLE HORSES* will be part of the forthcoming 74th Venice International Film Festival in the section ‘Venice Production Bridge 2017’. www.michaliskonstantatos.com
VASSILIS PANAYIOTAKOPOULOS – Producer
He is a member of blindspot theatre group since 2014 and the Production manager of the company. Vassilis Panagiotakopoulos was born in 1975. He studied Imaging at IEK – AKMI (Private Institution of Vocational Training) in Athens, Greece and he has been working in the fields of cinema, television, and advertising since 1997. He directed various films and series for greek state and private television. In 2013 he directed and produced the 24min documentary “The little palace of Aoria”, which has been an official selection for greek and international film festivals (15thTDF 2013, 19thAIFF2013, 7th LAGFF, 30th Autrans international Mountain Film Festival) and also it has been awarded by the Best short film documentary FIFIG 2014 and a special mention at 4th AIDFF 2014. He has worked as a 1st assistant director in several feature and short films, and in more than 200 greek and international television commercials that have been shot in Greece, Spain, Lebanon, Thailand, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Egypt, Qatar, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Romania. Recently, he has been working as a Production Manager and Line Producer in theatrical and art projects -such as ‘Hedda Gabler’ (Production SGT-Executive Production Blindspot theatre group) and ‘X apartments – Athens’ (Production SGT).
WORKS
2018
GHOSTS
The performance intervenes in the main plot of the iconic play of Ibsen. Faced with otherworldly images, in this new adaptation, the characters confront their personal and social ghosts. The final text contains excerpts from Ibsen’s original play combined with new texts written specifically for the performance. The performance was presented at the Athens & Epidaurus Festival 2018.
2015-16
a solo long-durational performance of 2 months part of the acclaimed exhibition “As One” realized by the Marina Abramovic Institution and NEON organization at Benaki Museum. The performance was selected among the 6 long-durational performances by Marina Abramovic, Serge Le Borgne and Paula Garcia. www.mai-hudson.org/durational-performances/2016/3/1/yota-argyropoulou-one-person-at- a-time
BLINK – the story of cherished truth and much longed for courage.
A performance realized by 16 Norwegian children and 7 Norwegian/Greek adults. Premiered at 25th September at The National Theatre of Oslo, Ibsen Festival 2016
a multi-media performance that combines performance, art-installation, film and the web (written by Yota Argyropoulou & directed by Michalis Konstantatos). The website of the HOTEL is an integral part of the project http://hotelproject.org/en/
Shortlisted in the competition of Stückemarkt in the German festival Berliner Festspiele Berliner Festspiele 2017
51st Dimitria Festival 2016, Thessaloniki (18 & 19 October)
Premiered at the School of Fine Arts, Athens.
an adaptation on ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J. D. Salinger. A series of workshops with teenager students that led to a devised show for the Youth Theatre Festival 2016 at Onassis Cultural Centre.
2014-15
Hedda Gabler at the Onassis Cultural Centre
The performance was also accompanied by a website serving as the characters’ diary (www.heddagabler.gr), a specially designed workshop for artists ‘Theatre and Cinema’ and a round table of talks by international scholars and directors on Hedda Gabler.
X-Tokio at the Theatre an der Ruhr
The play was presented in the festival Theaterlandschaft Suedeuropa 2015 www.theater-an-der-ruhr.de/repertoire/x-tokyo/
2012-13
X-Tokio at the Apo Mixanis Theatre
2011
Parklife at the Cacoyiannis Foundation
2009-10
The Fall at Bios
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