Welcome to ART is HARD

WHO THEY ARE

ART IS HARD was created after the need of two young people, who formed the nucleus, and thus many others need, to express their artistic craves within the urban environment they live, work and grow...

In its essence, is an association of people with strong artistic concerns of all social and economic strata and all nationalities who had an innovative idea to make this same city that they live, their exhibition space.

WHAT IS IT ALL ABOUT

 ART IS HARD was born and developed as an idea on two axes, essentially motivated by two needs. The first of these was the accumulated creative tension that exists within the city.

Everyone talks about how this city for many years was far beyond in almost all artistic fields and how, from the hot spots and ferment very great people, who were born and raised there, helping to form ideas and trends with new perspectives.

Thessaloniki was spurred new trends expressively with complex and difficult synergies, leading to new paths in art for Greece. Unfortunately, for many years now, we do not see any change, "the waters" seems to stagnate, and nothing seems to be able to stir them up ... Is it indeed so? Is this city withered?

That was the question we set to ourselves. And that automatically answered "no" this cannot be so. Where is it the dynamic, the passion for creation, the restless spirit of its people?

And there it was. We discovered that there is a "river of people" living in this city, who dream and create with passion and intensity. People of all ages, who are creative and restless, trying to express themselves through their everyday life.   

 However, art, in nowadays, is a tough case for people who have talent and passion for creation, but have no access to artistic circles or perhaps the budget to promote themselves through channels and magazines. Also, it may be the case where they haven’t got any public relations office to manage them, or they may not even have the desire to promote their work, seeing   how the whole system works in order to be recognized (various galas, expensive restaurants, rooms luxurious hotels with champagne and cigars...) and so on..

This is the second line of ART IS HARD.

The place ... We, the people of ART IS HARD, felt this power and we saw that there is an urgent need to find a way and a place of   creation and expression.

So, we thought this to be done today, to rock the art "water" is to make our city in a true sense, the showroom. So all these people, young artists and designers can now have at their disposal an exhibition ...of thousand square meters. Their own city.

RESULTING...

ART IS HARD was first launched in June 2009. The participation of artists and the public response was overwhelming. Everyone who attended felt the momentum of the project. We, all participants and visitors, subconsciously celebrated the birth of a new institution in the city. We all celebrated a night of art in its most pure and intact form.

Painting, photography, jewelry- art, makeup, hairstyling trends, sculpture, body painting, music and live djs set concert string young singers, young fashion designers live presentation of original costumes inspired by painters such as Miro and Picasso, collage, graphic design, illustration, theatrical monologues, contemporary space, acrobatics, video art, short films, theatrical costumes and building sets, bargain clothes and vintage, industrial design, wax carving, puppet ... are just some of the events of ART IS HARD days that followed. The record until today is over 150 entries of artists, 50 music groups and bands from Greece and abroad, 4,500 visitors.

And is keeping on...

 ART IS HARD is an idea made with love. We are ambitious to create a subversive and revolutionary mood on how to understand and conceptualize contemporary art, how and where it can be expressed, which may be the appropriate place and who the exponents of it. It aspire us to raise questions about what we consider art.

What interests us is whether art is in our lives. How much we care whether our children grow up with art. Whether art helps us to become a little bit better as humans, more sensitive and more tolerant towards others and/or ourselves.
Our goal is to grow the participation of artists, to have even more interesting, special and unexpected issues ... Our goal is to bring more activity by performing several topics relating to children.

Our goal is the immediacy, simplicity and emotion for all, exhibitors and visitors.