Don’t Worry, Be Happy at the
“Hygge” Project
Join
the “Hygge” Danish Happiness Movement at a new interactive
installation in Athens that’s perfect for keeping those “back
to work” blues at bay!
Before the stresses and strains of another working year can
take hold, borrow a leaf from the Danes, who are consistently
voted one of the happiest cultures on earth.
“Hygge” – the wellness trend that has originated from Denmark
– (it’s often billed as the Danish secret of happiness) – has
arrived in Athens to brighten up our winter.
This month, (until January 23), you can boost your Happiness
Potential and get in the “Hygge” frame of mind for 2017 at an
interactive exhibition that introduces Athenian audiences to
the concept.
“Hygge” – pronounced hoo ga – is one of those words for which
there is no single translation, although it’s described by The
Oxford Dictionary thus:
“A quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that
engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.”
For the Danish, it’s the synonym of a ritual of enjoying the
moment, an experiential condition. It is an escape hatch
during the long winters facing the cold and stress.
Semantically the word encloses the concepts of prosperity,
comfort, relaxation, warmth and companionship – but much more.
It is a state of mind and, above all, an experience.
It’s about cherishing yourself and the simple cosy pleasures
of life. Like wearing cashmere socks to bed. Taking a
candlelit bath. Enjoying a soothing cup of tea by the
fireplace or meeting good friends for a meal without checking
your emails. (Single-tasking instead of multi-tasking is a big
part of the “Hygge Movement”.)
The “Hygge Project” at the closed exhibition space of the Art
Foundation (metamatic:TAF), in Monastiraki, takes the form of
an experiential installation which fills up the cold gallery
space creating a multisensory experience of intimacy, where
touch, image and sound work together. Special workshops are
held on mindfulness, meditation and free movement. Meanwhile,
the floor is covered with white mattresses*, that have been
converted to a unified soft surface. The light gets warm and
the sound creates isolation.
This space where art is exhibited and enjoyed, frequently
following the white cube aesthetics, forms a condition of unintimacy for the non- initiated audience. Hygge is an
installation that addresses mainly the absence of one’s
understanding, feeling and connecting to what is defined as
contemporary art. The exhibition space here acquires a new
use. It changes and invites visitors to spend time in it, so
that they can feel that it belongs to them and that they are
entitled to their presence there.
For timings and more information, visit HERE.
Conceived and curated by: Ifigenia Papamikroulea
Production: Flux Laboratory
*After the completion of the project, all mattresses will be
donated to a charity selected by Flux Laboratory.
Experience the Hygge Project, Metamatic:TAF, Normanou 5, Tel:
210.323.8757, (opening hours: Monday to Friday: 12:00 to
21:00; Saturday: 12:00 to 21:00; Sunday: 12:00 to 19:00.
Admission is free).
Insider Weekly, January 4, 2017