The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) and the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) present at the Esplanade of the SNFCC the large outdoor installation Return to Sender by the African art collective NEST curated by Katerina Gregou.

The NEST collective presents in Athens the large-scale installation Return to Sender, which was created especially for Documenta 15 (2022). The first version after Kassel is presented at the SNFCC. The project, one of the most discussed of the event, is a stand made of large bundles of used clothes.
These bundles, called mitumba in Swahili, are made up of useless used clothes that end up in Africa from wealthy Western countries. However, the majority of them end up in landfills, creating a major environmental problem. The installation is made of fabrics and clothes collected from Greece and intended for recycling or reuse in industry, where they will end up after the presentation.

There will also be a multitude of educational and creative activities for all ages that will frame the project throughout its stay at the SNFCC.

Return to Sender takes us to a dystopian landscape of waste. The installation with tons of old clothes demonstrates the true dimensions of rampant consumption in the Global North, while at the same time illuminating the strict laws, which explicitly mandate the transportation and disposal of textile waste in the Global South as part of supposed humanitarian aid. An unimaginable amount of old clothing reaches Africa, while up to 40% of every parcel of imported used clothing is completely useless and headed straight for landfill.

Return to Sender also includes a video that is shown inside the installation and, through the perspectives of different contributors, explores the complex situation surrounding second-hand clothing and textiles in Kenya and, more generally, in Africa.

The presentation of the NEST project and the cooperation of the SNFCC with the EMST from the EMST side takes place within the framework of the EMST Extra Muros (outside the walls) program.

When:

26/04/2023 - 30/092023

DAILY 06:00

Free entrance.