Functions of the garden

October and November brings a new series of lectures entitled  "Functions of the garden"  by Fay Zika, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Art Theory.

The garden is man's attempt to connect with nature, and has multiple functions: architectural design, philosophical contemplation, cultivation and planning, entertainment and aesthetic pleasure, exhibition of plants and animals (a zoo is also a garden), botanical research, fruition and a small agricultural production (allotments and vegetable plots are also considered gardens). The concept and practice of the garden appear to have originated in the East, and primarily in ancient Persia. Besides, our own paradise comes from the Persian word pairi-daeza, which means enclosed. The garden, then, from its early days, has been connected to a boundary, a wall or a fence, real or imagined; a boundary that separates it from the outside world, creating conditions of familiarity and protection that favor the development of life and the examination of degeneration and death (given that its materials are, in their majority, perishable), the relationship between man and nature, and the distinction between private and public. At the same time, its protected environment provides the conditions to promote cultivation, in the dual sense of the word - both of the land and of the spirit. It is no coincidence that, in the 18th century, the philosopher Immanuel Kant included gardens and landscaping in the fine arts, as "the art of finely arranging nature's products". In other words, the garden comprises a microcosm for the practice of the art of living and living well.

Fay Zika is Associate Professor of Philosophy and Art Theory at the Department of Art Theory and History of Art at Athens School of Fine Art, and Vice-Dean of the ASFA (2019-22). Her research interests include theories of color and their applications in the visual arts, the relationships between the senses and aesthetics, issues of identity and gender, the relationship between art and nature, and the relationship between philosophy and the arts and sciences. She has published articles in Greek and international scientific journals, anthologies and exhibition catalogues. Her monograph Aporia technes kai skepseis katergazetai: Filosofikes erevnes sti synchroni techni is published by Agra publications (2018). She edited David Batchelor's book Chromophobia (Agra, 2013), the exhibition catalogue for Apousia (Nisos, 2013), and the essay collection Art, Thought, Life: The aesthetic philosophy of Alexander Nehamas (Okto, 2014).

Thursday 22/10, 19:00 | The garden as private and public space

Wednesday 25/11, 19:00 | The garden as art

LIGHTHOUSE

Free admission by online preregistration
Pregistration starts on Friday 16/10 at 09.00.

Simultaneous translation into the Greek Sign Language will be provided.

SNFCC Members enjoy exclusive seats.

Mandatory use of mask throughout the lecture.

FInd out more about the safety measures for the protection of visitors & employees here.