Grauzone (English: Gray Zone–an unclear, in-between situation) performance refers to the isolation, called “social distance,” that we all experienced during the pandemic’s lockdowns; through unprecedented upheaval emotions of calmness and chaos, waiting with patience and hope, but at the same time with impatience and despair.

Visualizing the society’s ongoing dystopia through a classical image of a man watching TV, the long-duration performance “Grauzone” questions the future collective involvement in times of crisis and the strong “body politics” which are created throughout the pandemic era, that forms the individuals and their participation in solidarity. Yiannis Pappas is also interested in the ways that our own bodies are constrained and policed by external forces: the theme at the heart of “Grauzone,” the four days of durational work he debuted at the historical building of Bagkeion for the exhibition Adraneia (Inertia). The term inertia, in physics, refers to the ability of bodies to resist any change of their kinetic state. The denial to adapt to a new situation characterizes all bodies.

The exhibition was organized by Contemporary Art Noise in collaboration with Art Hub Athens and curated by The Krank. It presented a group exhibition with 24 contemporary artists at the historical building of Μπάγκειον in Omonoia, attracting more than 1,000 visitors in four days.