Inspired by the poet C. P. Cavafy
April 28–May 6, 2023
The Onassis Foundation presents “Archive of Desire” in New York, a festival that involves a multitude of actions inspired by the life and work of the Alexandrian poet C. P. Cavafy, seeking to turn the spotlight on his work through an array of contemporary artistic endeavors that extend across the city.
A festival that focuses on the poet as well as the man Cavafy, refracting him through an interdisciplinary kaleidoscope that renders him contemporary and timely, as well as political, sensual, and profound. The impact of his work is due to the fact that Cavafy, so special and unique, seems to break free from the conditions of each time and place, and therefore can be addressed, again and again, to everybody.
A series of performances, digital art presentations, short film screenings, poetry readings, literary discussions, a visual rave, and many more live events curated by composer Paola Prestini, Artistic Director of National Sawdust, a non-profit organization for the promotion of contemporary music, and under the creative direction of Afroditi Panagiotakou, Onassis Foundation’s Director of Culture.
Summoning the creative talents of internationally established artists, such as Nick Cave, Bob Faust, Julianne Moore, Laurie Anderson, Rufus Wainwright, Robin Coste Lewis, Julie Mehretu, Vijay Iyer and Jeffrey Zeigler, Sister Sylvester, Nadah El Shazly, Juliana Huxtable, and many others, the festival focuses on Cavafy the poet, as well as the man. Among the internationally renowned names of artists who participate in the festival, we encounter artists from Greece and Egypt, such as Petros Klampanis, Evi Kalogiropoulou, Dimitris Papadimitriou, Christos Sarris, Haytham al-Wardani and Iman Mersal.
National Sawdust and ONX Studio, will be the festival’s primary hubs, while The Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, New Museum, McNally Jackson Booksellers, Rockefeller Center, and Columbia University, among others, will also host festival activities. “Archive of Desire” will enhance our engagement with C. P. Cavafy through the art and discourse of seminal artists, academics, movers and shakers.
Explore all festival events
April 4–May 6, 2023, 10am–7pm
Hildegard Commission at Rockefeller Center
Andrea Guterres, Hannah Ishizaki, Yaz Lancaster, DM R, Kelley Sheenan, Foteini Tryferopoulou & National Sawdust Ensemble
April 19, 2023, 7pm
Cavafy as Queer Poet at Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art
Stamatina Gregory, Adam Ashraf Elsayigh, Jason Wee & Richi Hofmann
April 27, 2023, 7pm
Cavafy as World Poet at McNally Jackson—South Street Seaport
Daniel Mendelsohn & Jana Prikryl
April 28–May 6, 2023 12–6pm
Through the Walls at ONX Studio
Ali Santana, Matthew Niederhauser & Marc Da Costa
April 28, 2023, 7pm
Constantinopoliad at National Sawdust
Sister Sylvester & Nadah El Sazly
April 29, 2023, 7:30pm
Lit, 2023 at National Sawdust
Nick Cave & Bob Faust
April 30, 2023, 2–7pm
of the neighborhood that I behold: a Cavafy marathon at The Poetry Project Saint Mark’s Church
May 1, 2023, 7pm
Days of 2023 at Columbia University
Stathis Gourgouris & Karen Emmerich
May 2, 2023, 7:30pm
Waiting for the Barbarians at Death of Classical, St. Thomas Church
Laurie Anderson, Helga Davis & Petros Klampanis, Nico Muhly, Dimitris Papadimitriou, Paola Prestini, Rufus Wainwright & Eleni Calenos
May 3–4, 2023, 7pm
Archive of Desire at National Sawdust
Robin Coste Lewis, Julie Mehretu, Vijay Iyer, Jeffrey Zeigler & Charlotte Brathwaite
May 4–6, 2023, 11am–6pm
Visual Cavafy at New Museum
Elena Park, Taylor Mac, Julianne Moore, Carl Hancock Rux w/ Daniel Bernard Roumain, Bora Yoon, Jeffrey Zeigler, Evi Kalogiropoulou, Christos Sarris, Jad Abumrad, Mac Premo, Justin Ervin, Steven E. Mallorca, Pete Scalzitti
May 6, 2023, 5pm
Why Read Cavafy at McNally Jackson—South Street Seaport
André Aciman & Paul Holdengräber
May 6, 2023, 8pm
Ionic at National Sawdust
Juliana Huxtable + Tongue in the Mind, DJ SHYBOY
The archival materials are reproduced with the kind permission of the Cavafy Archive, Onassis Foundation © 2016-2018 Cavafy Archive, Onassis Foundation.
