Internship in Athen, Greece
Andrea, Visual Arts
My experience with finding the internship placement and the application
Since I completed my studies in Painting at the HFBK Dresden, I had to independently search for a suitable internship placement in the artistic field. I began my research in January by first selecting several countries and cities that interested me. Afterwards, I searched online for galleries and art institutions in those places.
I contacted more than 100 galleries via email and introduced myself and my work. However, the application process took some time, and it was only in May that I finally received an acceptance from a gallery in Athens. The subsequent video interview was very positive. After that, the further communication developed relatively quickly and smoothly, so the organizational steps could be clarified without much delay.
My experience with accommodation and travel
Since I only came for a relatively short period of time, the usual real estate websites were not really suitable because most offers are for long-term rentals. Therefore, in the end Facebook was the main option. There I eventually found a suitable offer in the Facebook group “Foreigner Girls in Athens.” Because of this, I already had accommodation before my arrival, which made the first days much easier.
Overall, the search for accommodation was somewhat improvised, but in the end it worked well and I was able to settle in relatively quickly after arriving.
What I took away from it:
My time in Athens showed me how enriching it is to combine art, history and practical work.
My experience during the internship
I joined a very nice team and arrived during the preparation period before the exhibition opening. After the opening, I was the one who opened and supervised the exhibition every day. During the week there was also a team office day when everyone was present.
In addition to supervising the exhibition, I also carried out office tasks, such as completely updating and correcting the English version of the website, as well as doing archiving and administrative work. The internship eventually ended with the closing of the exhibition.
My experience with everyday life and free time on site
Public transport in Athens is, to be honest, quite chaotic and not very reliable. Fortunately, I searched for and found my apartment in a way that both my workplace and my apartment are located along the same metro line. This made the commute to work relatively easy.
Otherwise, public transport often takes a lot of time and can be exhausting. Whenever I had enough energy and time, I made trips to smaller towns in the surrounding area to see historical places and the sea. I enjoyed these trips very much.
My conclusion & tips
This experience enriched my life greatly. Professionally, as an artist, it meant a lot to me to come to the cradle of European culture and to personally experience places with a history of more than 2,500 years.
During this time I did a lot of drawing, and through my work in the gallery I was also able to get to know the other side of the artist’s profession. Overall, it was a very fulfilling experience for me. Thank you very much.
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