Mediterranean Bodies Edition 1 launches in Athens, February 5th - February 14th 2016
The interactive exhibition Mediterranean BODIES seeks to foster connections and exchanges between young artists in the Mediterranean countries Greece, Cyprus and France.
After a first stage of online meetings between young artists from all backgrounds, a process of collaboration started in creative duos or groups, inspired by the Mediterranean and the body using digital technology as creative instruments.
In a second stage, the artistic collaborations will be developed further and lead to exhibitions in France.
A launch event and exhibition in Athens shows works of the participating artists from the different countries in various venues and in the public space of Athens in the form of urban interventions, digital walks, street games, video- and sound installations, in a continuous dialogue with a series of performances.
Launch event: Qrator, February 5th 2016
Exhibition and performances: Qrator, Metamatic:taf, Tranzistor, Poems 'n Crimes Art Bar, Booze Cooperativa, Romantzo.
Closing event: Romantzo, 11th February
Exhibition Contributors
Drops of Breath Concept: Sophie Bulbulyan - Apostolia Papadamaki
Curator: Geert Vermeire
Assisted by Alexandros Platis and Katerina Kataki
Exhibition Comittee : Trifon Koutsourelis, Stefanos Souvatzoglou, Sophie Bulbulyan
Graphic Designer : Areion Stefanidis
Featured Artists and Works
1) Antonis Antoniou (Cyprus) + Giannis Giannoutos (Greece)
PIETA -Intervation in the public space / Installation - Video projection - Performace
The installation arises from the concept of "Lifeless and souled". We create a structure which stimulates to a body. The work refers to Michelangelo's "Pieta"(1498–1499). Reducing it to its formal parameters, we create an abstract installation removing it from its iconographic context. Alluding to the lifeless body of Christ in "Pieta", the performer will be lying at the bottom of the installation, inside the sack. Diverging though from its point of reference, his action will consist of slow -gradually increasing- movements. The goal is to turn the amorphous mass of the installation into a sort of live organism, in continuous flux and transformation. The action will be filmed and edited. The video will be projected on a big wall of a building in the center of Athens.
Τechnical and material requirements: -high resolution projector -ropes -white fabric -one clean wall of a building in the center of Athens.
The wall can be like the wall in the image below
Giannis Giannoutsos Architect – Visual artist Giannis Giannoutsos was born in Agrinio, Greece in 1986. He studied Architecture at the National Technical University of Athens, 2005 – 2011. In 2012, upon successfully passing the qualifying examinations, he was admitted to the Athens School of Fine Arts in order to study painting. Since 2015, he maintains his own architectural office and workshop. He lives and works in Athens as an Architect and a Visual artist.
Antonis Antoniou Visual and Performance artist Antonis Antoniou was born in 1983 in Limassol, Cyprus, now lives and works in Athens. In 2008, hewas admitted to the Athens School of Fine Arts where he was mainly under the guidance of teachersMr. Spiliopoulos Marios (director of the Third Painting Workshop), Mr. Chandris Pantelis and Ms.Chatsisavva Erato. In 2012, he attended the Erasmus exchange program in UDB University inBarcelona, Spain. In 2013, he participated in the seminar of Performance of the Third PaintingWorkshop and the Third Sculpture Workshop supervised by Mrs. Bouriti Emilia. Also, He alsofollowed the sculpture, printmaking, photography and multimedia workshops. He graduated in sculpture, printmaking, photography and multimedia workshops. He graduated in 2014.
2) Vasileios Filippou (Cyprus), Maria Methymaki & Mariza Parasyri (Greece)
Project Title: Κυματογραφή – Wavescript (video-interactive platform (laptop)-photographs)
Description of the project (100 words):
We consider the body of Mediterranean as a way of cultural diffusion.
The natural flow in the Mediterranean basin sets constantly the request of proximity, in the way that each integrated language tool, as traveling across the Mediterranean, infuses the need of a mutual system of symbols, a mean of connection.
Starting with the alphabet, as the more mature cultural achievement, we seek the common root which creates new relations.
We invent a new language tool, a modern script method.
Through narration, sound representation and artistic impression, we build a new code that emphasizes the common aesthetic conformation of the Mediterranean urban space and demonstrates new ways of intimacy and interaction.
Description of the project (summary):
We invent a new language tool, a modern script method.. Through narration, sound representation and artistic impression, we build a new code that emphasizes the common aesthetic conformation of the Mediterranean urban space and demonstrates new ways of intimacy and interaction.
Format:
~ Audio-visual projection
~ Interactive platform (controlled with laptop)
~ Photos-pictures (A4) in the space
Bio of the team:
We are a newly formed team with three members:
Vasileios Filippou is a Cypriot composer based in the Netherlands. His personal website is: http://vassilisph.wix.com/filippou-v Maria Methymaki is an Architect and a Sculptor. For more information: www.mariamethimaki.com Mariza Parasyri is a Civil Engineer and a Writer. She lives in Athens.
3) Ioanna Neofytou, Elena Sokratous, Eirini Tiniakou (Greece)
Title of the project : “N|on Progress” (video, 10 minutes)
Short description of the project :
Πώς θα μπορούσε να διακωμωδηθεί η δυσκολία συνεργασίας και συνδημιουργίας; Το έργο “N|on Progress” είναι μια προσπάθεια των τριών καλλιτεχνων ν’ανιχνεύσουν τα όρια και τις δυσκολίες της συνεργασίας, την αδυναμία οργάνωσης - διοργάνωσης - συνοργάνωσης και πώς θα μπορουσε αυτό να εκφραστει δημιουργικά μέσα από μια παρουσίαση “επιχειρηματικού χαρακτήρα”.
Bio:
H Iωάννα Nεοφύτου, εικαστικός, η Έλενα Σωκράτους, σκηνοθέτης και η Ειρήνη Τηνιακού, εικαστικός, έχουν γνωριστεί μέσα απο το πρόγραμμα Mediterranean Bodies και συνεργάζονται για πρώτη φορά για την υλοποίηση του έργου “N|on Progress”.
4) Alexandra Pambouka (Greece), Nadia Hatzimitraga (Cyprus)
Title: Bodies of Nature | Flows of the Physical Year: 2016 Medium: branches, wax, twine, recycled paper, 3d digital (video)
Nadia and Alexandra have both undertaken artistic practice at the national park of Prespa in northwestern Greece. Their joint work references this shared experience of the in situ effect of natural elements: large bodies of water moving across the landscape, mountain morphologies, vegetation patterns, etc. Their artwork is a combination of methods, spanning ancient techniques, traditional drawing and 3d digital design, former into a new “body”.
Short Bios
Alexandra Pambouka was born in Nicosia in 1993. She has been studying at the Fine Art School of Florina (Greece) since 2011. She has been an active member of the Visual March to Prespes since 2012. She has participated in several exhibitions and workshops. She is trying to discover the deeper human connections with nature through creativity.
Nadia Hatzimitraga is a Greek visual artist and an architecture researcher, educated in the States and the Netherlands. She has worked on numerous projects relating to the natural environment and has specialized in advanced digital design. She has participated in international exhibitions relating to design, digital art, art & science.