New "intimate digital space / online intimacies" incl. a digital zine and some "attentive looking". This one is about looking at Panayote Dimitras.
Panayote's feed has the qualities of an accidental self-portrait: the serious work, and then these tiny windows into a person who notices flowering cacti, tends to stray cats and even dances to a Lady Gaga song.
The cacti and cats - these interludes - are proof that the person doing that harsh, tedious human rights work is fully alive, sensory, tender. Take a look.
free svgs, gif, pngs, and the zine as pdf + greek translation ->
People on the move make moves you wouldn't understand
They make ends meet, and traverse the ends
to reach more ends that never end
People on the move help other people on the move in ways you could never understand
People on the move share food and a bed
share a pain
share a low-vibrating nausea
share the art of losing;
they split nothing in halves
and then put in on wheels
never stay put
and you still
do not
could not
will never
understand.
Yiorgos and Angel - or as my mother says "Angel is truly an angel!". And Yorgos my long-term friend and #muse4muse.
One of the most tender loves I have captured and shared.
Platonic queer intimacy during a Greek summer in Athens.
~
The second photo is also in Amnesty International's celebratory announcement of the introduction of same-sex civil unions in Cyprus here>
"QUEER ART(ists) NOW" - a collective exhibition of 75 artists at Space Station Sixty-Five gallery in Kennington, London.
Here is the photo of mine that was chosen, some photos from the opening night, several thanks, and some more info.
Special thanks to the curator Andrew Ellerby, the selection panel Liberty Antonia Sadler and Tara Brown, the gallery for hosting, and Fringe Queer Film & Arts Fest & And What? Queer Arts Festival for organising.
All the love for George N., who has shared trust, friendship and gender-bending tenderness with me resulting in this portrait in the attic of our home in London.
If you would like to get a glimpse, below are some images from the opening night 16/9/22 by Zbigniew Tomasz Kotkiewicz - Photography and Video:
▲
Took this portrait one night in Berlin at SO36, at one of PANSY's events - this is one of the dancers lovingly looking at one of the drag queens on stage.
In collaboration with the model, I have printed 100 numbered posters (48x33cm) and giving them away in exchange for any donation to:
- Black Lives Matter: https://bit.ly/3j128qq
- UK Black Pride: https://bit.ly/3AMcG36
- United African Women Organization Greece: https://bit.ly/3lE0bly
If you are around the Athens Music Hall, there is an exhibition at the ganden focusing on intergenerational narratives, combining low-tech/hi-tech, amateur and professional art that you can wander around. My photo with my grandmother's hand next to mine was chosen to be among the works shown. >
The group exhibition Coven: Witchcraft for love politics is live at Fac_research, and I can’t thank Caterina Azur enough for her help, understanding and thoughtful curation.
When I brought my grandmother’s wedding photo and tablecloth, she instantly knew how to place them: one aligned with her gaze, and the other folded in suspension of use.
A discreet memorial.
Grapes were left washed and ready to pick in the sink - a “filema” (an offering for guests).
The Centre’s kitchen was turned into my family’s kitchen, and labeled as a “Gossip Room”, where women/femmes gather and talk openly with one another.
Go visit to find works in all rooms and the garden of the venue.
Let me know how you found it.
-
More of my grandmother here: https://milisemasyiayia.tumblr.com/
FULL EVENT DESCRIPTION:
[Greek follows]
Opening: 17 September, 19.00-23.00
Duration: 17 September - 17 October
Οpening hours: Tuesday-Sturday 12.00-18.00
Where: Feminist Autonomous Centre for Research, Aghiou Panteleimona 7b
Can an exhibition be like a coven, curated on the basis of autonomy, sharing knowledge and radical care?
Through the embracing of feminist solidarity, the exhibition COVEN: Witchcraft for Love Politics (following the online public program which took place from December 2020 to March 2021) seeks to nurture the conversation between curatorial practice and intersectional feminism in the contemporary Greek context.
In COVEN, a network of care is being created conversing with the ongoing international discourse about the necessity for a radical change of institutions and representations of history.
The exhibition features artists from Greece and abroad whose work draws inspiration from lived experiences and conceptual approaches associated with contemporary social struggles.
The notion of “witchcraft” functions as an archetype of empowerment for the subjects and communities that the exhibition wishes to present. Therefore, witchcraft is the lever of representation, having as a starting point a) the research work of Silvia Federici about the historically justified relationship between witch-hunting and the rise of the systems of capitalism, colonialism and patriarchy, and b) the appropriation of the notion (of witchcraft) by intersectional feminist movements internationally and its use as a metaphor for the contemporary claims of women, femininities and queers.
COVEN makes space for emotions and embodied experiences coming from systems of oppression. Their framework is transnational, whilst memories and imaginaries of collective action emerge, as well as possibilities of healing in micro-worlds open to change. The coexistence of multiple identities (gender, class, etc.) is recognized through an intersectional feminist lens. The contemporary issues the exhibition addresses require new forms of narrative and representation: the artists’ works reflect the need to create new aesthetic rules through the dialogue of multimedia installations and images that awaken the collective unconscious.
Curation: Vassilia Kaga, Caterina Stamou
Participating artists:Margarita Athanasiou, Khaleb Brooks, Rabab El Mouadden, Marie-Andrée Godin,Eliza Goroya,Graham Kolbeins,Vassiliki Lazaridou,Rory Midhani,Sotiris Batzianas,Sofia Rozaki,Myrto Stamboulou,The Love Spells & Rituals for Another World Collective,Dorian Wood
graphics: bois futuri
- all the necessary measures for the prevention of covid 19 transmission will be taken
- the use of masks inside the space is mandatory
-social distancing in the indoors space of 2 meters and 1.5 meters for outdoors is recommended
Εγκαίνια: 17 Σεπτεμβρίου, 19.00-23.00
Διάρκεια έκθεσης: 17 Σεπτεμβρίου - 17 Οκτωβρίου
Ώρες Λειτουργίας: Τρίτη - Σάββατο 12.00-18.00
Πού: Φεμινιστικό Αυτόνομο Κέντρο έρευνας, Αγίου Παντελεήμονα 7β
*for english scroll down*
COVEN: Witchcraft for Love Politics
Μπορεί μια έκθεση να μοιάζει με σύναξη μαγισσών, επιμελημένη στη βάση της αυτονομίας, του μοιράσματος γνώσεων και της ριζοσπαστικής φροντίδας;
Μέσω του αγκαλιάσματος της φεμινιστικής αλληλεγγύης, η έκθεση COVEN: Witchcraft for Love Politics (ως συνέχεια του ομώνυμου online δημόσιου προγράμματος από το Δεκέμβρη του 2020 έως το Μάρτη του 2021) επιχειρεί να θρέψει το διάλογο μεταξύ επιμελητικής πρακτικής και διαθεματικού φεμινισμού στο σύγχρονο ελληνικό συγκείμενο.
Στο πλαίσιο του Coven δημιουργείται ένα πλέγμα φροντίδας το οποίο συνομιλεί με τον εν εξελίξει διεθνή διάλογο για ανάγκη ριζοσπαστικής αλλαγής θεσμών και αναπαραστάσεων της ιστορίας.
Στην έκθεση συμμετέχουν καλλιτέχνες/ιδες/@ από την Ελλάδα και το εξωτερικό των οποίων το έργο αντλεί έμπνευση από βιώματα και εννοιολογικές προσεγγίσεις από σύγχρονους κοινωνικούς αγώνες.
Η «μαγεία» λειτουργεί ως αρχέτυπο ενδυνάμωσης των υποκειμένων και των κοινοτήτων που η έκθεση επιθυμεί να παρουσιάσει. Ως εκ τούτου, η μαγεία αποτελεί το μοχλό αναπαράστασης, έχοντας ως αφετηρία α) το ερευνητικό έργο της θεωρητικού Silvia Federici σχετικά με την ιστορικά διαπιστωμένη σχέση μεταξύ του κυνηγιού των μαγισσών και την άνοδο του συστήματος του καπιταλισμού, της αποικιοκρατίας και της πατριαρχίας και β) την οικειοποίηση της έννοιας από διαθεματικά φεμινιστικά κινήματα διεθνώς ως μεταφορά για τις σύγχρονες διεκδικήσεις γυναικών, θηλυκοτήτων και queer ατόμων.
Στο COVEN προβάλλονται συναισθήματα και ενσώματες εμπειρίες, προερχόμενες από συστήματα καταπίεσης. Το πλαίσιο τους είναι διασυνοριακό, ενώ ταυτόχρονα αναδύονται μνήμες και φαντασιακά συλλογικής δράσης, μαζί με δυνατότητες επούλωσης μέσα σε μικρόκοσμους ανοιχτούς προς την αλλαγή. Η συνύπαρξη πολλαπλών ταυτοτήτων (έμφυλων, ταξικών κ.α.) αναγνωρίζεται με τη βοήθεια του διαθεματικού φεμινισμού. Τα σύγχρονα ζητήματα που η έκθεση πραγματεύεται απαιτούν νέες μορφές αφήγησης και αναπαράστασης: τα έργα αντικατοπτρίζουν την ανάγκη για δημιουργία νέων αισθητικών κανόνων μέσω του διαλόγου πολυμεσικών εγκαταστάσεων και εικόνων που αφυπνούν το συλλογικό ασυνείδητο.
Επιμέλεια: Βασιλεία Κάγκα, Κατερίνα Στάμου
Συμμετέχουν: Μαργαρίτα Αθανασίου, Khaleb Brooks, Ραμπάμπ Ελ Μουαντίν, Marie-Andrée Godin, Ελίζα Γκορόγια, Graham Kolbeins, Βασιλική Λαζαρίδου, Rory Midhani, Σωτήρης Μπατζιάνας, Σοφία Ροζάκη, Μυρτώ Σταμπούλου, The Love Spells & Rituals for Another World Collective, Dorian Wood
graphics: bois futuri
- στην έκθεση θα τηρηθούν όλα τα μέτρα που ισχύουν για την αποφυγή μετάδοσης της πανδημίας
- η χρήση μάσκας είναι απαραίτητη
- τήρηση αποστάσεων 1,5 μέτρου στο εξωτερικό του χώρου και 2 μέτρων στο εσωτερικό
Η ακτιβίστρια, καλλιτέχνης και ερευνήτρια Ελίζα Γκορόγια μιλά το ELLE για την έμφυλη βία, την ισότητα.
For International Women's Day 2021 #IWD2021, I am on ELLE Greece, talking about how neutrality completes the circle of abuse:
[Text in Greek in the article.]
"The reason why so many victims of abuse repeat their stories almost in a delirious, obsessive way is a rationalization of apathy:
‘No one is doing anything about it because they don’t know, they don’t understand.
They don’t understand, they don’t know.’
The awful realization is that most of the times people do know.
They do understand what happened.
They’d rather stay neutral.
They’d rather carry on.
At worst, they’d rather find the testimony unreliable so their apathy does not characterize them, but the victim.
By denying them witnessing, they also deny them sanity.
An ‘insane’ testimony is then even more easily dismissed, and that’s how ‘neutrality’ completes the circle of abuse.
My sister, I believe you!"
Portrait taken by multimedia artist Effrosyni Ntoumouzi.
edited by Fotini Simou.
Created by Tink Flaherty Commissioned by Trinity Centre and Cambridge Junction.Sunday - Daniel Oliver.
“Tink has invited seven artists – Moni Onojeruo, Lucy Hutson, Peyvand Sadeghian, Eliza Goroya, Abra Flaherty, Adam Frost and Daniel Oliver – to respond to the same provocation: How do we challenge the stigma associated with spending a day in bed, which is seen as time-written off against the capitalist expectation to always ‘be productive’.”
'It is of our own making
the story
which finds us
boundlessly homely
and homeless at once.'
“Each day, you can explore a different artist’s response to the idea that having a ‘bed day’ is something to hide, a waste of time and a signifier of being lazy instead of an act of self-care. A day in bed doesn’t always mean failure. Sometimes it is the only way to avoid burnout.
It is the political action of opting out. A way of taking care of ourselves and at times a lifeline.
To view the artist's full response head over to the BedBlogger website: https://bedblogger.carbonmade.com”
To see my contribution [texts, videos, photography], go to Thursday:
[PS: Many thanks to Tink Flaherty for inviting me to create work in great company, and on some of my obsessions.]
