Paola Palavidi / Ioannis Koliopoulos
dal 16/3/2011 al 28/4/2011
Segnalato da
16/3/2011
Paola Palavidi / Ioannis Koliopoulos
Qbox gallery, Athens
Nekyia. Through a collaborative process the artists explore the human behavior where they create a jumble of narratives out of found objects and commercial images with the purpose to highlight the growth of the mass media and to critic upon their sociopolitical mechanism.
Qbox gallery is pleased to present the first solo show of Paola Palavidi and Ioannis Koliopoulos with the
title Nekyia. Through a collaborative process the artists explore the human behavior where they create
a jumble of narratives out of found objects and commercial images with the purpose to highlight the
growth of the mass media and to critic upon their sociopolitical mechanism.
In ancient Greek cult-practice and literature, a nekyia is a rite by which ghosts were called up and
questioned about the future. As the title implies, Palavidi’s and Koliopoulos’s paintings and sculptures
turn into a prophetical depiction of the life of mortal beings. Humans are transformed into puppets,
imprisoned in a collapsing scene where they become victims of their own actions. Through a rich visual
vocabulary, the artists redefine any established identity and construct innovative sceneries that allow
different levels of interpretation. Form dissolves into formlessness where bodies are fragmented and
distorted, while the image of historical figures is altered. The chaotic assemblage of minuscule
characters brings into the surface the relation and the boundaries between the state of individual and
collective “being”.
Society’s products and imagery become the source of medium emphasizing the critical view towards
society itself. Embracing the ritualistic form of a prophecy, the artists transform ordinary objects into a
symbolical language and position processed stones in the gallery space. Each painting depicts a
different microcosm where humans are trapped in a pandemonium of signs, reminding us Hieronymus
Bosch in a contemporary scene. Unable to escape from an over-informed system, people turn into
miniatures that live in a playground of disarray.
Ioannis Koliopoulos (b.1986) graduated the Athens School of Fine Arts and Paola Palavidi (b.1986)
completed a BA in Art and Design at Central Saint Martins school of Art and Design in London. They
have participated in several group exhibitions either individually or through collaboration. They both
live and work in Athens.
Opening Thursday, March 17, 19 - 22
Qbox gallery
Armodiou st. 10, Varvakios agora - Athens
Visiting hours: Tue-Fri 14-20, Sat 12-16
Admission free