Nikos Navridis
dal 29/1/2004 al 14/3/2004
Segnalato da
29/1/2004
Nikos Navridis
La Caixa Foundation Exhibition Hall, Madrid
In his video installations and projections, Navridis makes use of elements that are lightweight such as latex, or ethereal like breath, in order to articulate the relationships of beings with the world. The main theme of his work is air, and his obsession centres on visualising the processes of human breathing as a basic ability of all living beings. His solo show includes his most representative output over the last ten years from his early photographic works, five of his main video installations are also presented.
Curated by Rosa Martinez
''La Caixa'' Foundation's Exhibition Hall in Madrid is pleased to present a
comprehensive exhibition of the work of Nikos Navridis (b. Athens, 1958),
one of the leading exponents of the new generation of Greek artists.
In his video installations and projections, Navridis makes use of elements
that are lightweight such as latex, or ethereal like breath, in order to
articulate the relationships of beings with the world. The main theme of
his work is air, and his obsession centres on visualising the processes of
human breathing as a basic ability of all living beings. What he does
could be deemed as ''breathe sculpture'' given that his characters mould
spaces, enact existential tensions and make the invisible visible through
breathing. Conceptually, this objective corresponds with that of modern
art, which endeavours to reflect the impossible or the prohibited from a
moral, psychological or physical viewpoint, while also presenting it as
something which is possible.
Navridis uses representational strategies and languages of his era (mises
en scene, screens installed in the space as syntactic elements) and
although his work does not make reference to any specific cultural, social
or political milieu, it does refer to the present time and to the place in
which existential events reveal their meaning. His characters are living
structures that move within the ''logic of feelings'' without yet subjecting
themselves to the laws of logos connecting up the ecstatic and the abject,
the shining and the sombre parts of existence.
His solo show at ''la Caixa'' Foundation's Madrid Exhibition Hall includes
his most representative output over the last ten years from his early
photographic works entitled Drawings (1995) to his most recent ones, the
Difficult Breaths series (2004) which was especially created for the
occasion. Five of his main video installations are also presented:
Untitled from the series The Question of the Age of the Void (1996), On
Life, Beauty, Translations and other Difficulties (1997), Looking for a
Place (1999), Traps (2000), and With no Hands or When she leaned on her
own Breath (2003).
Navridis has represented his country in the international biennials of Sao
Paulo (1996) and Venice (2001) and has participated in the ones of
Istanbul (1997), Santa Fe in New Mexico (1999) and the 2nd Echigo Tsumari
Trienal (Japan, 2003). He has also shown his work in diverse international
exhibitions held in Greece, Sweden, Korea, Mexico and Ireland.
On the occasion of this exhibition, curated by Rosa Martinez, a catalogue
including essays by Joseph Backstein, Rosa Martinez and Denys
Zacharopoulos has been published.
Hours: from Monday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays and holidays,
11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Closed Tuesdays.