REVIEW: Maro Fasouli-A House as Big as You Need and Land as Far as You Can See

I have been closely following Maro Fasouli’s work over the past few years, and she is one of the artists I truly admire. This is because Maro engages with the concept of infinity as if it could fit in the palm of one hand, but with the measure and wisdom that characterizes the inhabitants of the Cyclades Islands, especially those from Tinos, as she originates from a village like Ano Ysternia, which Aeolus himself particularly favors. Her gesture is grand, measuring from the wrist to the elbow, in her previous solo exhibition at the Parko Eleftherias in Athens, she now engages with place and landscape, starting from Exomeria and the village of Ismail… In this way, she explores the boundaries between nature and architecture, public and private, individual and collective, like the traditional Greek expression “A House as Big as You Need and Land as Far as You Can See” that signifies the concept of true necessity, free from any excess. The luxury, strength, and energy that nature can offer through its simplicity and vastness—and how it can nourish the inner world, freeing us from the anxiety of material possessions.” Fasouli, with her threads, transforms the gallery into a familiar space, creating relationships and connections with sculptural and wall-mounted artworks, in those feminine handiwork engages with masculine strength and folk architecture, in a space where any opposition dissolves and disap:pears within the absoluteness of nature. Her body of work is dense, solid, and luminous at the same time, much like that of Cecilia Vicuña or Sheila Hicks. She weaves on her own loom words, images, meanings, and memories that deeply resonate with the viewer and even more profoundly with the expert, as she engages with the present of contemporary art, as reflected in the 59^th and 60^th Biennale Di Venezia where local culture stands out and emerges into the spotlight more than ever. Don’t miss it! – Efi Michalarou

Photo: Installation View “Maro Fasouli – A House as Big as You Need and Land as Far as You Can See”, CAN Christina Androulidaki Gallery-Athens, 2024, Photo: Stathis Mamalakis, Artworks © Maro Fasouli, Courtesy the artist and CAN Christina Androulidaki Gallery

Info: CAN Christina Androulidaki Gallery, Chalkokondyli 19, Athens, Greece, Duration: 15/10-23/11/2024, Days & Hours: Tue-Fri 11:00-15:00, & 17:00-20:00, Sat 11:00-16:00, www.can-gallery.com/