ART-PRESENTATION: Weaving The Future II (Larissa), Part II

Memory, as a recall mechanism, retrieves images, stimuli and emotions from personal memory, composing and forming a new framework, where in the collective memory from traditional is transformed to contemporary art, using the same means of expression and tools. But the forms in the hands of the contemporary are changing and transform the familiar into an unfamiliar one, so we are called to decode it through the language of contemporary art and a new appropriation comes back full force (Part I).

By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Archive of the Artists

I went through this personal journey when I met the American artist Janine Antoni and her work “Slumber” at the exhibition space “Nikos Kessanlis” of the Athens Schools of Fine Arts (ASFA), acted as a catalyst. The artist weaved shreds of her dreams on her own postmodern loom. Then followed Ghada Amer, who embroiders figures from the Egyptian Tradition on the canvas, which she eventually paints with her needle, the  “Bottari”, “A Laundry Woman’’ and “A Needle Woman” by Kimsooja, containing a series of messages from the Korean culture and history, Sheila Hicks’ installations created with coarse colored wool plant and the artworks by Chiharu Shiota,  who creates a huge cobweb in the space a using black or red thread, entombing objects – sachets of memory, pain, death and loss. All those, helped me to realize the important role played by women in history: social, political, economic, through the work at home, but also in the development of the family, a role that has only recently been recognized.

As a result of the above influences the exhibition “Weaving the Future” was born in 2019, with women artists, who are using traditional methods and materials, such as: embroidery, loom, knitting, sewing, wool, canvas, yarn and fabric, with a new way, mutating and transforming them into contemporary sculptures, paintings and installations. This exhibition took place in Athens with great success and evolved into a work in progress, a research laboratory… since new artworks and artist participate. The second and important station of the exhibition is Larissa and the Municipal Art Gallery of Larissa G.I. Katsigras, with artist completing pieces of the visual puzzle including artists from the city and the surrounding area in a very different and original exhibition, with 29 participating, presenting artworks that coexist harmoniously with each other and with the space, integrated in a new very interesting dialogue with the viewer.

Participating artists: Artemis Alcalay, Ada Anastasea, Vicky Vassileiou, Penny Geka, Martha Dimitropoulos, Betty Zerva, Mary Zygouri, Aikaterini Kanakaki, Marigo Kassi, Maria-Marika Koenig, Beskida Kraja, Evdokia Kyrkou, Evi Kirmakidou, Maria Lagou, Maro Michalakakos, Evangelia Basdekis, Vicky Betsou, Ioanna Myrka, Margarita Petrova, Spyridoula Politi, Artemis Potamianou, Katerina Rimpatsiou, Ifigenia Sdoukou, Fani Sofologi, Eleftheria Stoikou, Theodora Tsiatsiou, Efi Fouriki, Dimitra Chanioti, Thalia Chioti, Penelope’s Web.

Photo: Marigo Kassi, Artist Book Gold, Silver and Gold Thread, Handmade Paper, 40X30 cm

Info: Curator: Efi Michalarou, Larissa Municipal Gallery-G.I. Museum Katsigra, G. Papandreou 2, Larissa, Greece, Duration: 24/6-31/10/2021, Days & Hours: Tue-Sun 10:00-14:00 & 18:00-21:00, www.katsigrasmuseum.gr