PRESENTATION: Weaving the Future IV-Paris

Before the women’s movement in the 60’s and 70’s, most women’s art was denied the title “fine art” because the techniques they used and the work they created was marginalized and devalued by the male-dominated art world. A hierarchy of the arts developed and was maintained by a common opinion that these decorative forms are less intellectually involved and serve only domestic and aesthetic needs.

By Dimitris Lempesis
Photo: Artists Archive

The series of the exhibition “’Weaving the Future” (2019-ongoing) is a project-work in progress based in the concept of the Art Critic and Curator, Efi Michalrou and focuses on feminine nature and creativity.  Ever since the 1980s, textile arts have been developing new forms and language involving many creatives along the way. Influenced by postmodernist ideas, textile and fiber work has become more and more conceptual. Various creatives are now experimenting with techniques, materials and concepts, completely pushing the limits of the medium. These re-born practices such as embroidery art, weaving, quilting, crochet and many others, have placed a new focus on the work that confronted social and political issues such as gender feminism, domesticity, women’s work, identity politics ανδ proved a weapon of resistance to the painful constraints of femininity. Showcasing the work of 50 Greek and Cypriot Contemporary women artists who incorporate knitting, crochet and more into their practice, dreamideamachine AMKE presents the exhibition “Weaving the Future IV”, in Paris. In the exhibition examines the way that the use of traditional means and techniques has brought craft back into the public sphere by using traditional craft techniques to make social and political statements. These processes and practices that played a key role in the past in society, economy, and history, are reinforcing the position of women and their role in socio-political developments today more than ever. The exhibition is based in the  concept of the Art Critic & Independent Curator Efi Michalarou, as she says “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 project-work in progress “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. The third part of the exhibition was held both in Galeria e Arteve Shkodër in Shkodra, Albania (3-27/9/2021) and COD (Center for Openness and Dialogue) in Tirana, Albania (8-31/10/2021) with the participation of 35 artists and now the fourth in the series of exhibitions is presented in the House of Greece in Paris.

Participating Artists: Ianthi Aggelioglou, Artemis Alcalay, Ada Anastasea, Panagiota Apostolopoulou, Vicky Vassiliou, Grigoria Vryttia, Maro Germanou, Andromachi Giannopoulou, Penny Geka, Maria Grigoriou, Angeliki Douveri, Eleni Exarchou, Betty Zerva, Maria Zygomala, Mary Zygouri, Stavroula Kaziale, Katerina Kalitsounaki, Aikaterini Kanakaki, Valia Karapidaki, Lila Karatza, Marigo Kassi, Maria-Marika Koening, Natalia Koursoumi, Evdokia Kyrkou, Maria Lagou, Ioulia Ladogianni, Maro Michalakakos, Eleni Mouzakiti, Aemilia Balaska, Evangelia Basdekis, Vicky Betsou, Ioanna Myrka, Vivi Perisinaki, Margarita Petrova, Lia Petrou, Spiridoula Politi, Maria Polyxa, Artemis Potamianou, Renee Revah, Ifigenia Sdoukou, Nadia Skiada, Fani Sofologi, Maria Stamati, Eleftheria Stoikou, Konstantina Sylikou, Theodora Tsiatsiou, Maro Fasouli, Voula Ferentinou, Efi Fouriki, Thalia Chioti

The exhibition is held with the Support of the Greek Ministry of Culture & Sports

Photo: Eleni Exarchou, Lay Gabriela (detail), Canvas, ink, thread, needle, conductive threads, led batteries, 3D, 150 X 75 cm

Info: Curator: Efi Michalarou, Maison de la Greece, 9 Rue Mesnil Paris, France, Duration: 18-25/3/2022, Days & Hours: Mon-Sat 15:00-20:00