RADIUM PALACE
Please tell us a bit about yourself and how you are defining your work? Or in other words, if you needed to explain what you do to someone “outside” the art world, what is the essence it comes down to in your oeuvre and why?
I graduated from School of Fine Arts of Thessaloniki in 2018. Since then, I work mostly with sculptures and installations. My work is mainly focused on the figure and the mater. I try to explore a wide variety of materials and techniques but I guess this is most of the times inevitable with sculpting and installations these days. It’s great to have access on diverse materials and possible ways to build something, so I love to try a wide variety of them.
I feel like every material somehow has a will of its own, therefore it can lead us in different paths every time we have to choose among them.
For example, for the RADIUM PALACE exhibition I wanted to work with light. Most specifically with something that was self-emitting its own light. Eventually the idea of a cosmic monk like figure came to me and due to the fact that there was supposed to be a lot of sounds in the exhibition I wanted to depict that by making this figure to hold a flute as a healing method.
How do you personally define “wellness”, but also in terms of the collective?
I feel like I could talk mostly in a personal level about this question, not only because I believe that this word feels somehow rare to me, but also because I also think I do not have a proper understanding about the wellness in a collective way.
Indeed, I believe that wellness is something rare in our times and not only it makes perfect sense to me but also I would like to keep it that way.
For me, it feels like something sacred but on the other hand, I could not imagine being often in this state.
Ultimately, wellness looks like a goal, something that should be respected and present when we make hard work. The RADIUM PALACE exhibition made me realize that, in a way I could not expect.
If we talk about today’s artists creating and contributing healing spaces and works that can transform society and restricted mind sets…how can they reach the collective that is not aware of being a collective?
It seems a bit difficult to make a separation and categorize people as educated or anything like that.
I feel awkward and distant when it has to do with art sometimes.
Personally, I try to reach this collective although my ways and choices seem clumsy but I still have this desire of communication and coexistence.
It feels like art is all about communication but in a coded and subtle way.
My priority is to create a place to escape for a moment, a simulation that will act as a reminder.
Image: Miltiadis Digkas
Can you share how spending time and exhibiting on site on the island of Lesvos influenced you? (Mentally, physically, emotions, sensations.)?
Taking part in the exhibition RADIUM PALACE and especially the time I spent on the island was very well orchestrated, productive in many ways and truly healing but not in a predetermined way.
When I was invited to take part in the show and first confronted the theme which was the concept of wellness and the necessity of healing, honestly, I felt like another theme for a random exhibition.
Since I did not know any of the fellow artists and Nicolas Vamvouklis, I thought that the concept was something almost typical. Gladly, I was proved wrong since Nicolas made an excellent job of bringing so many fantastic people together for this show.
Organizing something with such perfect flow and positivity can be unexpectedly healing.
Which work or approach of your fellow artists in this exhibition inspired you especially and why?
This one feels like a very tough question since I met so many great people that participated in their own way, not only artists.
Some people that can come to my mind right now are Lydia Dambassina, the performance of Angelos Papadopoulos was also special to me, the sculptures and the great energy of Maro Fasouli, Bianca Otilia Ghiuzan’s warm spirit.
I would love to mention many more who helped and hosted us but I guess I have to mention them all.
Image: Lydia Dambassina
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“RADIUM PALACE” Finissage: March 6, 2022 in Agia Paraskevi, Lesvos
K-Gold Temporary Gallery in co-organisation with the North Aegean Region curated by Nicolas Vamvouklis
