Video art exhibition on ‘Her(his)story’
History – as shaped through subjective eyes and personal stories rather than an objective, scientific perspective – is the chief concept behind «Her(his)story,» a contemporary video art exhibition which opened in early summer at the Museum of Cycladic Art. The second part of the exhibition, which was recently inaugurated, continues this same idea as expounded upon by curator Marina Fokidis. The nine new works presented in the museum’s new wing are mostly recent works made by established international and Greek artists. One of the works closest to the exhibition’s concept is «Land» by Stefanos Tsivopoulos. The video shows men moving with no sense of purpose and direction amid an arid landscape. They are lost and trapped in this no man’s land. A feeling of uneasiness and confusion suggests the absence of a center – that reality is fragmented and subjective. The work also contains allusions to ethnic borders and identities. Visually, Paul Chan’s «5th light» is one of the most unusual pieces included. Shadows of objects rendered through digital animation move across the floor. A fairy-tale-like, innocent sensation is mixed with eeriness and a sense of danger. Another engaging work is Doug Aitken’s «Electric Dance,» which in 1999 was awarded by the 48th Venice Biennale. The work, which shows a young African American wandering at night through an American metropolis, evokes the state of estrangement that is a part of contemporary life. Gender roles and disguise are the concepts behind the work of Lina Theodorou. Marina Gioti’s work speaks of the impact of advertising and an American lifestyle on our collective unconsciousness. Seth Price’s video is an imaginative, paradoxical succession of images made of dreamlike, strange landscapes, news clips and humorous animation of animals cast in the role of humans. One of the darkest works in the exhibition is Darren Almond’s two-faced video installation. An intentionally vague story features mine workers in Kazakhstan. Repetitive images of a foot crushing a Coke can is presented in Adel Abdessemed’s work. Also included, is Bruce Nauman’s «Art Makeup» from the late 1960s. This well-known work in which the artist is seen covering his body with makeup is the documentation of one of Nauman’s conceptual performances. Its inclusion in the Athens exhibition underlines the curatorial position and the focus on personal narratives. Her(his)tory at the Museum of Cycladic Art (4 Neophytou Douka, 210.722.8321) to September 29.
