We have all seen those vintage Greek postcards of Athens, that have been circulating in tourist shops, that have been included in exhibitions even, and that many people have kept as souvenirs. But what lies beneath their surface? Italian curator Manuela De Leonardis, who owns 9 such postcards, that traveled from Athens to Italy from 1964 to 1983, has found them especially intriguing. This archival material, will now constitute the spring board from which three artists will dive into discourse, but also into unknown Athenian territory, during an artists residency that will take place at Domus Art Gallery Athens, entitled “Greetings from Athens”. Artists Giusy Lauriola and Merima Fetahovic will be flying in from Rome (together with the curator Manuela De Leonardis who is based in Rome) and meeting up with artist Stella Sevastopoulos in order to explore the theme, which they have already created preparatory work for, during the months of April and May.
The three artists have been invited by Domus Art Gallery Director Glenda Lorenzani, to take part in the ten-day residency, that will take place at the gallery, June 2-12. And the aim? To go beyond the postcard image of Athens. To examine aspects of Athens that haven’t been explored (although inspiration from the archival material is also part and parcel of this project). “Greetings from Athens” promises to see Athens anew.
Through the lens of contemporary creative thought processes, the three artists have already focused on very different aspects of Athens in their preparatory work, which was realized during the first phase of this project (April/May). Here are some of the directions they took: Giusy Lauriola has focused on the privileged position of the Hetaira in ancient Greek society, the myth of Erigone, and the role of women. Merima Fetahovic has focused on the different faces of the Goddess Athena (which will be turned into a ceramic installation), while Stella Sevastopoulos went in search of the flowers of antiquity, connecting nature and culture in the process.
The Project’s 3 phases:
The first phase, in April/May saw to the artists developing their research on the subject of the residency. The second phase, is the residency that will take place at Domus Art Gallery, Athens (June 2-12). During the residency, artworks will be produced by each artist, in constant dialogue with the curator, artistic director, and the other artists. The third phase is the realization of an open studio/exhibition, which will take place during the course of the residency, on Thursday, June 9 (6-9pm), when anyone who would like to see the works in progress and speak to the artists, curator and art director, may do so. During the residency (June 2-12), the artists will be working between 9am-1pm. Those who wish to visit during these hours, may do so after booking an appointment.
ARTISTS’ BIOGRAPHIES:
Merima Fetahovic was born in Novi Sad (Serbia) in 1979. She is currently living and working in Rome. She graduated from the Fine Arts Academy of Novi Sad (Serbia) in 2003, under the guidance of Professor Tomislav Todorovic. She was awarded as the most promising artist of sculpture at her University. Ceramics is the material with which she has created the most of her artistic production. During the last 15 years, she has been refining the raku technique. She is a member of SULUV – Savez udruženja likovnih umetnika Vojvodine (an Artists Association of Vojvodina); She has exhibited her artworks in both personal and group exhibitions in Italy and abroad.
Giusy Lauriola was born in Rome in 1960, where she is currently living and working. She was one of the finalists of the Celeste Prize in 2007 and of the Capitoline Wolf Prize in 2020. She received the Honourable Mention by the Circle Foundation for the Arts 2020 and she won the competition of the Pier Maria Rossi Museum in 2015. Her artworks can be found at the Athens’ Copelouzos Family Art Museum, at the Art Collection of San Paolo Invest in Rome and in other private and international collections. We can find her even in the 2020 edition of the Modern Art Atlas edited by De Agostini, which is the most complete collection of Italian artists since 1950 up to today. Lauriola has exhibited in many exhibitions around the world.
Stella Sevastopoulos was born and grew up in London. She moved to Athens in 1994. She studied Art, English Literature and History of Art at the Harrow College of Art, Lancaster University and Reading University. She worked as a journalist, art critic and translator for different newspapers/publications, and runs the site “Art Scene Athens” (www.artsceneathens.com). She has participated in many group shows. In 2020, She was commissioned a work for a traveling exhibition organized by the National Theatre of Northern Greece. She has created illustrations for writer Kathryn Koromilas’ “The Joyful Practice of Stoic Death Writing”. In 2022, She participated in “Together We Draw”, organized by Sue Tilley at the Hastings Museum and Art Gallery (UK).
CURATOR’S BIOGRAPHY:
Manuela De Leonardis was born in 1966 in Rome, where she lives and works. She is an Art Historian, Archivist Images, Journalist and Independent Curator.
She has been writing about visual arts since 2004 on the cultural pages of “il manifesto” and on the sections Alias, Alias Domenica and L’ExtraTerrestre. She also collaborates with the magazine “Il Fotografo”, “art a part of cult(ure)”, “Exibart” and “Artribune”. She has written various books, among them: A tu per tu con i grandi fotografi – Vol. I (Postcart 2011); A tu per tu con grandi fotografi e videoartisti – Vol. II (Postcart 2012); A tu per tu con gli artisti che usano la fotografia – Vol. III (Postcart 2013); CAKE. La cultura del dessert tra tradizione Araba e Occidente (Postcart 2013); Taccuino Sannita. Ricette molisane degli anni Venti (Ali&No 2015); A tu per tu. Fotografi a confronto – Vol. IV (Postcart 2017); Il sangue delle donne. Tracce di rosso sul panno bianco (Postmedia Books 2019); Jack Sal. Chrom/A (Danilo Montanari Editor 2019); Guido Levi. Una storia piena di paure, di ansie e di avvenimenti quasi gialli 1942-1946 (works by Giusy Lauriola) (2021).
Since 2016, She belongs to the scientific committee of the Castelnuovo Fotografia Festival in Castelnuovo di Porto, Rome and is the co-director of the 2021 Edition.
She has curated many projects and exhibitions around the world (including in France, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Italy, Tokyo, New Delhi, Croatia).
DOMUS ART GALLERY INFORMATION:
The Domus Art Gallery is a showroom directed by the gallerist Glenda Lorenzani who decided, after a few weeks of her moving from Rome to Athens in 2014, to create this innovative project focused on modern/contemporary art. The Domus Art Gallery welcomes monthly meetings dedicated to artists, friends, collectors, art lovers, curious minds and whoever is interested in creativity. During these years, the Gallery has hosted different art exhibitions by many artists, mainly coming from Greece and Italy, strengthening the cultural and artistic links between these two Mediterranean countries, which share many values.
Participating artists: Merima Fetahovic (Serbia/Italy); Giusy Lauriola (Italy); Stella Sevastopoulos (UK/Greece)
Organisation: Domus Art Gallery, Athens (28 Prousis Street, Vari, 16672 Athens)
For more info: contact Domus Art Gallery (+306907477997, info@domusartgalleryathens.com)
Website: www.domusartgalleryathens.com
Duration: 2-12 June, 2022
Open studio/exhibition of works: Thursday, June 9, 6-11pm.
Visits during the residency: 9am-1pm, June 2-12, by appointment only (+306907477997).
