Σκουπίθκια, κουγκρί, ψευτογραφίττι, 2023
6th +axi Festival, Polyxoros Synergeio, Limassol, Cyprus
Performance Art (45')
Performance Art (45')
Photo by Eleftheria Socratous
An improvised exploration of the multi-layered 'Cypriot-identity', in the everyday, the mundane, the 'unpolished'. Utilising humour, and poetry inspired by modern interpretations of the Haiku form, the performance aims to initiate a series of 'readings'/emotions/reactions ranging from laughter, to fragility, and awkwardness, with each one contributing towards 'painting a bigger picture'.
ANXIETY / How I was trained to perform like a dog, 2023
Haus der Statistik, Berlin Germany
Video Art (33'')
Video Art (33'')
Step into a world where reality and fiction intertwine. Fairy Fountain video installation invites over 40 artists to explore how fairy tales come to life in a series of 50" or less videos, curated by Julianne Csapo and maeshelle west-davies. Kallitsi's video contribution to Fairy Fountain, forms the second part of the triptych 'ANXIETY', 2022 - 2023, exploring the symptoms and causes of mental disorders and documenting her personal journey of coping with anxiety.
ANXIETY / It's nice to be supported. It's exquisite when you're freefalling, 2022
13th Open House Festival (Dance & Performance) by Dancehouse Lemesos
Apothikes Papadaki, Limassol, Cyprus
Performance Art (2 hours)
Apothikes Papadaki, Limassol, Cyprus
Performance Art (2 hours)
Onlookers/passers-by are invited to (one at a time) stand with their back against the artist’s, initiating a series of movements/interactions; a balancing act, where they try to lean against each other to support themselves and the other person from falling. The performance is highly dependent on developing an awareness of each other’s body (strengths and limitations), establishing a relationship of intimacy and trust, and letting go of fear (of falling, looking ‘silly’, public exposure). During the exercise, the participants are encouraged to become mindful of touch, sound and smell; engaging in a ‘dialogue’ through body pressure.
Work-in-progress: Εξωτικά Πουλιά, 2020
Phytorio Visual Artists Association, Nicosia, Cyprus
Photography, Video Art, poetry/spoken word, Audio Installation
Photography, Video Art, poetry/spoken word, Audio Installation
A series of experiments/work-in-progress depicting some observations through lyrical visuals grounded in realism, juxtaposed next to raw and explicit notes as an act of ‘performance’; as developed during Demetra Kallitsi and Christina Skarpari's Artist Residency at Phytorio Visual Artists Association, at the Municipal Gardens, Nicosia, Cyprus. The artists’ research process and concept development entailed impressions and interpretations surrounding the life of the garden, and all that may or may not happen, within what is articulated or often left unsaid. Based on observations collected over several intervals during their stay, they have understood this as an environment marked by a troubled colonial past, within which cruising and queering in the public space is a common function. The latter, alongside remnants of related activity found in the park, captured the artists’ attention. Through this lens and via site-specific practice, the artists express an interest in the female gaze negotiating public space politics, in a rather queer-male dominant environment. In this context, the question of the female position becomes immensely significant.
The perception of the garden is expressed through multiple narratives and possibilities, happening both independently and at times in tandem. Bodies moving within a space, come to articulate different realities, intentions and desires. As a means to avoid the perpetuation of binaries, the work-in-progress mimics this plurality of narratives, and fluctuates between gentle, fluid, random and raw points of view. On the other hand, the title of the work-in-progress, ‘εξωτικά πουλιά’ (exotic birds), attempts to position the audience in relation to the other. What does it mean to be an observer within a foreign environment? When does site-specific observation border on voyeurism? How can we refrain from contributing to the ‘colonisation’ of public space? In light of these considerations, the artists depict observations, at times revealing, at others exercising discretion. Rather than intruding on acts of cruising in the public space, they are inquiring how these come to claim public space. Acknowledging the fact that they are in a position of privilege, these notions are explored from the sheltered space of Phytorio. In this view, they are interested in how people outside this context create a safe space, by claiming and transforming it into a ‘safe haven’ to express sexual desire.
The project begins with a set of participatory intentions, between the artists themselves and others working in the garden. Here, observations of others navigating this environment led to their own re-negotiation of the space and how they navigate it themselves. The work of the two artists was developed in parallel but is seen to deviate in terms of artistic style and interpretation, with Christina’s work leaning towards lyricism grounded in realism (through allegory in filming, poetry etc) and Demetra’s work injecting raw and punchy observations through a ‘performative’ process (i.e. performing writing, filming, documenting, etc.) The works alternate between the cheeky and the sublime, infused with moments of dead-pan reality. The work presented employed a non-linear ‘secretive scavenger’s hunt’, in an attempt to replicate their working process and their ‘garden finds’ during their garden walks. The format had to do with exhibiting works-in-progress, and finding mechanisms of showing work that avoids a polished and / finished layout. In this sense, they are negotiating exhibition mechanisms, and coping with exhibiting works-in-progress.
The perception of the garden is expressed through multiple narratives and possibilities, happening both independently and at times in tandem. Bodies moving within a space, come to articulate different realities, intentions and desires. As a means to avoid the perpetuation of binaries, the work-in-progress mimics this plurality of narratives, and fluctuates between gentle, fluid, random and raw points of view. On the other hand, the title of the work-in-progress, ‘εξωτικά πουλιά’ (exotic birds), attempts to position the audience in relation to the other. What does it mean to be an observer within a foreign environment? When does site-specific observation border on voyeurism? How can we refrain from contributing to the ‘colonisation’ of public space? In light of these considerations, the artists depict observations, at times revealing, at others exercising discretion. Rather than intruding on acts of cruising in the public space, they are inquiring how these come to claim public space. Acknowledging the fact that they are in a position of privilege, these notions are explored from the sheltered space of Phytorio. In this view, they are interested in how people outside this context create a safe space, by claiming and transforming it into a ‘safe haven’ to express sexual desire.
The project begins with a set of participatory intentions, between the artists themselves and others working in the garden. Here, observations of others navigating this environment led to their own re-negotiation of the space and how they navigate it themselves. The work of the two artists was developed in parallel but is seen to deviate in terms of artistic style and interpretation, with Christina’s work leaning towards lyricism grounded in realism (through allegory in filming, poetry etc) and Demetra’s work injecting raw and punchy observations through a ‘performative’ process (i.e. performing writing, filming, documenting, etc.) The works alternate between the cheeky and the sublime, infused with moments of dead-pan reality. The work presented employed a non-linear ‘secretive scavenger’s hunt’, in an attempt to replicate their working process and their ‘garden finds’ during their garden walks. The format had to do with exhibiting works-in-progress, and finding mechanisms of showing work that avoids a polished and / finished layout. In this sense, they are negotiating exhibition mechanisms, and coping with exhibiting works-in-progress.
The Importance of Dancing like an Idiot, 2020 - 2021
In collaboration with Eleni Pashia and Andys Skordis
Interactive performance (24')
Interactive performance (24')
On_Bodies, 13th Dance, Movement & Performance Arts Festival, Dance Gate Lefkosia, Nicosia, Cyprus, 2021
Xarkis Artist Residency 2020, Polystypos, Cyprus
Photos by Nasia Papavasiliou and Eva Papavasiliou
Photos by Nasia Papavasiliou and Eva Papavasiliou
The project is inspired by the festivals of Dionysius in Ancient Greece (held in Athens in March every year) where even the most venerable and dignified members of the community would join into unrestrained ‘ecstatic’ [Latin: ex (meaning apart) and stasis (meaning standing)] dancing – indicating a state in which we are symbolically ‘standing apart’ from ourselves – separated from the dense, detailed and self-centered layers of our identities which we normally focus on and obsess over and re-connected with something more primal and more necessary: our common human nature. We remember, through a period of ecstatic dancing, what it is like to belong, to be part of something larger than ourselves, to be indifferent to our own egos – to be reunited with humanity. Further information here.
During the residency the artists created masks and props with found objects, based on the locality of the village and a track based on sound recordings from the village. To do so we observed and interacted with the local community, strolled through the village to observe daily life and collect materials from the surrounding environment and the locals. This process gave us the opportunity to introduce the project to the local community and encourage them to join us in a performance of ‘cathartic communal dancing’. During the interactive performance the masks and props served as tools for breaking the barrier of the ‘ego’ or ‘identity’ in an attempt to smoothly ease the participants into the performative process.
‘We should accept with good grace that the whole point of redemptive, consoling, cathartic communal dancing is a chance to look like total, thorough going idiots, the bigger the better, in the company of hundreds of other equally and generously publically idiotic fellow humans.’
During the residency the artists created masks and props with found objects, based on the locality of the village and a track based on sound recordings from the village. To do so we observed and interacted with the local community, strolled through the village to observe daily life and collect materials from the surrounding environment and the locals. This process gave us the opportunity to introduce the project to the local community and encourage them to join us in a performance of ‘cathartic communal dancing’. During the interactive performance the masks and props served as tools for breaking the barrier of the ‘ego’ or ‘identity’ in an attempt to smoothly ease the participants into the performative process.
‘We should accept with good grace that the whole point of redemptive, consoling, cathartic communal dancing is a chance to look like total, thorough going idiots, the bigger the better, in the company of hundreds of other equally and generously publically idiotic fellow humans.’
Reporting Live From The Fortress Of Solitude, 2020
Online Group Exhibition 'Together / Apart: Going New Places', 2020, by the Cultural Section of the Cyprus High Commission in the UK.
Photography, Poetry (Greek-Cypriot dialect), Audio
Photography, Poetry (Greek-Cypriot dialect), Audio
In states of lockdown and social distancing, we are forced to adapt to new realities that challenge familiar modalities of cultural activity and consumption. In view of the unprecedented effects of the Covid19 pandemic on the cultural sector, the Cultural Section of the Cyprus High Commission in the UK invited seven Cypriot artists, based in Cyprus or the UK, to participate in a responsive online group exhibition, entitled ‘Together / Apart : Going New Places’. The exhibition explored notions of togetherness, distance, alienation, and re-imaginings of the divide between private and public space; what does it mean to communicate, to be affectionate, to be together in times of ‘social distancing’? What happens when the boundaries between private and public, isolation and exposure, alienation and connection are blurred in physical and affective terms? Hun Adamoglu, Michalis Charalambous, Demetra Kallitsi, Panayiotis Mina, Alexandros Pissourios, Mala Siamptani and Natalie Yiaxi engaged with the given challenge in creative ways and through a variety of media.
During the period of the lockdown in Cyprus due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Demetra Kallitsi spent her afternoons observing nature, taking photos of the changing surrounding environment, and reading or scribbling poetry, inspired by Western Haikus. The work draws upon the concept of the modern lifestyle in the developed world that heavily relies on technological advancements, which have had us believing that having everything within the reach of our hands could make us invulnerable and in control; so mobile, and worldly and free. The pandemic helps us realise how fragile and flawed our existence is, and that most things in life are beyond our control and our understanding. Funnily, despite everything, spring cannot be cancelled; nature is in bloom.
"We wake up electrified out of the coma by our own souls' airplanes roaring over the roof they've come to drop angelic bombs, the hospital illuminates itself, imaginary walls collapse, O skinny legions run outside, O starry-spangled shock of mercy the eternal war is here, O victory forget your underwear we're free." - Allen Ginsberg
Cited Text: Allen Ginsberg, “Howl” (also known as “Howl for Carl Solomon”), 1954–1955, in Howl and Other Poems, 1956.
During the period of the lockdown in Cyprus due to the Coronavirus pandemic, Demetra Kallitsi spent her afternoons observing nature, taking photos of the changing surrounding environment, and reading or scribbling poetry, inspired by Western Haikus. The work draws upon the concept of the modern lifestyle in the developed world that heavily relies on technological advancements, which have had us believing that having everything within the reach of our hands could make us invulnerable and in control; so mobile, and worldly and free. The pandemic helps us realise how fragile and flawed our existence is, and that most things in life are beyond our control and our understanding. Funnily, despite everything, spring cannot be cancelled; nature is in bloom.
"We wake up electrified out of the coma by our own souls' airplanes roaring over the roof they've come to drop angelic bombs, the hospital illuminates itself, imaginary walls collapse, O skinny legions run outside, O starry-spangled shock of mercy the eternal war is here, O victory forget your underwear we're free." - Allen Ginsberg
Cited Text: Allen Ginsberg, “Howl” (also known as “Howl for Carl Solomon”), 1954–1955, in Howl and Other Poems, 1956.
Creepy Dollies, 2018 - 2019
Art Installation
Das Gift, Berlin, Germany
Das Gift, Berlin, Germany
Photos and video by Eleni Tongidou
Watch the Art exhibition's teaser here.
Watch the Art exhibition's teaser here.
A knot; an intentional complication that requires attention. In the exhibition the concept of a knot as a tangled structure was used as a point of departure. It was constructively exploited and utilised to accelerate the power of unravelling and resolving; literally and symbolically. Reaching a state of catharsis by untangling an oppressive system; pulling gently at the core of it, employing meditative, analytical practices which have been sociologically associated with empowering feminine practices.
A series of 9 handmade dolls made out of old clothes and other found objects. Each doll derives from a series of sketches developed by researching the depiction of mythic creatures and monsters in Gothic fairy-tales and myths; tarot imagery, early and pop horror films and ancient pagan festivals celebrated by the Celts. The initial sketches were created in an attempt to give tangible form to symptoms experienced by clinical depression sufferers and the employment of hands-on practices/crafts as a therapeutic form. The artist uses the act of embroidering as a means to stimulate the catalyst of imagination and physicalise the release from destructive mental patterns and symptoms such as those experienced by clinical depression sufferers. She achieves this, both through the symbolism in the visual form of her creations and the inherent meditative and cathartic properties of embroidering.
The exhibition took place within the framework of GRRL HAUS CINEMA; an ongoing program of short films and video art made by women. A mix of local, national, and international artists present work from a variety of disciplines: narrative, documentary, experimental, and conceptual. With an emphasis on low budget and DIY, GRRL HAUS is a space for underrepresented voices in the arts today.
A series of 9 handmade dolls made out of old clothes and other found objects. Each doll derives from a series of sketches developed by researching the depiction of mythic creatures and monsters in Gothic fairy-tales and myths; tarot imagery, early and pop horror films and ancient pagan festivals celebrated by the Celts. The initial sketches were created in an attempt to give tangible form to symptoms experienced by clinical depression sufferers and the employment of hands-on practices/crafts as a therapeutic form. The artist uses the act of embroidering as a means to stimulate the catalyst of imagination and physicalise the release from destructive mental patterns and symptoms such as those experienced by clinical depression sufferers. She achieves this, both through the symbolism in the visual form of her creations and the inherent meditative and cathartic properties of embroidering.
The exhibition took place within the framework of GRRL HAUS CINEMA; an ongoing program of short films and video art made by women. A mix of local, national, and international artists present work from a variety of disciplines: narrative, documentary, experimental, and conceptual. With an emphasis on low budget and DIY, GRRL HAUS is a space for underrepresented voices in the arts today.
Από - δόμηση, 2019
Art & Music Performance (25')
Dancehouse Lefkosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
Dancehouse Lefkosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
"Από - δόμηση" was a performance by Demetra Kallitsi and Nektarios Rodosthenous (musician) in the framework of ''DUET/DO IT''; organised by Dance Gate Lefkosia. Από - δόμηση was the result of one day's creative interaction of two creative artists from two different disciplines, with the body and its movement as the axis. A one day crossing border interaction of Dance in dialogue with other disciplines and/or art-forms. The aim of the project was the presentation of a 15-25 minutes performance to the wider public, in the evening of that same day. A Q&A session with a moderator followed the performance.
Happening, 2019
DanceHouse Lefkosia, Nicosia, Cyprus
Durational Workshop / Performance (3 hours)
Durational Workshop / Performance (3 hours)
Photos by Demetra Kallitsi
‘Happening’ was a durational workshop/performance, which took place within the framework of the workshop series ‘Body as Site’ at DanceHouse Lefkosia, Nicosia, Cyprus. The workshop invited the participation of up to 8 people, who were paired in duos (during the workshop) in order to create improvised performances over the course of 2 hours. The participants/performers were asked to bring 10 everyday objects, which they exchanged with their ‘performance partner’ and used as the core of their performances. 'Happening' aimed to bring new life and symbolisms to everyday objects, to initiate fast creative, thinking and performing processes, but also to utilise performance art as a tool for creating a space were the artists, the hosting space and the audience became active participants in the creative process. ‘Happening’ drew inspiration from Dada, Fluxus and the early ‘Happenings’ at Cabaret Voltaire, by playing with the notions of the ephemeral (a performance piece that exists in its current form only in the here and now and which can never be repeated in the exact same manner), the improvised and cheap art.
The performance was open to the public, on a walk-in basis; witnesses, visitors, onlookers were welcome to actively participate in the performances by joining the participants as they surprised themselves and each other, handing out objects, performing solo or duo or not performing at all. ‘Happening’ followed the format of ‘Blind Date’, a series of improvised performances, initiated by the performance artists Jacqueline van de Geere and Demetra Kallitsi, in 2016, Leipzig, Germany. Since 2016, The Blind Date, has been utilised as a format for initiating and organising artistic collaborations between various performance artists in Germany, Canada and Cyprus.
The performance was open to the public, on a walk-in basis; witnesses, visitors, onlookers were welcome to actively participate in the performances by joining the participants as they surprised themselves and each other, handing out objects, performing solo or duo or not performing at all. ‘Happening’ followed the format of ‘Blind Date’, a series of improvised performances, initiated by the performance artists Jacqueline van de Geere and Demetra Kallitsi, in 2016, Leipzig, Germany. Since 2016, The Blind Date, has been utilised as a format for initiating and organising artistic collaborations between various performance artists in Germany, Canada and Cyprus.
Vanillepudding, 2018
Performance Art (15')
Garage Art Space (Πολυχώρος Γκαράζ), Nicosia, Cyprus
Garage Art Space (Πολυχώρος Γκαράζ), Nicosia, Cyprus
A ‘cleansing ritual’ referencing gender norms and stereotypes through the depiction of archetypal female roles (e.g. the housewife, the witch, the maiden in distress, etc.) and the stigmas of femininity such as ‘female hysteria’, fragility, oversensitivity, drama, etc.. A candle-lit ritual for cleansing past memories and welcoming new beginnings; with bleak, hostile and fragile electronic ballads (These Hidden Hands, Berlin, Germany), the chanting of ‘spells’ in the German language, burning of herbs and spices (rose, rosemary and cinnamon), the smell of rosewater and pomegranate and the sweetness of traditional home-made Great British Custard, as my grandma used to make it.
The performance was created within the framework of ‘MemoryLab’ (November 2018) programme by ARTos Cultural & Research Foundation, Nicosia, Cyprus, where a selection of performance artists were asked to select one image from the programme's photo archive and create a short art performance.
The performance was created within the framework of ‘MemoryLab’ (November 2018) programme by ARTos Cultural & Research Foundation, Nicosia, Cyprus, where a selection of performance artists were asked to select one image from the programme's photo archive and create a short art performance.
The hardest job in the world, 2018
Performance Art (20')
Amphitheatre, Koilani, Limassol, Cyprus
Amphitheatre, Koilani, Limassol, Cyprus
Photos by Emma Louise Charalambous
‘The hardest job in the world’* narrates parallel, metaphorical stories through the redefinition / reusability of commonly used objects, sound and spoken word on the basis of the grotesque, the uncomfortable, the ‘breaking point’ (the point of no return). The ambiguity and symbolisms adopted in the piece gives the audience the freedom of multiple interpretations / readings of the narratives that are played out. The piece is seen as an interactive experience that encourages audience participation in an attempt to reach a public catharsis both for the artist as well as for the audience.
Reference to “The hardest job in the world” article by Giorgos Savvinides.
Reference to “The hardest job in the world” article by Giorgos Savvinides.
Always Me II, 2018
Embroidery on canvas, creative writing
Dimensions: 10 x 12 cm
Dimensions: 10 x 12 cm
Photo courtesy of Imago Mundi
Artwork created for the purposes of Imago Mundi 2018: Join The Dots / Unire le distanze, Cyprus Collection. Imago Mundi is a project initiated by Luciano Benetton that invites established and emerging artists to participate on a non-profit and voluntary basis in the creation of an art collection. Currently counting over 25.000 artworks from 150 countries, the Imago Mundi collection organises its contents by country or ethnic group, without any particular limitation in aesthetics and artistic media — the only rule being that all the works should be created on a canvas measuring 10x12 centimetres. Luciano Benetton and the curators of the Imago Mundi project constantly travel the world to encounter local artistic communities and compose smaller “national” collections that are like kaleidoscopic snapshots of each country’s artistic scene. As a result, this sprawling index of nations, peoples and artists both known and unknown is becoming an alternative mapping of the entire world that is defined by cultures, communities and creativity rather than borders and politics.
In April 2018, Imago Mundi has found its permanent home in Treviso, Italy, inside an early-19th-century prison complex that has lain abandoned since the 1950’s. Through a very careful and discreet renovation led by postmodernist Italian architect Tobia Scarpa, the Habsburg-built prison complex is now transformed into the Gallerie delle Prigioni, where the Imago Mundi collections are to be kept, exhibited and more in-depth research can be conducted into their contents.
More information here.
In April 2018, Imago Mundi has found its permanent home in Treviso, Italy, inside an early-19th-century prison complex that has lain abandoned since the 1950’s. Through a very careful and discreet renovation led by postmodernist Italian architect Tobia Scarpa, the Habsburg-built prison complex is now transformed into the Gallerie delle Prigioni, where the Imago Mundi collections are to be kept, exhibited and more in-depth research can be conducted into their contents.
More information here.
Always Me III (Rueckgeld), 2018
Embroidery on canvas, creative writing
Dimensions: 54 x 69 cm
Πρώην Αποθήκες ΘΟΚ (CTO Theatre warehouses), Nicosia, Cyprus
Dimensions: 54 x 69 cm
Πρώην Αποθήκες ΘΟΚ (CTO Theatre warehouses), Nicosia, Cyprus
Photo by Maria Kallitsi
The work is part of a series of embroidered self-portraits and text on canvas. The text as well as the imagery used, are autobiographical and self-referential, and are derived from various sketches and excerpts of creative writing, which the artist has created and collected over the past three years as a form of documenting past experiences; memories; traumas.
The work is created with the use of found objects (canvas, threads and fabrics) and is made to appear as an overworked, kitsch item. The work establishes a metaphorical connection to the theme of the exhibition "Το Σαλόνι των Ξένων" (Guests' Living Room), 2018, organised by the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC), Nicosia, Cyprus, by identifying the artwork as a means of ‘unsealing a closed room’ (sterile spaces), which is defined as the individual’s psyche/the subconscious/’Otherness’. The is seen as an attempt to identify and heal (becoming friends) ‘the wound’ (with strange guests).
The work is created with the use of found objects (canvas, threads and fabrics) and is made to appear as an overworked, kitsch item. The work establishes a metaphorical connection to the theme of the exhibition "Το Σαλόνι των Ξένων" (Guests' Living Room), 2018, organised by the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC), Nicosia, Cyprus, by identifying the artwork as a means of ‘unsealing a closed room’ (sterile spaces), which is defined as the individual’s psyche/the subconscious/’Otherness’. The is seen as an attempt to identify and heal (becoming friends) ‘the wound’ (with strange guests).
Rueckgeld/ρέστα/change, 2017
Performance Art (30')
Neoterismoi Toumazou, Nicosia, Cyprus
Neoterismoi Toumazou, Nicosia, Cyprus
Photos by Parathyro - Politis Newspaper, Cyprus
More information here.
More information here.
Welcome to the artist's world of ritual and ‘otherness’. The audience becomes an active participant in the artist’s memory, identity, experiences and imagination; experiencing an interactive ‘happening’, where there is room for introspection, togetherness and laughter. The artist will be handing out signs, broken foreign-language skills and foot baths. In a world where everything is moving rapidly and travel has become effortless, the concept of displacement has transformed from something painful into a way of life. The work has to do with dislocation, and the way it connects to loss, locality, memory and identity.
Always Me, 2016 - 2017
Embroidery on canvas, creative writing
Dimensions: 21 x 30 cm
Galerie Bipolar, Leipzig, Germany & Phytorio (EI.KA), Nicosia, Cyprus
Dimensions: 21 x 30 cm
Galerie Bipolar, Leipzig, Germany & Phytorio (EI.KA), Nicosia, Cyprus
Photos by Martin Holz
A series of embroidered self-portraits and text on canvas. The text as well as the imagery used, are autobiographical and self-referential and are derived from various sketches and excerpts of creative writing which the artist has created and collected over the past two years.
The Popes and The Wedding, 2016
Short Film (Video Digital/Colour, 11')
Directed by Nicolas Olivares
Directed by Nicolas Olivares
Photos by Nicolas Olivares
Inspired by dada-expresionistic costumes, a pope of colour and two female popes are in charge of a dada ritualistic wedding with the help of a dipperette. An original idea of Nicolas Olivares and Jacqueline Van De Geer, based on Popessy Art Performance.
Popessy, 2016
Performance Art (40')
Con Han Hop, Leipzig, Germany
Con Han Hop, Leipzig, Germany
“Popessy' is an interactive performance that uses dada inspired costumes, paintings, projections and live soundscapes that investigate the possibilities of a modern communion and is a collaboration between Christian Brown, Demetra Kallitsi and Jacqueline van de Geer. This performance was sparked by a conversation concerning the lack of female and black popes and the entwinement of ritual and religion, and of the insufficiency of arcane rituals in our society. For example, through the centuries we have seen how gatherings in temples and churches are lead by 'religious leaders,' and drenched with ritual actions that make sure everyone knows what is expected. Yet, these rituals are not cultivated between individuals but taught by those who have the authority to do so. Religious leaders act as conductors of exclusive institutions instead of choosing to represent the progression within society. In our times we have gained freedom of religion and its boundaries, yet we fail to apply these rituals of healing and blessing within our communities. Thus the idea was formed to present a new concept of spiritual leadership.
Blind Date II, 2016
Performance Art (30')
Galerie Bipolar, Leipzig, Germany
Galerie Bipolar, Leipzig, Germany
A rendez-vous or a so called ‘Blind Date’, between the performance artists Jacqueline van de Geer and Demetra Kallitsi, where the artists give themselves the permission to get to know each other by performing during a 30 minute session (in the form of a shorter version of the concept for the first 'Blind Date' performance). Witnesses, visitors, onlookers are welcome to join them as they surprise themselves and each other, handing out objects, performing solo or duo or not performing at all. Demetra and Jacqueline both bring 5 items that are unknown for each other, hoping that these surprise objects will fuel a performative fire.
Blind Date, 2016
Duration Art Performance (3 hours)
Das Japanische Haus, Leipzig, Germany
Das Japanische Haus, Leipzig, Germany
Photos by Yu Ohtani
A rendez-vous or a so called ‘Blind Date’, between the performance artists Jacqueline van de Geer and Demetra Kallitsi, where the artists give themselves the permission to get to know each other by performing during a 3-hour session. Witnesses, visitors, onlookers are welcome to join them as they surprise themselves and each other, handing out objects, performing solo or duo or not performing at all. Demetra and Jacqueline both bring 10 items that are unknown for each other, hoping that these surprise objects will fuel a performative fire.
The Law of the Plague, 2016 - 2018
Performance Art (10')
Multipolar - Bipolar Gallery, Leipzig & InterSpace2018 - Dance House Nicosia, Cyprus
Multipolar - Bipolar Gallery, Leipzig & InterSpace2018 - Dance House Nicosia, Cyprus
Photos by Martin Holz
A re-interpretation of “The Law of the Plague” (based on the third book of the Pentateuch in the Bible, containing the laws relating to priests and Levites - Leviticus’ Chapter 13: ‘Laws about Leprosy’) Diamanda Galas’ music performance for ‘Fire in My Belly’, 1987 by David Wojnarowicz. The performance advocates that the “Plague” or a life of torment is the fruit of the abolishment of our heart’s deepest desires and animalistic drives in order to fit in the norms and conformities of modern society, as formed and constructed by all societal, economic and moralistic structures. Our unhappiness with the life we lead is caused by the abolishment of our individuality, our creativity, our “queerness”, as to feel part of a whole, which, nonetheless, leaves us feeling more empty, repressed and foreign to our own body and mind.
Through the course of the performance the artist washes various white garments in a bucket filled with black paint and immediately after tries to remove the black paint by washing them in another bucket with water and soap. Her rapture or even obsession is expressed through the ritualization of the mundane, repetitive task of laundry work (originally related to house/family-life, the image of the archetypal housewife), but also by the repetition of the text that she is mumbling from the outset and throughout the course of the performance. The artist assigns herself a duty, which she must ascetically perform and fulfil in order to be considered clean, worthy. .
Through the course of the performance the artist washes various white garments in a bucket filled with black paint and immediately after tries to remove the black paint by washing them in another bucket with water and soap. Her rapture or even obsession is expressed through the ritualization of the mundane, repetitive task of laundry work (originally related to house/family-life, the image of the archetypal housewife), but also by the repetition of the text that she is mumbling from the outset and throughout the course of the performance. The artist assigns herself a duty, which she must ascetically perform and fulfil in order to be considered clean, worthy. .
A LOVER’S DISCOURSE: FRAGMENTS, 2016
Performance Art (30')
Spazju Kreattiv: St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta & The Old Vinegar Factory, Limassol, Cyprus
Spazju Kreattiv: St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta & The Old Vinegar Factory, Limassol, Cyprus
Photos by Umberto Buttigieg
Excerpts of the performance here.
Excerpts of the performance here.
Based on the book ‘A Lover’s Discourse’ by the French literary theorist, philosopher, linguist, critic, and semiotician Roland Barthes, the performance unfolds in three chapters: ‘The Absent One’, ‘Waiting’ and ‘In the Loving Calm of Your Arms’, where in each chapter the artist bathes herself in rosewater, red wine, and honey, respectively. The performance aims to re-contextualize Barthes’ theories on the identity of ‘The Lover’ ‘and ‘The Beloved Subject/The Other’, by exploring the discourse of a romantic relationship through a theoretical, philosophical and practical approach, emphasizing on the idea of an ‘always absent Other’ and ‘an always idle/waiting Lover’. Until the return of the Beloved Subject, The Lover is caught in a never-ending cycle of passing time, with the element of repetition setting the connotations and references for an ascetic behaviour of ‘self-punishment/mourning’. The irony, futility and despair of this process references a contemporary depiction of ‘female hysteria’ as documented in the non-sense, no-result/outcome repetitive action that the artist assigns to herself; the act of bathing, of learning, of addressing The Other in their absence.
In my dreams I'm still lying next to you, 2013 - 2015
Performance Art (3 hours)
The Performance Shop (by Pelma Lia Haraki) , Limassol, Cyprus & Gallery 40, Brighton, UK
The Performance Shop (by Pelma Lia Haraki) , Limassol, Cyprus & Gallery 40, Brighton, UK
The Performance Shop (by Pelma Lia Haraki) , Limassol, Cyprus (2015)
Photos by Maria Kourountzi
Photos by Maria Kourountzi
Gallery 40, Brighton, UK (2013)
Photos by Resat Korel
Photos by Resat Korel
A double duvet is installed across the floor, where the artist lays, inviting the viewer to join her in this intimate act of sharing a bed; a mutual space where two strangers can experience how each body melts into each other as they become more accustomed to smell, shape, and respiration. The performance identifies the body as a tool for investigating the human existence and behaviour and attempts to break down the pre-defined roles of the ‘artist/performer’ and the ‘viewer’ by focusing on the primary principal of two bodies pressured / juxtaposed / ’in-conversation’ with each other. The ‘struggle' seems to subside, when embraced by two warm arms, when leaning on someone’s shoulder, by the simple feeling of lying next to someone. Lying is a political statement.
The immense agony of being uninspired, 2014 - 2018
Video Installation
Projecktraum LS43, Berlin, Germany & The Loukia & Michael Zampelas Art Museum, Nicosia, Cyprus
Projecktraum LS43, Berlin, Germany & The Loukia & Michael Zampelas Art Museum, Nicosia, Cyprus
Photos and video by Demetra Kallitsi
Watch the video here.
Watch the video here.
5 looped videos running in parallel; each one (most of which being close-ups) trying to encapsulate the impact of the creative process on the artist's body and mind. The artwork aims to capture the 'process of inspiration' and is the product of a lengthy filming process, documenting the artist's mundane, everyday routine in the studio; that is working/thinking towards a new project. The video aims to document the effects that this process may have on the artist (nervousness, impatience, fidgeting) and is seen as an attempt to turn the artwork on its back, by conceptualising the creative process; thus turning it into the artwork itself.
