7th. Thessaloniki biennial

Continuing the series of works entitled Mythologies, Athina Ioannou participates in the 7th. Thessaloniki biennial with a new project in space. Choosing a particular room at the MOMus Museum Alex Mylonas, the artist composes an in situ installation consisting of fabrics, from ruined Greek craftman-shops, she has found in Athens' textile warehouses. The small pieces of cloth, imbued with oil, are pinched with a ritual -almost- attention, but also at a distance from the wall, creating an endless game among light, color, and shadow. With natural light invading the room from the hall's single window, Ioannou's installation changes throughout the day, flooding the white showroom with color.

At the same time, her work strikes a balance between sculpture and painting composition. The gesture-like placement of ready-made fabrics reverse the two-dimensional surface of the wall, giving a bas-relief aspect to the work. On the other hand, the synthetic arrangement of the elements and the choices of color combinations reveal an almost constructivist painting condition. Through these references, Ioannou attempts to establish a two-way relationship between the viewer and the environment of the artwork itself.

Katerina Syroglou
12|10|2019 - 16|02|2020