Collective performance

Larissa Araz, Filia Dendrinou, Anastasia Douka, Dimitra Kondylatou, Evi Souli, Eva Vaslamatzi, VASKOS (Vassilis Noulas, Kostas Tzimoulis)

Concept/Curation: Eva Vaslamatzi
11–14.05.2023

Photos: Alexandra Masmanidi

The collective performance I heard them singing in the mountains consists of a walk through the public spaces of the Kairi Arcade and the gunsmithing shop of Thodoros Papaioannou in the center of Athens, intending to temporarily appropriate and contemplate it through the multiple stories it reveals. The arcade functions simultaneously as an empty shell and as a microcosm of the city's commercial triangle, incorporating in visible or more discreet ways the echo of the changes that the latter constantly undergoes. Its architectural space acts as an occasion for a group tour framed by imaginative elements that touch on concepts and comment on situations such as touristification, nostalgia, expectation, geography, the city as a countryside in constant evolution, the coexistence of past and future, and the potential of collectivity. How can a place and its history be transformed into one or more narratives in order for them to resonate in a range that exceeds its geographical boundaries?

The performance is the result of a methodology of collective creative process and co-direction that began in October 2022 with the participation of all artists. Part of the process includes researching the history of the gallery and working with the owners of the commercial shops in the gallery, whose narratives were the trigger and inspiration for the realization of the project. Thus, the process itself is both a methodology and an artwork presented in the form of a video in the basement of the arcade.

The collective project I heard them singing in the mountains is a continuation of the group exhibition I heard it from the valleys[2] that took place at Haus N in October 2021. Both actions are the results of Eva Vaslamatzi’s curatorial research around manifestations of everyday traditional and folk elements through the production of visual artworks.

The collective performance I heard them singing in the mountains would not have been possible without the support of the owners of the arcade, Alexandros Drakopoulos and Kostas Papaioannou, as well as the manager of the arcade, Eleni Petrekas.

With the support of NEON Organization for Culture and Development.

[1] Reference to the track “The Valleys” by the indie rock band Electrelane which is inspired by the poem “A Letter Home” by Siegfried Sassoon. The song refers to waiting for a lost loved one who through dreams may return, focusing on the power of the dream to bring him back (“We know such dreams are true.”).
[2] Reference to the same song.