The piece that interested me the most was Maria Theodoraki's.
She places two piles of A4 paper on the floor. They are of slightly different heights and you cannot be sure that these towers consisting of thousands of sheets of paper are entirely stable. As you approach the piles, you notice that the pieces of paper are typed. I can understand one pile - the top sheet is written in English. The other pile, however, is written in Greek. I presume they are translations of the same text so I begin to read... "The figurine lies within its crate at the Museum of Cycladic Art, on the first floor of the Stathatou Mansion in a room overlooking Irodotou Street. The text gives a description of the figurine and provides historical information" it begins and continues accordingly.
Whilst reading I become increasingly aware of the white crate behind me, which at first, I wasn't sure if it was part of the same piece. You are lead to believe by Theodoraki, that this crate is empty and awaits the decision of the Board of Directors of the MCA as whether or not a Cycladic figurine from their collection will be placed inside after being removed from its cabinet. The reason for Maria's proposal is that she believes that by being placed horizontally inside the concealed crate, the figurine will resume a more authentic position of its intended purpose than on show in a museum.
She awaits the Board's decision. I took the piece of paper off its pile to take home.
What sets this work apart from the rest at the Deste exhibition is its air of mystery and anticipation. Although it is stated that the crate is empty, my mind can't help by wander to that dark space - a tomb or coffin, deprived of light, and still. This is a space within which the figurine can reside, a space that simulates that which it was intended for as a funerary offering. A part of me wants to experience this dark interior space but, like the text ending with anticipation of the decision made by 'The Board', I can only wonder.
An element of this work was freely offered to me. As I leave the gallery space, the sheet of paper remains folded in my bag to take home. And if thousands of visitors did the same then arguablely, half of Theodoraki's piece would be gone, at least from the gallery space - the towers would decrease until there was nothing left. But this gradual removal is not depriving the work of life. Rather, it remains very much still alive, in part: in my hand there is the piece of paper and in my mind I reread the passage over and over.
And should the relic make it inside the crate in the coming months - what then? The form of the piece will change yet again. It will be added to and this addition is the work of another, of an unknown craftsman. Does the piece then become collaborative? And would we ever know if the figurine was really in there or not?...
She places two piles of A4 paper on the floor. They are of slightly different heights and you cannot be sure that these towers consisting of thousands of sheets of paper are entirely stable. As you approach the piles, you notice that the pieces of paper are typed. I can understand one pile - the top sheet is written in English. The other pile, however, is written in Greek. I presume they are translations of the same text so I begin to read... "The figurine lies within its crate at the Museum of Cycladic Art, on the first floor of the Stathatou Mansion in a room overlooking Irodotou Street. The text gives a description of the figurine and provides historical information" it begins and continues accordingly.
Whilst reading I become increasingly aware of the white crate behind me, which at first, I wasn't sure if it was part of the same piece. You are lead to believe by Theodoraki, that this crate is empty and awaits the decision of the Board of Directors of the MCA as whether or not a Cycladic figurine from their collection will be placed inside after being removed from its cabinet. The reason for Maria's proposal is that she believes that by being placed horizontally inside the concealed crate, the figurine will resume a more authentic position of its intended purpose than on show in a museum.
She awaits the Board's decision. I took the piece of paper off its pile to take home.
What sets this work apart from the rest at the Deste exhibition is its air of mystery and anticipation. Although it is stated that the crate is empty, my mind can't help by wander to that dark space - a tomb or coffin, deprived of light, and still. This is a space within which the figurine can reside, a space that simulates that which it was intended for as a funerary offering. A part of me wants to experience this dark interior space but, like the text ending with anticipation of the decision made by 'The Board', I can only wonder.
An element of this work was freely offered to me. As I leave the gallery space, the sheet of paper remains folded in my bag to take home. And if thousands of visitors did the same then arguablely, half of Theodoraki's piece would be gone, at least from the gallery space - the towers would decrease until there was nothing left. But this gradual removal is not depriving the work of life. Rather, it remains very much still alive, in part: in my hand there is the piece of paper and in my mind I reread the passage over and over.
And should the relic make it inside the crate in the coming months - what then? The form of the piece will change yet again. It will be added to and this addition is the work of another, of an unknown craftsman. Does the piece then become collaborative? And would we ever know if the figurine was really in there or not?...
THEODORAKITheo
MARIA THEODORAKI
MARIA THEODORAKI
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