In her multifaceted practice, Greek artist Eva Papamargariti traverses the realms of time-based media, printed material, and sculptural installations, embarking on an exploration of the intricate relationship between the ethereal digital space and the tangible material reality. Through the creation of meticulously crafted 2D/3D rendered spaces and scenarios, she evokes narratives that emerge from the enigmatic occurrences found within the ordinary fabric of daily life, blurring the lines between the digital and physical domains.
ART
Her work explores the dark recesses of simultaneous existence, where real and virtual worlds blur into one another and synthetic images penetrate our lives in ways that both define and split us. Exploring the interconnections between humans, nature, and technology, she reveals the profound impact of our continuous engagement with technological devices and machinic artifacts on our surroundings.
What are the creatures we see in your work? – In my work, I am almost obsessively generating swarms of creatures, avatars, natural and synthetic organisms, and chimeric entities that are standing on the verge of mythology and reality. These entities are the protagonists of the stories and narratives I am building. They are Othered Bodies that are absorbing, filtering, and reflecting a multitude of voices and worlds while exploring the constant birth and collapse of identities, hierarchies, personhood, and the merging of feelings, fears, and desires.
Since technology is such an important factor in our lives, it is very natural that things in the digital and physical realms intertwine. Actually, they don’t just intertwine, one feeds the other, and one creates the other these days.
What is the origin of your fascination with the digital realm? – I see the digital realm as an infinite terrain where anyone can create and present their own story and identity without the physical/corporeal boundaries that sometimes become confining. I think that since I was a kid, I have been trying to explore the digital realm and the internet through this scope. It always felt like I was navigating different worlds and that there, I could become anything.
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We live in a time when the digital realm is becoming increasingly intertwined with our daily existence. What are your thoughts on this? – I believe that it is an inevitable condition. Right now, we live in a context of synchronicity where everything happens rapidly, and at the same time, events are getting folded and unfolded. So, since technology is such an important factor in our lives, it is very natural that things in the digital and physical realms intertwine. Actually, they don’t just intertwine, one feeds the other, and one creates the other these days.
Are the narratives of your work interconnected, or are you weaving multiple distinct tales? – I consider that all my works somehow are part of the same universe in terms of world-building—they differ from each other, but a unifying mechanism connects them. From the landscapes, the setups, and the materiality, to the avatars, creatures, and soundscapes, all these elements contain many invisible and visible traits that connect one another. The stories that these voices are narrating are also inspired by the present moment, making them also connected through this specific time lens.
As an artist with a constantly evolving practice, are there more mediums you are interested in exploring? – Definitely, building my stories through new ways and mediums is something that moves me and my practice. I would love to continue exploring different materials and techniques regarding sculpture making and also move towards creating works on a larger scale. Also, regarding virtual systems, I would love to explore AR and VR applications further and software that incorporate methods I haven’t explored yet, like real-time motion capture and recording systems, for example.
I see the digital realm as an infinite terrain where anyone can create and present their own story and identity without the physical/corporeal boundaries that sometimes become confining.
What are a few things you love at the moment (food, clothes, music, movies)? – Many things, actually, although I am working on new projects most of the time! Some of them are preparing salads for lunch and also trying to find the best ice cream/gelato in Athens, playing basketball, listening to 100 gecs’ latest album, watching the last season of Succession (and still getting mind blown by almost every episode), reading Glitch Feminism by Legacy Russell (I totally recommend it by the way), and checking Braindead’s latest drops. Also, Tik Tok, usually before I go to sleep!
Tell us about your work presented at the Day Before Tomorrow exhibition. – I will be showing a video installation and a triptych of printed textiles at the show. In the video installation Among Us, Among Others, we witness a plethos of bodies that emerge, move, and rest—sometimes as a single collective body and sometimes as unique entities. These bodies are formed as diverse critters/agents—mimicking human but also natural/organic/animal entities. Resembling something between video-game characters and mythological creatures, these avatars are making gestures, moving their bodies in a lethargic or ecstatic way, engaging in unexpected or banal motions and expressions while synchronizing, abandoning, or uniting with each other again and again, creating an uncanny choreography in which they are trying to explore their selfhood.
The triptych focuses on the notions of restlessness and exhaustion, again connected with the narrative that unfolds in the videos. It presents fragments of an uncanny creature’s body obsessed with a fictional energy drink in an attempt to motivate itself to get over its boredom.
What happens the day before tomorrow? – I guess the present happens. We are just in the here and now, always!
DSCENE Magazine joined forces with the esteemed Eugster II Belgrade gallery for a group exhibition entitled “DAY BEFORE TOMORROW.” Curated by the visionary talent of Vuk Ćuk, this also marks his curatorial debut, showcasing a remarkable group of artists, including the likes of Lyn Liu, Eva Papamargariti, Zarina Nares, Filip Kostic, Damien H. Ding, and Vuk Ćuk himself.
