To Vima, Greece

Interview at “To Vima” newspaper, Sunday’s extended edition, Culture section, page 11, October 2nd, 2022

Pavlina Vagioni

“I LIKE SHEDDING LIGHT ON OBSCURE TOPICS”

The visual artist and soloist talks to us about her first solo exhibition in Greece, which comprises painting, sculpting, wall and floor installations, works with light and movement, and video with digital animation and music.

Interview by Diana Kartsagouli

At Kappatos Gallery, from the 6th to the 29th of October, the first solo exhibition in Greece of Pavlina Vagioni entitled “Siren Symphony in G sharp” will take place. The visual artist and classical singer who lives and creates in Texas, USA, combines her two capacities to create a visual experience themed on the mysticism of the Sirens, these mythical creatures that she has researched over the last years. We had the opportunity to meet her and have her talk to us herself about her work.

This is your first solo exhibition in Greece. How important is it to you to present your works here?

It is very important because I am Greek, and this is my homeland.

Talk to us about the theme of the exhibition and the Sirens. What is it that fascinates you about them?

The idea for the Sirens began in 2020 when two simultaneous events were occurring in my life. One was the abrupt shift in our daily lives, with the restriction measures due to COVID-19 and the lockdowns. The other was my preparation for the Diploma exams as a vocal soloist. Singing and entrapment are elements associated with these mythical creatures. Also, I like shedding light on obscure and misinterpreted topics. There is confusion concerning the Sirens because we mistake them for the Mermaids.

Moreover, various patriarchal systems have linked them with female temptation, the sin of desire, and by extension, the suppression of the libido. However, by studying word by word the ancient Homeric text of book 12 (rhapsody M) of the Odyssey, which refers to these creatures, one will come to realize that they have nothing to do with all of the above. The Greek language is exact and wise, and I still haven’t found any translation in English that identically transmits the word essence of the ancient text. If we reflect on the Odyssey as a being metaphor for the journey of our life, the Sirens have a more profound symbolism than what most people believe.

You are a visual artist and, parallelly, as you mentioned earlier, a diplomated vocal soloist. Do you think that one form of art helps you in the advancement of the other?

Absolutely. The thought behind the visual and the musical work is similar. In both, there is coloring, sharpness, dullness, compression, amplification, repetition, rhythm, etc. One is the art of space, and the other of time. The combination of the two approaches the notion of the Gesamtkunstwerk-the ideal work of art as a synthesis of many art forms.

Additionally, as far as this exhibition, the show’s theme unfolds inside the gallery space as a visual symphony with four movements: allegro, adagio, scherzo, and rondo. Each part has its own “rhythm.” I named the exhibition “Siren Symphony in G sharp.” The reason behind the title is that with the note G sharp, I begin the vocalise that I sing in the musical fugue with sounds of seascapes, whales and birds that you will hear in the video projected in the fourth movement of the show.

You love big installations. Is their creation a challenge?

For sure. Inventiveness and imagination are required in the way you will overcome the various construction challenges. On the one hand, I need to think more like an inventor rather than an artist to solve technical difficulties. On the other, the bigger the challenge, the greater the satisfaction I feel when I surpass it, either as a unit or as a team, since almost always a collaboration of many people is required to materialize a large-scale project.

There is a lot of talk about NFTs in the art world. I imagine that in Texas, where you live, even more so. Moreover, with this particular exhibition, you also enter into their world. What do you think is their charm and their future?

Yes, I enter into their world dynamically with 101 NFTs. They can be bought with Ethereum coin via the newly founded German platform PINSL, which collaborates only with visual artists, galleries and collectors. The first 100 – successive still images (frames) of the video I have made – will drop on the opening day on October 6th. The hundredth first, the video itself and the audio content will drop on the show’s last day on October 29th. The future of NFTs now that our world is becoming all the more digital can only have an upward trajectory. Their charm lies in the fact that you can now secure ownership of the digital material, which was impossible in the past. Moreover, there is absolute transparency in the exchange of NFTs and the fact that you can carry them with you every time.

What should people expect to see when they visit the exhibition?

Those who come will see paintings, sculptures, installations on the wall and floor, works with light and movement, and a video with digital animation and music. Additionally, on the opening day, and only once, the visitors will experience a live performance that will last between 8 to 11 at night. It will take place inside the gallery’s largest room, which I have converted into the Isle of the Sirens. It’s a scenographic installation that takes up the entire space. I will not reveal what will unfold inside, but its title, “The Encounter,” will give you an idea.

To read the interview in the original Greek language click here.