by Sophia Soseilos

2022 IB Visual Arts Exhibitions

by Sophia Soseilos, Academy Faculty

In 2022 we had two consecutive but equally exceptional IB Visual Arts Exhibitions showcasing the works of fifteen talented young artists. Both exhibitions took place in the Theatre Lobby. The first was held between March 29th and April 1st and the second was from April 5th to April 8th, 2022. The students who participated in the exhibition are as follows: Adamopoulou Arianna, Chatzioti Anna, Kassalia Steleeza, Kefala Anna, Korsakova Liza, Kyriakousi Asimina, Lousides Markella, Makarigakis Max, Michaelidou Ellie, Papaioannides Jason, Perakis Gaby, Rocco Jelena, Stamoulakatou Maria Tsakiris Ellie and Emma Bello (SL).

The last two years have been very challenging for our IB Visual Arts students, who managed to create some of their art remotely from home during the lockdowns, often with scarce materials. They ended up curating high-standard exhibitions with remarkable art. Some pieces showed areas of isolation, loneliness, destruction, and suffocation, displaying the underlying feelings they were experiencing at the time. Their exhibitions touched on a multitude of other topics as well, such as identity, family, beauty, femininity, conformity, order, chaos, transformation, time, space, nature, and mythology. ital photographs, fashion pieces, videos, and installations. This reflected the professional direction they wanted to follow, whether this was Fine Arts, Architecture, Illustration, Fashion, Photography, or Film.

Complying with the IB requirements, all exhibitions managed to form coherent bodies of works, showing both technical competence and conceptual qualities. All exhibits included curatorial rationale and exhibition texts beneath all work that justified the selection, arrangement, and exhibition of their artworks within the designated space and reflected on how the exhibition conveyed an understanding of the relationship between the artworks and the viewer.

Following are small sections of each student’s curatorial explaining the rationale behind their exhibitions.

Arianna Adamopoulou’s artworks are preoccupied with identity in an evolving world. The following text is part of her curatorial rationale:

“Our modern world is continuously evolving and changing, and major important issues are brought to our attention on a daily basis. This influx of displeasing information significantly disrupts the environment in which identity thrives, making it harder for people to differentiate and determine their identity from others. For these reasons, I use my exhibition as a medium to see how the essence and feeling of identity may endure the test of time. My pieces begin as paintings and then move into more sculptural work, with a focus on garments.”

Anna Chatzioti’s primary focus is nature in relation to humans. She wrote:

“I saw the connection between flowers and human organs. I explored the relationship between the two proving how similar they are. Humanity and nature go beyond the extent to which an individual believes or feels part of nature. It can also be understood as our adaptive synergy with nature with our actions, memories, and experiences.”

Steleeza Kassalia wrote in her curatorial rationale :

“Through my composition of pieces, I chose to reflect the theme of transformation and surreal metamorphosis. This theme resonated with me, considering my own experience with acceptance and growth; I personally believe that growth is a more abstract concept that cannot fully be grasped by the individual and is instead a journey of events rather than an instantaneous change. This is what I wanted to reflect through my works, a reflection of the sequence of events that lead to a metamorphosis.”

Anna Kefala mentioned in her curatorial that:

“she has always been intrigued by the binary hierarchical oppositions of order and chaos, as they are observed in architectural buildings, nature, and the way the world around her is formed. The idea

Adamopoulou Arianna Chatzioti Anna

Steleeza Kassalia

Kefala Anna

for the theme was born from the observation of the natural environment and developed through the exploration of architecture and the hidden structures of the universe.”

Liza Korsakova wrote in her curatorial that:

“People are tempted to disregard the amount of dependency we put on nature and the animals around us. In my exhibition, I wanted to combine the personal issues I experienced with my view of the world and its inconsistencies. We as people depend on animals for various things. Humans depend on animals for emotional support. […] I combined these ideas with an individualistic connection to me as an artist and as a person part of that society.”

Asimina Kyriakousi raised in her curatorial rationale that:

“The overarching concept that dominates her exhibition is the impact of time on human experience and overall existence. As the viewer flows from one piece to the next, various underlying themes unfold, addressing different aspects of life: the effects of the past on the present, the creation of memories and relationships, an exploration of the complex mental world of individuals as well as the overall connection between nature and humans.”

Markella Lousidis mentioned in her curatorial that the preoccupation of her exhibition was Femininity. She specifically wrote:

“Femininity is a social construct dictating what defines. In reality, femininity is not dictated by gender and cannot be tied to one. In today’s society, women are conditioned to act according to certain norms and standards. There are proper and improper ways to act, look and think. I believe these norms only harm women, especially those with expectations of how one should dress. Through my art, I wanted to express the power of femininity.”

Max Makarigakis mentioned in his curatorial that:

“We tend to conform within a group to find connection and avoid rejection; two deeply instinctive emotional needs we are born with. In earlier times, this was the difference between life and death. Nowadays, even though our circumstances are very different, this rudimentary mindset is still prevalent. Forces with influence and power use this need to conform to condition things to their desired form. Conformity and conditioning are explored in this exhibition through several approaches in various mediums.”

Ellie Michaelidou explained in her curatorial rationale that: perseverance and progression of humans, both positively and negatively. I wished to convey our power over time, as we are able to preserve it, hence “overcoming the persistence of time. My work is viewed through contrasting reliable/objective documentation of events through technology and subjective/emotional memories. The artworks connect with the theme of time alongside humanity and take the viewer on a journey, whether through a static period in time or through fastpaced dream states.”

Jason Papaioannides wrote in his curatorial that:

“This collection of work is focused on exploring and deconstructing the emotional oscillations that we as individuals experience as we traverse the landscape of life.

Through digital photography and sculpture, this exploration of the human frame of mind is pursued through a unified narrative, beginning with work inducive of calm serenity, and finishing with pieces defined by overwhelming distress.”

Gaby Perakis worked around Mythology. She mentioned:

“In my art, I question and examine the relationship between nature and mythology as well as the consequences of modern society on mental health and the environment. More specifically, my works share similar emotional meanings, such as uncertainty, introspection, inner turmoil, and ambition. The meaning and passing of time are criticized and questioned as well as their relation to emotional growth. The relationship between humans and nature is evident in these pieces, highlighting our dependence on it and reminding the viewer of our origin.”

Jelena Rocco’s art relates to transformation. As she said:

“Within my art, the mechanical aspect and the desire to explore architecture were my primary influences which led me to question how far we can take what we know and transform it. In how many different ways can we take a concept familiar to us and push it? This is what I attempt to do with my art, combining mechanics, architecture, faces, landscapes, and different colors. In each painting, I try something different that is outside of my comfort space, keeping a defining line that follows my pieces: transformation.”

Maria Stamoulakatou works around the notion of beauty. In her curatorial, she says:

“As humans, beauty is something that we highly value in society. It can make or break a person, and it heavily impacts our everyday life. Not only that, but beauty is an asset in today’s society, yet it’s viewed differently by many. Through my exhi-

Bello Emma

Jason Papaioannides

Tsakiris Ellie bition, I aim to show the different ways in which beauty is represented, the main symbolism revolving around wings and cages. Wings represent the freedom that society doesn’t allow you to explore through beauty standards. Cages symbolize being trapped in a world where your actions are judged consistently.”

Ellie Tsakiris interest in interior design was expressed in her curatorial rationale. She mentioned:

“As an aspiring interior designer, my two years journey in IB Visual Arts focused on my exploration of spaces. This was somehow influenced by the unfortunate extensive lockdowns that made me extra observant of the same spaces. This, merged with the distorted reality of everyday life, made me search for “intangible spaces.” My exhibition revolves around the experimentation of the notion of space in literal, metaphorical, and spiritual terms.”

Emma Bello’s unique work was explained in her curatorial. She wrote:

“This curation surrounds the concept of what it means to remember how it feels to grow up and become a part of a home and how each experience within those walls is emotionally significant to how someone perceives who they have become. At the same time, my pieces emphasize the connection between the self and their past, present, and future environments, which is represented through the use of old furniture, plants, and other materials like clay and wood stain to add age and feelings of abandon to my pieces.”