EMST x Art Explora Sphinxes – Metamorphosis 581

In Greek with English subtitles

Sphinxes
Metamorphosis 581, 2019, 2019
High definition digital video
Color, no sound
Duration: 3’ 21’’
Edition 1/5
Collection of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (ΕΜΣΤ)

In 2019, no fewer than 13,785 Greek caiques were In 2019, as many as 13.785 Greek caiques were scrapped and lost from the Mediterranean Sea. Seeking to combat overfishing and protect fish stocks, the EU program for subsidising the destruction of traditional fishing boats was introduced in 1991. The directive funded decommissioning of fishing vessels and returning fishing licences; in 2014, scrapping of caiques was also introduced.

Μια εικόνα καταστροφής / Ένα βουνό από θραύσματα / Δεν μπορώ να δω τη θάλασσα / Ποιος μεταμόρφωσε τόση χειροναξία σε μια άμορφη μάζα; / Ποιος έκλεψε από την αγκαλιά της θάλασσας τόσα σκαριά; / Ποιος παίρνει αποφάσεις για το νέο ταξίδι; /Τι κάνουν τώρα τα χέρια που σκάρωσαν τόσα σκαριά;

Η Μεταμόρφωση 581 είναι ένα καΐκι που θυσιάστηκε για 75.000 ευρώ στο βωμό της «Θεάς Ευρώπης». Το αποτέλεσμα της θυσίας είναι ένας σωρός από θραύσματα. Για τους Sphinxes ο σωρός αποτελεί ένα σημείο αρχής και συνάντησης..

Just like a boatbuilder selects a specific tree in the forest in order to transform it into a caique, Sphinxes, along with island residents, each pick a piece of deconstructed hull, forming a procession that seeks to reverse this sacrifice and turn it from destruction into creation, transforming all these fragments into a raft destined for the sea. It is not built for a new journey, however, but to remind us, through its binary nature, the traces of the caiques lost to the Mediterranean.

The artwork Metamorphosis 581 is part of the collection of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (EMΣT)Special Screening in collaboration with EMΣT.

Sphinxes

Sphinxes (Manos Flessas and Joanna Tsakalou) have been working as a team since 2018. They live and work in Athens. Their practice is based on field research and is mainly fueled by the social and economic transformations taking place in Greece today. With a focus on the activation of spaces and public engagement, their work includes multimedia, installations and experiential activities that focus on the transformation processes of a place in the context of the interventions of late capitalism.

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