The Paths We Cross

In an era of cultural fluidity, where boundaries between cultures, gestures and creative expressions blur, the paths we cross explore the convergence of diverse artistic visions by inviting us to dive into a tapestry of the most (un)common connections and encounters.

Navigating an intricate web of stories and cultures, this exhibition attempts to create an immersive experience where past and present intermingle. Each work reflects a unique story, allowing for a broader understanding of the intricate web of human existence.

These perspectives seek not to present dogmatic solutions but to shed light on different stories by bringing together their traditions, techniques, and narratives. Looking closely, we can find these moments where these narratives intersect, creating a harmonious dialogue of colours, forms, and emotions.

Paola Quiñonez’s work delves into the theme of identity, exploring individual responses to modern globalized society through strong symbolisms of pop culture. In contrast, Daphne Klagkou transforms traditional materials into contemporary art pieces, fostering a playful dialogue between past and present; whereas Irene de Vilder infuses traditional objects, like vases with contemporary imagery, adding another layer of interpretation. Despite their thematic differences, they all employ transformative methods in their artistic practices, whether through symbolism, materials, or imagery.

The Paths We Cross is more than a static display; it is an exploration of human curiosity and a tribute to the endless possibilities that arise when we venture into the unknown. It's an invitation to traverse the intricate patterns of our interconnected world.

Some works seek to explore the continuity of human experiences and how our collective history informs our present-day realities, while others generate visual paradoxes in which these objects move seamlessly between past, present, and future.

Participating Artists:

Daphne Klagkou

Paula Quiñonez

Irene de Vilder

Curator:

Alexia Alexandropulou

My ceramic piece, Roda da Vida, explores the eternal cycle of life, death, and rebirth, drawing from ancient Greek mythology. Its circular form and the depiction of glass flowers symbolize renewal and victory over death, while the young face wearing a ceramic flower crown references an ancient Greek skull, underscoring the inevitability of mortality. The fractured base, resembling a weathered rock, hints at life's fragility and the passage of time, with its holes suggesting an occupation by mythical creatures like serpents, which in Greek mythology often served as protectors or adversaries. The combination of polished glass and rough ceramic mirrors the contrasts of life—moments of peace and struggle. Through its symbolism and form, the sculpture becomes a physical manifestation of the interconnectedness of life and death, linking mythology, nature, and the human experience, much like how ancient Greeks saw the land as both a resting place for the dead and a source of renewal.

Roda da Vida 2024

ceramic, glazes (special effect, metallic), glass flowers

Erinya 2024

Ceramic, earthenware and black porcelain, glaze and lion glass sculpture, pate de verre

This group of artworks is following my research of transition of monstrous mythological symbols into the contemporary, as is my exhibition Tèras. They were made to be exhibited alongside 2 more ceramic artists that focus their research on the ceramic object.

Untitled 2024

Blown glass, sculpted glass flowers from molten glass and ceramic

Shapes installation 2023

Ceramic, stoneware, crack glaze

The myth of Medusa has gone through a lot of transformations in meaning through history. Even though Medusa was the emblem of female power back in Ancient Greece and a symbol of both protection and aggression, she historically has been used to serve different political agendas, and perspectives on her have changed dramatically. The most common story today is the story of her death by Perseus, the hero that killed a monster that could kill anyone just by looking at them. However, when looking back to her origin story, the myth becomes more complicated. In a late version of the Medusa myth, by the Roman poet Ovid, Medusa was originally a beautiful maiden, but when Poseidon raped her in Athena’s temple, Athena punished Medusa by transforming her beautiful hair into horrible snakes. Contemplating Medusa's story today evokes a strong sense of injustice — a woman punished for a man's actions, castigated by society as a monster, and ultimately slain by another man while she slept. Hélène Cixous (2010), famous french feminist critic, argues that Medusa’s decapitation at the hands of Perseus is a representation of men attempting to mute women and destroy their ability to use language: “A woman without a body, dumb, blind, can't possibly be a good fighter. She is reduced to being the servant of the militant male, his shadow”. So we find ourselves compelled to once again question what defines a monster and ponder on our own way of thinking. The subject itself can be the perfect “excuse” to comment or start a conversation on contemporary issues.

Medusa 2023

Ceramic, stoneware, special effect glazes, metallic chains, wire