about the project

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824 pages contained in the book of the Odyssey by Homer (dual tome) are are “torn/removed” and  "spread/abandoned” in town using the performers’ bodies and the towns architecture. On collective “fate”.

 

 

The object (The Odyssey book - dual tome)

Ordinary, readable, “container” of subject mater. Μaterial object vs immaterial content. Tendency to be respected. Often borrowed and given away. Ambiguous ownership. The obvious usage of the object (reading) suggests a voyage by itself. So does the Odyssey. 

The situation

824 pages contained in the book of the Odyssey by Homer are “spread” / “abandoned” in town using the performers’ bodies and the towns architecture.

The inhabitants during their daily voyage come across with a publicly available book spread in their streets. They are encouraged to collect a page that would act as “fate” to a collective voyage (found object, found fate).

The process

Two performers (woman, Marion Renard and man, Yiorgos Amendas) spread the pages in public space.  Xristos Kaoukis (orchestrator) encourages the public to collect a page and commences dialogue.  The duration of the piece is defined by the situation.

Other thoughts

This action initiated a constructive exchange with the inhabitants between notions of voyage in public space, garbage vs valuable object, “destruction” of the book vs “removal” of pages, and the thematic of publicly available objects.

Filing

Xristos Kaoukis collected the remaining pages, which in later time were stuck on a public surface (wall) making the book publicly available.

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Concept, direction: Xristo Kaouki

Research & performance: Marion renard, Giorgos Amentas

Orchestrator on site & Final visual installation: Xristo Kaouki

October 2012, Ermou Street action, Athens, Greece, as part of Ithaka 24 long duration project.

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