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epos

-public space intervention-

the odyssey, the voyage and the collective fate

N.B epos: ΕΠΟΣ (in greek) translation for epic, of large scale.

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”.

EPOS uses the physical object (book) as the main dramaturgical line of the reading. The epic duration of the voyage/return of Ulysse (and therefore the length of the book) serves as a  platform of expression. 

EPOS intervenes in the public space and keeps the promise of the conceptual voyage (return) 

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. 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.

interventions

2022 copyright material xristo kaouki
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