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A performance art work by Christina Georgiou, based on the poem by Daphne Nikita “The Doll” and with a music composition by Nicolas Melis.

PRESS RELEASE

Saturday, May 11, 2013
Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, Athens
Duration: 40-50 minutes
Performance: Christina Georgiou
Poetry: Daphne Nikita
Music: Nicolas Melis

Description:

“The Doll” refers to a series of performance works in which different arts such as poetry, visual art, performance art and music coexist and sometimes intervene to each other through a live performance. The image, the sound, and the ‘logos’ operate as one entity that prompts the viewer to coexist in the space-time and the multilayered aspects it creates.The performance by Christina Georgiou explores the intersections between the visual and performing arts while using action, music, and poetry. The making of ‘logos’ is performed alongside a live situation, which merges various levels – the aesthetic, the conceptual and the experiential – and unfolds through a physical, visual and acoustic coexistence.The surrealistic images and emotions that unfold through the poem of Daphne Nikita “The Doll”, are incarnated into the live action in a particular way, thereby transforming its space-time and expanding its interpretation. The music by Nicolas Melis is a contemporary musical composition with improvisational elements.”The Doll” was held for the first time at the Centre for Contemporary Art Diatopos in September 2012, with a duration of 20 minutes.

Biographies:

Christina Georgiou was born in Nicosia. She graduated with a Bachelor degree in Fine Art from Kingston University London in 2007 and a Master’s degree in ‘Live Art and Performance Studies’ from the Theatre Academy Helsinki in 2011. She presented her work through exhibitions and performances at international festivals, biennials, galleries, museums and theaters in Cyprus, Greece, UK, Finland, Austria, France, Italy, Germany, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Russia, Mexico and Chile. Her appearances include the 4th International Biennial of Performance DEFORMES in Valdivia, Chile in 2012, the 4th International Biennial of Performance art HORASperdidas in Monterrey, Mexico in 2012, the 3rd Thessaloniki Biennial of Contemporary Art in 2011, the Athens Photo Festival in 2011, the 6th Tina B. Prague Contemporary Art Festival in 2011, the 17th Performance Studies International in Utrecht, The Netherlands in 2011, the 2nd International Moscow Biennial for Young Art in 2010, the Centre of Contemporary Art Diatopos in 2012, and Leo Galleries in Monza, Italy in 2012, among others. She has received a ‘Special Prize’ for her performance work ‘Eternal Return’ and she was selected as a finalist artist in the 6th International Competition ‘Arte Laguna’ in Venice in 2012. Christina Georgiou is the founding director and curator of the Cyprus International Performance Art Festival (CIPAF).

Nicolas Melis was born in Larnaca. At the age of 16 he receives the Piano Soloist Diploma (summa cum laude) from the Lykeio Ellinidon Amohostou in Larnaca. He studied Piano Performance (BA & MA) with professor Markus Tomas at the University of Music and Theatre «Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy» in Leipzig, Germany and Contemporary Improvisation with professors Janosch Wozniak, Tilo Augsten and Peter Jarschow. He represented Cyprus at the international music festival «Steinway for young pianists» in Hamburg, Germany in 1999. He has won numerous awards in national and international level, including a «Grand Prix», the 1st Prize at the international piano competition for young musicians of HON in Athens and a «Special Prize» in the first international piano competition E.P.T.A. in Zagreb, Croatia. He was a soloist in concerts performed in England, Germany, Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, Bulgaria and Finland. Since 2011 he has been collaborating with the performance artist Christina Georgiou for the realization of performances and other interdisciplinary projects that merge performance art and music through music performance and composition.

Daphne Nikita was born in Nicosia. She studied Art History at the University of Kent at Canterbury (BA with honors) and Goldsmiths’ College, University of London (MA). Since March 2001 she directs the Centre of Contemporary Art Diatopos. She has published three poetry collections. Her poems have been published in various literary journals and anthologies. She is a regular collaborator of the online magazine for poetry and essay e-poema (www.e-poema.eu). In 2009 she was invited and took part in the action “Making Words”, which was part of the 53rd Venice Biennale of Art. In September 2009 the project “Making Words” (with diversified actions), was invited and presented at the International Thessaloniki Biennale in 2009. Daphne Nikita is the producer and presenter of a weekly cultural program at ‘Proto Programma’ of CyBC