Commission Series x Paulo Nimer Pjota
fragmented images, fragmented stories
Old slaughterhouse of Chios, Greece
10 July – 10 August 2021
Daily 6-9pm
FREE ENTRANCE
DEO projects presents the first Greek exhibition of the Brazilian artist Paulo Nimer Pjota at the Chios old slaughterhouse as part of the Commission Series Programme. Fragmented images, fragmented stories brings together existing and newly produced works in Chios to open up new systems of thoughts and alternative perspectives of dealing with the past, the forgotten, and the unspoken.
In the current uncertainty and doubt for the future guided by the global pandemic, the ecological catastrophe, and displacement of communities, it is urgent to search for new modes of transnational dialogue, interdependency, and kinship. The project departs from the diverse histories, ecologies and current texture of Chios to dissolve existing colonial, objective, and patriarchal patterns etched in our bodies and minds. The old slaughterhouse acts as an open vessel for the presented works, holding the memories and traits of its former use while initiates conversations for collective healing, recovery, and metamorphosis.
Pjota’s wider practice focuses on ways to produce polyphonic narratives that disrupt the linear and western history production. His large-scale un-stretched canvases are used as platforms where the complexities of his visual vocabulary choreograph subjective stories and deconstruct hierarchies, order, and power. Mythical figures, imaginary symbols, cartoons, and artefacts all come together to create a visual assemblage questioning how collective memories have been constructed and who they represent.
Chios, a floating island in constant flux, shift, and transformation, carries shreds of multicultural references, most of them incorporated in everyday life. From ancient times until today, Chios constitutes a hub for diverse communities and stories that cannot be captured in a single image. The mastic island, the shipping island, the snake’s island, the refugee, the religious, the Homer’s, the fragrant: all of these titles reveal tiles that compile what Chios is and indicate moments of pride, collective traumas, and natural-cultural abundance that Chios holds.
Entering the exhibition space, familiar objects have been transformed into white, blank sculptures, ghosts of the past reflecting the fragmented representation of culture and erasure of histories. The hanged paintings that surround them shape an altar for Derrida’s Aporia- a situation that undermines all fixing parameters of knowledge. As another Plato’s cave, the large-scale paintings are tied up with steel chains that depend on rocks, bringing into conversation the asymmetrical reliance between nature and culture while exploring humanity as a condition rather than species.
In fragmented images, fragmented stories, Paulo Nimer Pjota invites us to be part of a somatic ritual, search for alternative ways of connecting with the past and create links across cultures. Archaeological objects, popular imagery and landscapes, propose physical and etheric constellations of universal moments resisting the cultural amnesia of our times and call us to perform.
Curated by Akis Kokkinos, founder of DEO projects
Commission Series x 2021 is fully funded by the collector and patron Jessica Cinel.
The old slaughterhouse of Chios is a courtesy of the Chios Voluntary Action Team, OMIKRON.
Fragmented images, fragmented stories is organised and produced by DEO projects
Exhibition Opening | 10 July 2021, 7pm
Exhibition Duration | 10 July – 10 August 2021
Opening times | Wed- Sunday, 6 - 9 pm
Exhibition venue | Old slaughterhouse of Chios, Volunteer Park, Chios- Vrontados ring road
Free admission
For the protection of our visitors and our staff, face coverings are required for entry and must be worn at all times. Please maintain social distance and be mindful of your allotted time. For Group visits (over 6 people) please send an email prior to your visit to: bkokkinou@gmail.com
About Commission Series
Commission series support an international artist to develop, produce, and exhibit a new body of work in Chios.
On an annual basis, the Commission series is supported by a dedicated patron who actively participates in all the project stages, enabling diverse practices in the arts ecology to connect and achieve ambitious goals together.
Local museums, non-institutional spaces, or the public realm will become a showcase for the commissioned works allowing audiences to explore polyphonic artistic voices across the globe.
About Chios Voluntary Action Team OMIKRON
Chios Voluntary Action Team OMIKRON organises public events to raise awareness and cultivate citizens’ engagement in forest protection and environmental care. Since 1998, after a devastating fire on the island, the group has been receiving professional training and participates in firefighting on the island. OMIKRON also initiates projects throughout the year, including reforestation, clearing and maintaining forest roads, disposing of flammable substances and litter, among others. In 2009, the group received legal status, and it numbers 85 active members who effectively support and embrace OMIKRON’s mission.
Paulo Nimer Pjota | First invited artist
The starting point of Paulo Nimer Pjota's works is the nature of collectively originated phenomena. His research and practice focus on an in-depth study of a popular iconography that can only develop through complex processes operated by numerous individuals. Therefore, we can think of his production as representing plural and agitated dialogue, with ever-changing interpretations, running through multiple streams of consciousness.
His most recent solo exhibitions include Cenas de Casa, Caixa de Pandora, Ivani e Jorge Yunes Collection, São Paulo (2019); Medley, Mendes Wood DM, São Paulo (2018); The history in repeat mode — image, Mendes Wood DM, Brussels (2017); The history in repeat mode — symbol, Maureen Paley / Morena di Luna, Hove (2017). Additionally, his work has been included in institutional group exhibitions such as Private Passion - New Acquisitions in the Astrup Fearnley Collection, Astrup Fearnley, Oslo (2019); Trouble in Paradise, Kunsthal Rotterdam, Rotterdam (2019); Sea of Desire, Fondation Carmignac, Porquerolles (2018); Going it is own way, KRC Collection, Voorschoten (2018); The Marvellous Cacophony, Biennal of Contemporary Art Belgrade, Serbia (2018); O Triângulo Atlântico, 11a Bienal de Artes Visuais do Mercosul, Porto Alegre (2018); Painting |or| Not, The KaviarFactory, Lofoten (2017); Soft Power, Kunsthal KAdE, Amersfoort (2016); 19o Sesc_Videobrasil, São Paulo (2015); Here There, Qatar Museums – Al Riwaq, Doha (2015); Imagine Brazil, Astrup Feranley Museet, Oslo (2013) / DHC/Art Foundation for Contemporary, Montreal (2015); 12 Biennale de Lyon, Lyon (2013).
Jessica Cinel | Project Patron
Jessica Cinel (b. 1992) is a young Brazilian collector and patron of the arts. Her collection, started in 2016, is structured around notions of borders and limits, and has the counterpart of seeing a world without spheres.
Jessica's vision is to bring fresh approaches and perspectives to collecting and patronage while acting as an incentive for young artists and professionals by providing support and care.
She is currently the director for MuBE, Museum of Sculpture and Ecology in São Paulo, after holding the patrons' committee coordinator position. She is also part of the International circle to the Centre Pompidou in Paris and patron in MASP and Pinacoteca in São Paulo, Brazil.
Chios island, Greece
