From the Parasite to the Garden
Kamma’s drawings seem to contain their creation process, escaping a descriptive reading this time.
by Despoina Zeukili
Athinorama, 10-17 May 07
From “Parasitical” exhibitions (Para/site) and curatorials in the garden of her house, till her second solo show today at gazon rouge gallery, Eleni Kamma has a continuous presence in the local visual scene. However, in this exhibition it is the first time that her work unfolds in the space in its entire dynamic, sweeping with it the branches of a three-dimensional, (or better yet, multi-dimensional) universe. Kamma’s drawings here elude a mere descriptive reading, in which they have seemed to be trapped until now, due to their fragmented presentation, often in various architectural or drawing themed exhibitions. Although the exhibition has a stronger thematic core than in previous presentations (garden architecture), Kamma’s work overcomes, more than ever, its representational function, embodying its creation process. More than manuals for the construction of imaginary gardens, these drawings seem like proposals for an alternative way of conception of space and comprehension of reality. Another important element in her work’s conceptual support is the artist book, another hypothesis of work on the concept o fragment, on which the artist systematically works. Furthermore, one of the problems of the previous solo show was that her drawings seemed to need a presentation that would include more of the creation process. Yorgos Tzirtzilaki’s text composes and simultaneously decomposes a “journey” through the work. Among other things, it makes an interesting connection of the work to the environment of the artist, giving meaning to random images and thoughts that many of us have had as we were walking up Green Hill Street to visit her projects.