{"id":287,"date":"2024-04-26T19:56:37","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T19:56:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/museum-capstone\/?post_type=jetpack-portfolio&p=287"},"modified":"2024-04-26T19:56:38","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T19:56:38","slug":"unraveling-greece-the-intersection-of-contemporary-art-and-clothing","status":"publish","type":"jetpack-portfolio","link":"https:\/\/sites.smith.edu\/museum-capstone\/portfolio\/unraveling-greece-the-intersection-of-contemporary-art-and-clothing\/","title":{"rendered":"Unraveling Greece: The intersection of contemporary art and clothing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Project Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This past summer, I was able to take an art course abroad called \u201cIslomania: Contemporary Art in the Greek Islands\u201d. I noticed that there were a number of examples over the course of my summer class of the ways in which clothing was utilized in contemporary art, particularly to tell a narrative of immigration. Clothing is such a visceral reminder of the presence of people and human touch, and I think that this is why these specific works stuck out to me. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I continued to think about my examples, I realized they all had another thing in common, which was that all of the works I had chosen so far have themes about politics, immigration, displacement, and the effects of these themes on the people who experience these issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My capstone project goal is to create a virtual exhibition featuring contemporary artists who explore themes of migration and displacement, specifically in works that integrate clothing and textiles. I have gathered these four works in a virtual exhibit to draw attention to their similarities about political commentary, as well as their significant differences in theme and methods of display. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Personal introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My summer experience<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While taking my summer course through College Year in Athens, our class visited a huge amount of different venues for exhibiting contemporary art. Among these venues were archaeological museums and monuments, galleries, popup events, gardens, derelict buildings, The National Museum of Contemporary Art, and a street art tour on the island of Crete. Through all of these different venues, I could tell that the Greek contemporary art scene was something special. Although Greek art is so often thought about in the context of its ancient art and the role it has played in shaping culture as we know it, the Greek contemporary scene is really thriving. Athens is a city where you can’t walk five feet without bumping into an outdoor cinema showcasing golden age movies, or into ancient ruins directly next to a shop selling souvenirs. History is steeped in every crack on the sidewalks, and this impacts contemporary art made in Greece in an incredibly unique way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why clothing?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clothing has been on my mind for most of my senior year because of my year long internship at the Historic Northampton museum. When I was reflecting upon my summer experience, I traced the works that were the most impactful and important to me, and art which also echoed the prevalent issues that Greece is struggling with. I realized that although historic clothing and contemporary art seem far apart, some of the most impactful works I saw involved the use of clothing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clothing is a really indicative way to convey human presence. It is a material object that is so personal. Clothing and textiles also vary greatly between countries and between cultures, which makes it a really effective way of communicating themes about displacement and of locality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My central goal?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With this project, I wanted to create a virtual exhibition featuring contemporary artists who explore themes of migration and displacement in works that integrate clothing and textiles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historic Northampton experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

During my senior year at Smith, as a part of my student job, I have spent a lot of my time working with and learning about the clothing collection at the Historic Northampton Museum. One of my tasks is to type while Lynne Zacek Bassett, our clothing expert, verbally describes the clothing collection. Slowly we are working our way through the extensive archives, which contain objects that range from 1960s girl scout uniforms, to modest 1920s bathing suits, and tea gowns from the 1890s. When I started back in September, I knew next to nothing about the technical aspects of clothing. Slowly, I am learning to be able to notice the difference between crochet and bobbin lace, and how to tell if a fabric is made of pure cotton, or if it is blended with wool (moths tend to eat away at the wool, leaving only cotton threads behind). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of my favorite pieces are when clothing was slightly altered to accommodate the needs of the wearer, or when small details give us a peek into the past. Just last week, we were looking at a gown worn at a UMass Military ball in the 1950s. The bodice back was slightly yellowed, which meant that it was very likely that the wearers fiancee was not wearing gloves that evening. The yellowing occurred where a hand would have rested just above her waist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This position, and being around these articles of clothing, many of which were once peoples prized possessions, taught me the intricacies of textiles and clothing and the wealth of information that clothing contains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Street Art<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A huge reason behind the pieces I chose to gather in my exhibition is due to the constant reminder of the political conversation that is taking place on the walls of Athens. There’s an incredibly vast amount of non-traditional art that is being created by street artists, in a setting that is kind of an antithesis to museums. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was really interested in looking at what matters to everyday Greek people through the prolific presence of street art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>
\"\"<\/figure><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A look into the art: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through street art, we are able to see what kinds of topics and issues matter most to everyday people. These are some of the works that I found that particularly resonated with me. A huge array of topics are present in these paintings, which are incredibly political and represent both Greek and international narratives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#1: This painting was one near my apartment that I passed every day. The “YPJ” written on the left stands for Women’s Protection Units, which is an all-female militia involved in the Syrian civil war. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#2: In this second work, we see acknowledgements of Greece\u2019s major role in the formation of art and culture, and the impacts of what industry and progress on top of history itself means. New buildings are being built on top of a female figure that appears to be very statuesque, almost as if she has been crafted out of marble. It creates a contrast between modernity and the past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

#3: A story of immigrant mothers is depicted in this piece. It is a story about asylum seekers, which is a frequent theme that is portrayed on the streets of Athens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asylum seekers in Greece<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On 14 June 2023, while I was living in Athens, a boat smuggling migrants sank in the Ionian Sea off the coast of Greece. It was Italy-bound, and was not built for the vast number of people it was carrying. It was a rusty, aging, overloaded fishing trawler. Its maximum capacity was 400 people, however it was holding between 500 and 750 at the time that it went down. The boat was making its way from Libya to Italy, carrying Egyptian, Syrian, Pakistani, Afghan, and Palestinian passengers. There were only 104 survivors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 1 million migrants have arrived in Europe via the Aegean sea in the 2010\u2019s. 82% of this population arrive in Greece because of its position as an entry point to the rest of Europe. \u201cThe U.N.\u2019s International Organization for Migration has recorded more than 26,000 deaths or disappearances in the Mediterranean since 2014, including over 20,000 along the Central Mediterranean route, making it the world\u2019s deadliest one” (Time Magazine). Propositions have been made to increase the safety of refugees in these international waters, but these have yet to be enacted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The response<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The morning after the Messina migrant boat disaster artists and activists took to the streets of Athens. Every inch of the street I lived on, from the walls of buildings to sidewalks and posts, were covered in graffiti and messages in solidarity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Athenian street art made me really think about the stories we choose to depict and to tell within our museums. The works I chose reflect the kinds of stories that are important right now for the Greek people to be represented, especially within respected cultural institutions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The professor who taught the course I took has done extensive research on Athenian street art. In her words, street art reflects \u201c…the political (under)currents that mandate the average citizen\u2019s stance and attitude\u201d. What we preserve, and how we talk about it, are things that are incredibly important to keep in mind when thinking about art and museums. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Storymap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Textiles and clothing within contemporary art have an interesting dynamic when they are placed together. All four of the works I chose to examine have a few things in common: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • These pieces are all contemporary works that I saw in person over the course of the summer <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • They all are three dimensional sculptures that involve the use of clothing<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • All of them make a commentary on the movement of people <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The city of Athens is tied in in some way; These are site specific pieces<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    I found it really notable that these stories about immigrants were made in the context of Athens, considering Greece\u2019s proximity and position as a country for asylum seekers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Because each work is heavily influenced by both Greece, as well as the creators cultural background, I have provided a map to better visualize where in the world each piece its artist is originally from. The artists birth places or home bases range from Athens Greece, to Houston Texas, to Nairobi Kenya, and Daegu South Korea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n