Illusion of home, as a memory (Η κουζίνα του μαγαζιού / The kitchen of the restaurant)
2022
Oil on canvas, two tin feta barrels
170 x 220 x 13 cm
“Through the incorporation of semiotic elements and her body of work, “Illusion of home, as a memory,” Nicole Economides explores feelings of nostalgia, home, and the quest for one’s identity while traversing the Atlantic bidirectionally. Her artistic practice sheds light on the intersections of memory, migration, and identity, delving into both personal experiences and cultural signifiers. It presents a nuanced reflection on the impact of economic migration on individual and collective identities, exploring the intricate interplay of language and culture in shaping distinct experiences of belonging. Her paintings serve as a reminder to spectators of both longing and recollection. The presentation unveils Economides’ latest body of work, rooted in photographs her grandmother sent during the late 1960s and early 1970s, which serve as poignant mementos. Three large-scale paintings dominate the space, each a hyper-realistic depiction of a handwritten note on the back of a faded photograph. The effect is uncanny, evoking the memory of an old, square-shaped photo leaning casually against a wall – a tangible relic whispering of times gone by. These paintings, part of a larger series, stand independently but are best viewed together. Each leans against a makeshift stand, revealing more than just a glimpse into the past. Two rest on a collection of weathered tin barrels, once used to store feta cheese and olive oil. This seemingly mundane object becomes a powerful symbol, a nod to the artist's family business – the quintessential Greek restaurant in America. Another canvas leans against an uneven stack of roof tiles and bricks, remnants of a once familiar roof. Now, these fragments represent the upheaval of displacement. They hint at the family's journey across cities, countries, continents. The weight of these tiles, once a symbol of security and shelter, now speaks to the challenges of navigating unfamiliar places – a metaphor for the cultural barriers faced by immigrants. This sense of dislocation is further emphasized by the handwritten notes on the photos themselves. Scrawled in Greek, the messages are indecipherable to those who don't share the language. This mirrors the experience of the Economides family when they arrived in New York - their words, their stories, rendered foreign in a new land.
Illusion of home, as a memory (The kitchen of the restaurant), an emblematic painting from this series, features a note resting against the wall on two tin feta barrels. The note reads, “Here is the kitchen of the restaurant,” referencing family memories of running a restaurant as migrants in the USA.”
Written by Olympia Tzortzi
2022
Oil on canvas, two tin feta barrels
170 x 220 x 13 cm
“Through the incorporation of semiotic elements and her body of work, “Illusion of home, as a memory,” Nicole Economides explores feelings of nostalgia, home, and the quest for one’s identity while traversing the Atlantic bidirectionally. Her artistic practice sheds light on the intersections of memory, migration, and identity, delving into both personal experiences and cultural signifiers. It presents a nuanced reflection on the impact of economic migration on individual and collective identities, exploring the intricate interplay of language and culture in shaping distinct experiences of belonging. Her paintings serve as a reminder to spectators of both longing and recollection. The presentation unveils Economides’ latest body of work, rooted in photographs her grandmother sent during the late 1960s and early 1970s, which serve as poignant mementos. Three large-scale paintings dominate the space, each a hyper-realistic depiction of a handwritten note on the back of a faded photograph. The effect is uncanny, evoking the memory of an old, square-shaped photo leaning casually against a wall – a tangible relic whispering of times gone by. These paintings, part of a larger series, stand independently but are best viewed together. Each leans against a makeshift stand, revealing more than just a glimpse into the past. Two rest on a collection of weathered tin barrels, once used to store feta cheese and olive oil. This seemingly mundane object becomes a powerful symbol, a nod to the artist's family business – the quintessential Greek restaurant in America. Another canvas leans against an uneven stack of roof tiles and bricks, remnants of a once familiar roof. Now, these fragments represent the upheaval of displacement. They hint at the family's journey across cities, countries, continents. The weight of these tiles, once a symbol of security and shelter, now speaks to the challenges of navigating unfamiliar places – a metaphor for the cultural barriers faced by immigrants. This sense of dislocation is further emphasized by the handwritten notes on the photos themselves. Scrawled in Greek, the messages are indecipherable to those who don't share the language. This mirrors the experience of the Economides family when they arrived in New York - their words, their stories, rendered foreign in a new land.
Illusion of home, as a memory (The kitchen of the restaurant), an emblematic painting from this series, features a note resting against the wall on two tin feta barrels. The note reads, “Here is the kitchen of the restaurant,” referencing family memories of running a restaurant as migrants in the USA.”
Written by Olympia Tzortzi
Images © Frank Holbein