dys/utopia
2021
2 digital projections on abandoned billboard in Lixouri, Kefalonia

Which is this exotic utopia and The sun warms my face are the two phrases that were projected on an abandoned billboard in Lixouri Kefalonia, in August 2021, as part of the art residency program Materia Prima, which was organized by Katerina Botsari and backspace.athens. The words ‘exotic’ and ‘utopia’ refer to Greece as a tourist destination which is seen as an escape for the visitor, while simultaneously being a dystopia for many citizens that live and work there. The commercial myth behind Greece, its geographical beauty, hospitality, great food in fact is a mirage and connects to the phenomenology of beauty. The significance of the billboard alludes to advertising but in reality this particular sign cannot be seen from street view, eliminating its usage for commercials. For me it is a space that is not defined, a heterotopic site that lingers between utopia and dystopia.

© Nicole Economides

2023