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Theodora Kotsi-Felici

sociaal-maatschappelijk , publieke ruimte , performance , mens , Conceptueel , Community , Artistiek onderzoek

Mijn praktijk concentreert zich op locatiespecifieke installaties waarin de relatie tussen ruimte, macht en ervaring centraal staat. Ik ontwikkel omgevingen die functioneren als tijdelijke interventies: plekken waar structurele veranderingen — zichtbaar of onzichtbaar — bevraagd kunnen worden. Het gaat mij niet alleen om wat een ruimte is, maar om wat zij mogelijk maakt en uitsluit.

De publieke ruimte vormt daarbij een essentieel werkveld. Zij wordt vaak verondersteld democratisch te zijn, maar mijn werk onderzoekt hoe deze democratische belofte zich in de praktijk manifesteert — of juist niet. Openbare ruimtes zijn dynamische constellaties van belangen, lichamen en verhalen. In deze context wordt de wisselwerking tussen kunst en maatschappij het meest voelbaar: een werk beïnvloedt zijn omgeving, maar wordt tegelijkertijd gevormd door sociale, politieke en ecologische krachten.

Vanuit mijn interesse in maatschappelijke vraagstukken en natuur werk ik interdisciplinair. In de kruising tussen kunst, wetenschap, architectuur en geluidskunst ontstaat voor mij een veld van onderzoek waarin kennisvormen elkaar uitdagen en aanvullen. Deze uitwisseling stelt mij in staat perspectieven te verschuiven en complexe thema’s ruimtelijk en zintuiglijk te vertalen.

Mijn huidige werk onderzoekt trauma, niet alleen als individuele ervaring, maar als maatschappelijk en systemisch fenomeen, en bevraagt hoe dit zich inschrijft in onze collectieve ruimte.

The Circle
The Circle - The Circle The Circle is een experimentele film die de vicieuze cirkel van trauma en hertraumatisering onderzoekt. Vanuit een persoonlijke en lichamelijke benadering onderzoekt de film hoe trauma niet alleen voortleeft in het individu, maar ook kan worden versterkt door de systemen en structuren die geacht worden bescherming, herstel en rechtvaardigheid te bieden. De film brengt een wereld in beeld waarin psychologische hulp, juridische procedures en maatschappelijke instituties niet altijd leiden tot herstel. Wanneer processen langdurig, afstandelijk of onvoldoende afgestemd zijn op de behoeften van iemand met trauma, kunnen zij juist bijdragen aan gevoelens van machteloosheid, isolatie en hertraumatisering. Door performance, beeld, geluid en lichamelijke aanwezigheid te verweven, maakt The Circle de innerlijke ervaring van trauma voelbaar. De film stelt daarbij vragen over verantwoordelijkheid: waar eindigt de verantwoordelijkheid van het individu en waar begint die van de samenleving en haar instituties? Wat is er nodig om werkelijk ruimte te creëren voor herstel? De cirkel verwijst niet alleen naar de herhaling van trauma, maar ook naar de mogelijkheid om deze cyclus te doorbreken. Daarmee beweegt het werk tussen kwetsbaarheid en veerkracht, tussen gevangenschap en vrijheid, en tussen herinnering en de mogelijkheid van een nieuwe toekomst. The Circle kan worden vertoond binnen artistieke en maatschappelijke programma’s, festivals, tentoonstellingen, lezingen en bijeenkomsten rond trauma, geweld, herstel en systemische verantwoordelijkheid. Een vertoning kan desgewenst worden aangevuld met een nagesprek, artist talk of lezing over trauma-geïnformeerde zorg en de rol van maatschappelijke en institutionele systemen. Concept / Scenario / Performance / Montage: Theodora Kotsi-Felici Regie / Camera / Geluid: Bafl Sarhang / YadMedia Meer informatie: Ilysia Foundation Theodora Kotsi-Felici – The Circle
Contaminated
Contaminated - Contaminated is een theaterstuk over het systematische geweld tegen vrouwen. Het is een confronterende voorstelling die niet alleen de onaangename realiteit van chronisch geweld tegen vrouwen en de langdurige gevolgen van trauma's behandelt, maar ook de rol van de samenleving daarin. In deze poëtische solovoorstelling legt kunstenaar Theodora Kotsi-Felici trauma's van A tot Z uit. Door haar eigen ervaringen te combineren met haar langdurige onderzoek weet Kotsi-Felici trauma en hertraumatisering serieus te behandelen, maar ook met de nodige speelsheid en lichtheid en met het oog op oplossingen. Ze doet dit door een combinatie van dans, poëzie, schaduwtheater en het Cyr-Wheel, een speels element uit het circus. Dit project is gerealiseerd met hulp van CBK Rotterdam, de gemeente Rotterdam, Cultuurfonds (NL), Formaat Rotterdam, De Nieuwe GGZ (NL), European Anti-Violence Network, EAVN ( GR), non-profitorganisatie Os Edo (GR) en de Nederlandse ambassade in Griekenland.
Panorama of Cacotypes - Panorama of Cacotypes is based on the artist's personal experience and research on systemic inequality in Greece. The installation raises questions about the credibility of the legal system in relation to the effects of sexual abuse and can be seen as a protest against the current law on sexual offenses and the lack of regulations regarding the handling of formal complaints. The photographs have been created using the photographic technique of Calotype that was invented in 1939 by William Fox Talbot. The Calotype method was the first in which printing on paper came from creating a negative after exposure to light for a very long time. The installation may shock or even cause discomfort, but it captures a dark side of reality and refers to the traumatic narratives recorded on the body. Some passages may have faded from memory, but the body does not forget. For more information about the project see: https://www.theodorakotsifelici.com/panorama-cacotypes-1
IJssel Alga Lab - “IJssel Alga Lab” is a laboratory-like setup where I grow algae from the water of the IJssel river. This project was developed for the IJssel-Biennale 2021. The algae growth takes place in a complex pipe system, whose form is based on the shape of a perch, a fish that is common in the IJssel. Like all plants, algae convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water into carbohydrates and oxygen through photosynthesis using sunlight. The light is 'captured' with the help of pigments, of which green chlorophyll is the most known. That is why water with a lot of algae turns green. For the process of photosynthesis, the algae need, among other things, carbon dioxide (CO2) and nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate. The installation itself collects CO2 from the air, but as a visitor you can also donate your own CO2 (by inflating a balloon) which is collected in the harvesting cabine. The algae are harvested twice a month. After each harvest, the system is refilled with IJssel water. The end-product of this nursery is fertilizer with which plants can be fed. If you donate CO2, you can take this in exchange, to thank you. With this installation I want to make visitors aware of a necessary ecological cycle, in which sunlight and the greenhouse gas CO2 are converted into plant food and oxygen. Although algae technology by itself cannot solve the climate problem, this art project is a “suggestion for a balanced relationship between people and the environment.” IJssel Alga lab is technically supported by Wageningen University & Research. Special Thanks to operational manager Rick Wieggers and Professor Maria Barbarosa and to IJssel-Biennale.
Social Interactions Beyond Consciousness Lab & Collective Loom Project - Associate Professor Valeria Gazzola and I developed the on going research project “Social Interactions Beyond Consciousness Lab”. It concerns a series of experiments in which we investigated the effect of “social distancing” on the movement and empathy of people. The aim of the project is to demonstrate how visible and invisible phenomena can influence group dynamics. As an extension of this research project, I developed “The Collective Loom Project” in which the data from the experiments above are processed. The project consists of a loom in which 4 to 8 people can simultaneously weave on the loom; the weavers will gradually influence the appearance of the fabric. With this I refer to the complexity of human behavioral patterns and how people become interwoven in each other's processes. This project was also inspired by C. Keysers research on empathy: whenever we learn something new the empathic mechanism is activated in our brain. This is explained Hebb’s plasticity theory in which he demonstrated how the extreme plasticity of our brain enables our neural circuits to adapt to constant changing environments. This interdisciplinary experimental collaboration suggests “a new value” that originates from a new culture collaboration of the artist and scientists involved and the audiences who engage with the work. In particular, it highlights the emergence of a “new space” at the intersection of art and science in the public or semi-public domain. Both artist and scientists are focusing on different approaches that would contribute to this experimental study. Follow us on Facebook:https: https://www.facebook.com/Social-Interactions-Beyond-Consciousness-101988988309383/
L’ Odeur de la Frontière
L’ Odeur de la Frontière - L’ Odeur de la Frontière For the 39th edition of Watou Art Festival I made an installation in which the visitors could experience my new project L’ Odeur de la Frontière consisting of two different perfumes one toxic and the other non-toxic. The starting point for this work was the borderland between Belgium and France; the landscapes and old spoken dialects formed my source of inspiration. I collected the flowers from different locations around the borderland; half of them were toxic. The fragrances I created function in the installation as a metaphor for the search of old memories that are pent-up in this area. Beside the fragrances, I made a series of pigments extracted from the flowers, which I used for painting.
The Sound of Smell - For this performative work I played music based on the scent of plants. The performance took place at art initiative Extrapool (Nijmegen/NL) during Cellulose Congres #5. Accompanied by double bass player Alessio Bruno and pianist Yiannis Karygiannis, we translated a series of GC (gas chromatography) graphics into sounds. For the needs of this project, I also developed a series of new aromas. The GC graphics of the essential oils were produced at the laboratory of Avans Hogeschool in den Bosch. This project was made possible with the help of lecturer Paula Contreras Carballada and studens of Avans Hogeschool. Photo by Sandra Zrnic
The Ulster Garden Project - 436 Potatoe batteries lighting Peace, an exchange between Derry and Dublin. In 2016 and 2017 I visited Dublin, Belfast and Derry to research on the Northern Irish conflict in the hope to gain more understanding on conflicts and set up a series of works in different conflict areas. In forming a working relationship with an autonomous organisation like Learmount Community Development Centre at Park Village in Co’Derry that had a former existence as a Plantation or its connections to Lord Beresford and Dublin. The first public installation of the Ulster Garden Project powered by potatoes grown in Dublin and Co’Derry does not emphasise ethnicity or differences but refocus on collectivity without the burden of historical explanations but the potential of transformation. I sought to build a transformative, storytelling narrative that reflects on Irish history as inspiration and similarly signals the reality of what PEACE is. It is a time-consuming process of preparing the right ground, cultivating the right seeds, relying on the generosity of people and trusting the outcome.
Solidus - The sculpture that is placed in Elefsina’s public space focuses on the universal values and essence of solidarity. The installation is gradually realized with the active participation of the citizens and social groups under the guidance of the artist. It could also function as a representational tool of solidarity and become the field of criticism of the contemporary economical, political and social reality. The title of this work (Solidus) derives from one of the first golden coins the Roman Empire created, which was the tangible result of the monetary reformations that followed the financial crisis of the Empire in the 3rd century A.C. Solidus in Latin means solid and stability. This word and the emblematic concept lent — not coincidentally — the name to the official Roman coin Solidus that was used as a medium of exchange of diverse transnational activities of public and private transactions.The chosen materials refer to the industrial history of the city. This symbolical sculptural work embodies poetically the social dimension of cooperation that eventually activates solidarity. Goethe says: «It is not always necessary to embody the true; is already enough, when it wanders spiritually and causes harmony; When it is fluttering in the sky as the sound of a bell: with seriousness and friendliness».
Parfumatorium - According to an old grower, the smell of flowers was strongly present throughout the old horticultural village of Lent. In this project I tried to bring the essence of the recent transformation of Lent, from an horticultural village to a suburb of Nijmegen, in an artistic metaphor by collecting flowers from the gardens of local inhabitants and using them to make perfumes. In total I produced 50 different herbal and flower fragrances that were used to compose 16 perfumes. The flowers were collected from 16 different locations in Lent/Nijmegen where horticultural companies used to be. The title of the work Parfumatorium derives from the Latin perfumare, meaning "to smoke through" and 'observatorium'. The sculpture serves as a place for contemplation (for the end of the horticultural tradition) and observation. The form of the sculpture also serves as a window to observe the landscape behind which will be reshaped in the following years.
De Nieuwe Warmoezenier - When you know the history of a place only then you can understand what it stands for and how its identity is formed. Together with the inhabitants of the village Lent (The Netherlands) and the former horticulturalists I planted "Genista" flowers outside the old 'Genista' nursery (built in the 60's) in Lent. The shape of the Land Art sculpture refers to the architecture of the greenhouses. This project is a continuation of the New Grower's project(Part1) and has been given the name "De Nieuwe Warmoezenier"(The New Grower) referring directly to the past. This old-fashion term was used in the beginning of the previous century and means in dutch "grower". This project is realised with the help of Mondriaan Fund, Prins Bernhard cultural Fund, Municipality of Nijmegen, Gem Waalsprong, Plant je vlag, Marco Felici and a lot of locals and good friends.

Participation group exhibition "VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN"

Datum:
Locatie: BAUMSTRASSE STUDIO
In samenwerking met: NGO European Net against Violence

The Greek NGO European Net against Violence is organizing an exhibition agains the female violence in Greece, in collaboration and studio Baumstrasse, a multi-arts venue hosting a diverse range of art and artistic expression, located in the heart of Athens, in Votanikos. It is also home to the ‘Dromos me Dentra’ theatrical group.

https://menowmetoo.gr/

https://www.niffo.nl/

Datum:
Locatie: Niffo Galery
In samenwerking met: Niffo Galery

Wanhoop, depressies, verlangens, eenzaamheid zijn deel van ons leven en ze leiden tot een crisis. In een crisis verkeren is nog steeds een taboe.

Het is tijd om dat te verbreken met behulp van kunst

https://www.niffo.nl/tentoonstelling/crisis-kunst-1/

Residency @ The Eight

Datum:
Locatie: The Eight
In samenwerking met: he Eight

Research on systemic inequality in Greece, and Performance

https://8athens.wordpress.com/

Wild Summer of Art

Datum:
Locatie: Brutus
In samenwerking met: Brutus, Piet de Jond, Jessy Koeiman , Liesbeth Bik

Van 1 juli t/m 4 september 2022 vindt de eerste editie van Wild Summer of Art plaats. Oftewel een enorme expositie met geselecteerd jong talent en gevestigde namen met nieuw werk van in totaal 180 kunstenaars. Wild Summer of Art biedt een overzicht over de stand van nu. Bezoekers kunnen de geëxposeerde werken ook kopen, rechtstreeks van de kunstenaar.

Alga Lab

Datum:
Locatie: Verbeke Foundation
In samenwerking met: Verbeke Foundation

Work is installed permanently at Verbeke Foundation

https://ijsselbiennale.nl/en/

Panorama of Cacotypes

Datum:
Locatie: Pavijoen aan het water
In samenwerking met: Pavijoen aan het water

Panorama of Cacotypes is based on the artist's personal experience and research on systemic inequality in Greece. The installation raises questions about the credibility of the legal system in relation to the effects of sexual abuse and can be seen as a protest against the current law on sexual offenses and the lack of regulations regarding the handling of formal complaints.
The photographs have been created using the photographic technique of Calotype that was invented in 1939 by William Fox.

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