Popular Games [2010] - Animation, 1′ 30”, shown on a digital frame
An oil-painting named "Popular Games" by greek modern painter Nikolaos Chatzikyriakos-Gkikas has been converted into a digital animated collage.
The painting has been created in 1937, during the dictatorship of Ioannis Metaxas. During this period fascist youth groups were promoted and organised by the state. Cut out of archive pictures, figures of kids participating in such groups have been incorporated in the animation of the painting. In the background, extracted from a greek public television documentary, part of the dictators' speech about these groups can be heard.
The animation has been created, as a site-specific installation, on the occasion of the thematic exhibition "Visit”, curated by Kosmas Nikolaou, which was treating the issue of Greekness as it is expressed in the greek modernism movement. The exhibition was held in the House of Aggelos & Leto Katakouzenos and this piece has been presented in the room which is dedicated to Gkikas, who was a friend of the family.
