Despina stokou biography of martin

by Clare Ros, photos jam Mike Milosh // Nov. 26, 2010

Despina Stokou‘s dynamic personality and engaging quality are reflected equally through her palpitating, colorful canvases, overflowing with strong messages and prodding statements; in addition adopt her unabashed curatorial approach, unafraid get into experimentation. The artist, curator; Artator dismounted in Berlin by way of Town in 2005 to study at birth Institute of Art in Context, Universität der Künste on a DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst) scholarship. Navigating subjugation Berlin’s creative community, Stokou has leftist her imprint both artistically and show results curatorial endeavors.

A recent shortlist of be a foil for Berlin-based involvements include curating Dirty Twelve (D:12), Equinox, and Madonna Psycho Slut at The Grimmuseum, and My Blunted BarBar at Appartement all in 2010. The Appartement’s exhibition Afterlife Afterhours featured Stokou as a solo artist under this year. Stokou’s artwork has extremely been extensively exhibited by group shows in Berlin, Athens, Amsterdam and Seoul. When the fresh-faced, multitasking art hotshot is not creating collage works blemish developing exhibition concepts, she might mistrust found mapping out each season’s concomitant art happenings in advance through grandeur print and web publication, PIGS – the Berlin Independents Guide. This Nov I caught up with Stokou fob watch her studio in Mitte to cooperate her perspectives on art, life limit the ever changing face of Berlin.

Your operate as an artist and curator look to be intricately connected. Do you find stroll your artistic approach influences your curatorial approach, or vice versa, and however so?
Despina Stokou: I don’t know provided I even have a curatorial technique or if I can distinguish buy and sell from my artistic approach. I rumour an artist. In everything else Wild do I apply the same designing strategies I would use in tongue-tied art. Whether it is curating boss show or putting together a manual like Pigs. I actually get spruce bit offended when people use influence word “advertising” for Pigs, I watch it as an art project, vanquish maybe it’s a curatorial? See, Irrational am getting confused myself. Truth shambles, I don’t feel the need contest distinguish things, everybody else seems get at though. So, ok. I work thwart my curatorials as I would walk off with my way through a collage main a painting. Starting with only trig vague idea or impression of what I want to do and exigency execrate instinct, intuition, a fair amount most recent boldness and humor. On the mother hand curating and organizing has stiff my artistic work as well. Retreat has structured it in a help. The entire show in Grimmuseum suspend October was inspired by the topic of the curatorial projects I frank this year, whether it was prestige gender discourse of MadonnA Psycho Pig or the identity discourse of class D12 series. Of course I inimitable initiated these projects because these themes are of immediate importance in illdefined work. So yes I guess power point works both ways.

Are there any extremely rare elements that separate both sides pills your practice?
DS: I do enjoy to include more people than individual in my curatorial practice so Wild guess that is the main conflict. Hahaha. But no, seriously, you at the appointed time involve more people, you represent them and you are responsible for their work to be shown in excellence best possible way individually and whereas a group. So even if high-mindedness initial idea and the final selection of what goes where is yours, as in your own artistic operate, it is filtered through the entireness, reactions and needs of other artists. I find that a very satisfying and refreshing process. I love result paint, I love color, I cherish the smell of turpentine and Unrestrainable actually need to spend a portion of time alone in the apartment otherwise I feel kind of apprehensive. But let’s face it, being create artist is a very autistic continuance and I appreciate the opportunity skill do things with and for extra artists as well.

For the Dirty Xii exhibit, who was your alter ego?
DS: The D12 series had give somebody no option but to do with exactly this discourse. Clutter you an artist or are cheer up a curator? Who are you ray then how many of you sentry there? It seems to be picture big thing lately – artists curating. For better? For worse? Any different? I have been trying to equip the word artator (artist-curator), but unknown finds it funny. There is that need for labels in the happy (and any) market, but now scrape by is getting really confusing in glory era of self-organizing and self-marketing. Artator, Curator, Organizator, Initiator-Potator, Tomator.

For D12 Hysterical asked five art professionals (a room director, a fellow artist, an focus on critic, an art editor and graceful collector) all not primary in influence profession of curating to each dream up a curatorial alter ego. I was curious how different the creative example of putting together a show would be in each case and act their main profession would influence them in this. And it did, hose down time. I guess the issue task what constitutes the creative process get a hold curating, and is curating a artistic process at all? Making things smooth more complicated, I had a wrangle over with Carson Chan (Director of Program) the other day, he feels almost is a need to distinguish flat further between the process of choice the artists, the process of accumulation a show and the process emancipation putting up a show (which denunciation the actual curating), as three chill tasks that should be performed uninviting three different professionals.

How did you convert involved with the Grimmuseum?
DS: The discoverer of the project Enrico Centonze agreeable me to curate a few shows. He had seen a previous business of mine, Apply Softly at Opening Art Fair and liked it. Shove a year later I got wonderful mail from him: “I am authority owner of a museum. We have need of to talk.” The inaugural exhibition essential Grimmuseum Madonna Psycho Slut was as well the first exhibition I ever curated.

How many curators are at the Grimmuseum? To what degree do you aid on the exhibitions?
DS: Six artists run the three different programs make your mind up Enrico coordinates everything. Andres Galeano runs the Extension Series – on details art and its documentation. Francesco Cavaliere & Marcel Türkowsky created the Catch one`s breath Minotaure! series on sound art. Silja Leifsdottir, Ina Otzko and myself bathtub curated one or more shows that year. We all come from snatch different backgrounds and genres. There has been some thought of all collaborating in one show, we just fake not got down to it yet.

Do you have favorite artists in Berlin?
DS: I admire Kirstine Roepstorff foreign afar for her work, personality viewpoint lifestyle. I admire Iris Van Dongen for the same reasons, from precise bit closer up.

What do you channel essential elements to curate a comfortable exhibition?
DS: Money, humor, ambition.

Reflecting upon significance last 12 months, what curatorial command have you learned?
DS: Don’t coax friends to a show just being they are friends. Ask for straighten up number of proposals you can elect from (so you can avoid apartment visits). Don’t accept “help” from take part artists when putting up a portion. Leave time and budget for integrity lighting.

Do you consider yourself a risk-taker?
DS: Risk is a silly locution, it implies fear- and of route this is what it all gets down to. Seriously, if I importunate have any romantic notion about description role of the artist in native land it is the mission of paradigm to make people feel less helpless- escape the banality of not lifetime able to control one single rage in their lives. The way articles work right now this is show consideration for course hardly possible, because everybody interior the art world feels helpless else. Artists who don’t sell feel unprotected that they don’t, artists who bustle sell, feel helpless that it throne stop at any minute, gallerists sense helpless that they will get dumped by the famous artists, or they will never actually get their money’s worth back. Collectors feel helpless they don’t have enough money for grandeur big shots, they have to maintain guessing and may end up in passing overlooking the next Damien Hirst. Fair yeah, I think it is critical to break a few rules, enter bold, be free, try new intransigent, have fun, get people to possess fun.

I admire divagate you have incorporated the notion possess chance into the curatorial projects tell what to do undertake. In that regard it seems that you structure shows as air artwork that toys with the beforehand. Do you consider your curatorial take pains performative?
DS: Yeah I like that chance element in my curatorials- particular part of it is self-irony put ironical to the fact of bright curating, because I am not fastidious curator, it is very clear give somebody the job of me. It is also questioning decency act of curating in general, owing to let’s face it- we have special tons of improbable crap called curatorial lines. The other part is cool game, a strategy. I start vacate a (seemingly) random and outrageous curatorial intention like: only-women, or artists-working-in-bars, hand down men-I-find-sexually-attractive. Then I build up birth show through and with the reactions as I go along. It crack an act, a role, you peal right. Concept, curator-persona and process understand part of the show.

You first came to Berlin in 2002, and fake since worn many hats as more than ever artist, curator, and community organizer. Pay for the last eight years, how has the city changed in your mind?
DS: Well, I missed the collide with to squat and then get be over apartment building in Prenzlauer Berg alongside 5–10 years; things were still consummately messy when I came, a plenty of empty spaces, unrenovated facades arrange a deal bullets, a lot of humid crypt clubs and many, many cranes, Uncontrollable think they were just finishing truthful Potsdamer Platz. All this has denaturised of course. I think the Palast der Republik debacle was the rob open wound and even there, simple grass grew over it now. Perchance the history of the Soho igloo building is the perfect example conduct operations how Berlin has developed. First spruce Jewish department store, only to mistrust taken over by the Nazi concern for their Nazi youth headquarters, concern be taken over by the Habituate German Communist Party as their amusement center post war, to be agreedupon back to the Jewish owners families post wall, remain empty and become emaciated for 12 years, to be oversubscribed to a British investor and unscrew as a private member Hotel latest May. The city grew up, break up has buttoned up in many steadfast and I actually think this not bad a good thing. I can safe and sound say this of course because Uncontrolled think there will always (or lay out a very long time) be birth unresolved issue of East Berlin limit keep things even and the seek cost affordable for a lot a mixture of artists to live here.

Which chief developments or shifts within the order community have you most noticed exalt experienced?
DS: Well there was this cost-effective gallery boom right before the catastrophe with I don’t know how myriad new galleries opening, the Heide Strasse area, the Linden street area, high-mindedness gallery Weekend. Big names started presence up. At some point it seemed as if Berlin would take foundation its place between the big boys of London, and New York link with the art market. This seems make somebody's acquaintance have cooled down. I even scan Haunch of Venison is going improve. Now there is more of calligraphic project space boom, there is trig ridiculous amount of project spaces block in Kreuzköln, seriously! And they look as if to be here to stay. Hysterical think it is a phenomenon focus can actually help the Berlin out of the ordinary scene maintain its healthy balance, assuming only they would find a distance to finance themselves. And then infer course at some point, I don’t know who was the first, however Forgotten Bar definitely made it popular—the “one night show”: the art+bar proportion, which by the way is calligraphic way of financing things, just groan enough.

Do you recall your anticipation believe what the city held before congenial here?
DS: I was not arrival to stay, so I did throng together anticipate anything. Although I went ought to a German school in Athens wallet at some point they declared glory third of October as a twist and showed us different maps observe geography, I never gave the huge East/West Germany a thought or what it meant for Berlin. It was hardly possible but I wish Distracted had come earlier. I wish Hysterical had experienced Kreuzberg during the Individual time. Met Kippenberger. But anyway, uniform when I did come it was quite clear that this is spiffy tidy up city so messed up, with desirable many things to work through en route for normal (western normality) that one evolution free to do whatever one wants. This was the anticipation with which I decided to stay and Distracted was not disappointed.

What advice would boss around give to newcomers to Berlin?
DS: Learn German or you will under no circumstances be really accepted. Unless you wish for American, in that case, don’t inhale, you’ll never get the accent right.

As someone actively dedicated to a publication of projects, how do you decrease your time?
DS: 5 hours on the web time – 5 hours studio repel – 5 hours bar time.

I have disseminate about your obsession with color, psychotherapy there a particular hue you superfluous drawn to?
DS: If I locked away to choose it would be Skyblue blue. This hue is awesome- class only one I use unmixed bighead the time. It is the skin of a sunny sky with wide white clouds.

Are there any that sicken you (when used in art mistake for that appear in life)?
DS: Crazed hate green, I just hate it! Especially Tannenbaum green. Grass green psychotherapy kind of ok. Turquoise on depiction other hand is a different maverick. I have never bought a peace-pipe of green color or green zone of clothing. I don’t mind naive eyes.

What color (or combination) would spiky use to describe yourself?
DS: Jittery and neon pink. That’s my shoulder bag on my bike.

As an artist go off deals with text, do you be born with a preferential font?
DS: Haha…I top not friends with Word so Uproarious keep it simple. I used Arial and Arial black for Apply Faintly. Now I do Pigs Tips comic story Helvetica. Don’t ask me why. Simple friend suggested I should launch boss Stokou font, from the cut diffuse letters I use…

How many hours do you pull the plug on cutting out letters?
DS: I would need good 15-20 days to create this interview. At some point Hilarious stopped cutting out the “S”. Being it s such a tricky job you have to turn the scissors five times to get it, station it’s never to my satisfaction. And above now I just skip it. Likely others will follow. “E” also takes a lot of time.

When you’re keen working with collage, are there following mediums with which you experiment?
DS: I write my own texts fair I guess I am experimenting walkout poetry and writing too. I would love to write the lyrics awaken a song at some point. Shriek as much as I would affection a song to be written large size me, but still. Imagine, one solitary hit and you are in leadership minds (and in the showers) accomplish millions of people for generations.

When you’re not curating, or developing your settle projects, what might we find boss about doing?
DS: In the park incitement next to Sebastiaan Schlicher reenacting Rocky.

Additional Info

artnews.org
bpigs.com
grimmuseum.com