Performance
Asimis Alexiou
Asimis Alexiou is a multidisciplinary Greek artist based between London and Athens. He studied Visual Arts at the Athens School of Fine Arts as well as acting at the Athens Conservatory Drama School. In 2018 he was awarded a scholarship by Leverhulme Trust and NEON Organisation for Culture and Development. His work has been exhibited in London, Paris,Boudapest, Geneva, Lyon, Athens and Delphi. In 20215 his video performance ‘Don’t speak, eat’ (a project about children’s rights) received an honorary distinction from Unicef.
Paramnesia
*( The photo depicts me and my mother )
Paramnesia or a false memory is a psychological phenomenon where a person recalls something that did not happen or happened differently from the way it actually happened. False memory is an important part of psychological research because of its links to many mental disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
A history of trauma is relevant to the issue of false memory. It has been proposed that people with a trauma history or trauma symptoms may be particularly vulnerable to memory deficits, including source-monitoring failures.
As I was recollecting my childhood, I realized that there was no picture of my mother and I (due to the fact that my parents divorced a little after my birth). The absence of my mother defined and contributed to the development of my character.
The oral stage (1st year): it is the source of great pleasure, nursing. This is the stage of the greatest dependence, the child is passive and receptive. Psychologists say that fixation at this stage makes a person develop narcissistic characteristics. The other people are identified only by what they can provide. There are excessive demands which are expressed sometimes with modesty and other times imploringly or aggressively.
Through this work, I attempt to represent a missing piece of infancy,
and maybe the most important: Nursing.
An image which includes hundreds of others, but never existed, emerges the conscious and defines the existence.
An attempt to restore a relationship between mother and child through photo imaging of an action which never actually occurred. And eventually, an attempt to compose a self, who seeks to break the narcissistic shackles, to love and to be loved, to be freed from an ego which rules and leads the person to loneliness.
The photo imaging validates a fact which has been constructed in my fantasy in order to be able to exist.
Paramnesia or a false memory is a psychological phenomenon where a person recalls something that did not happen or happened differently from the way it actually happened. False memory is an important part of psychological research because of its links to many mental disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder.
A history of trauma is relevant to the issue of false memory. It has been proposed that people with a trauma history or trauma symptoms may be particularly vulnerable to memory deficits, including source-monitoring failures.
As I was recollecting my childhood, I realized that there was no picture of my mother and I (due to the fact that my parents divorced a little after my birth). The absence of my mother defined and contributed to the development of my character.
The oral stage (1st year): it is the source of great pleasure, nursing. This is the stage of the greatest dependence, the child is passive and receptive. Psychologists say that fixation at this stage makes a person develop narcissistic characteristics. The other people are identified only by what they can provide. There are excessive demands which are expressed sometimes with modesty and other times imploringly or aggressively.
Through this work, I attempt to represent a missing piece of infancy,
and maybe the most important: Nursing.
An image which includes hundreds of others, but never existed, emerges the conscious and defines the existence.
An attempt to restore a relationship between mother and child through photo imaging of an action which never actually occurred. And eventually, an attempt to compose a self, who seeks to break the narcissistic shackles, to love and to be loved, to be freed from an ego which rules and leads the person to loneliness.
The photo imaging validates a fact which has been constructed in my fantasy in order to be able to exist.
THE RED CATTLE OF GERYON — Geryon was a giant with three heads and six hands, living in an island at the western end of Oceanus. He possessed a renowned herd of beautiful red oxen. The herd was guarded by a loyal herdsman and his fearsome dog, Orthrus, which had two heads. Hercules had to steal the beautiful oxen. After many struggles, including fighting against the waves in order to reach the island, he killed the dog and the herdsman. Nevertheless, he could not tackle Geryon in close battle. He left his club and used his poisonous arrows. Thus, he eliminated Geryon, taking the cattle away.
THE ERYMANTHIAN BOAR — In Erymanthos lived a frightening boar, which would destroy the seeds and bring a tragic end to whomever would try to kill it. Eurystheus asked Hercules to bring it to him alive. Hercules hunted the bore, driving it to the frozen mountain tops. The animal became tired from the hunt and he immobilized it using a noose to tie it from its feet.
HIPPOLYTE'S GIRDLE — Admete, the daughter of Eurystheus, asked for the girdle of Hippolyte, queen of the Amazons, so Eurytheus ordered Hercules to fulfill the wish of his daughter. Warlike Amazons lived in the region of Pontus. When Hercules arrived at the area, he met with Hippolyte and asked her for the girdle, so as not to be forced to fight against such proud and brave women. Hippolyte agreed, but opposition rose among the rest of the Amazons, incited by none other than goddess Hera in disguise. In the ensuing battle, Hippolyte was killed, the Amazons retreated and Hercules earned the girdle.
CERBERUS, GUARDIAN OF HADES — In the entrance to the underworld was Cerberus, a monstrous dog with three heads and a serpent for a tail, guarding the gates of Hades. He would not bother those entering, but would devour anyone who tried to exit. Eurystheus asked Hercules to capture Cerberus and bring it to him alive. He therefore went to cape Tainaron and found the entrance to Hades and Cerberus. With the encouragement of goddess Persephone, Pluto agreed to let Hercules seize Cerberus, but only if he could overcome the beast. After fighting Cerberus, the hero managed to do so.
THE NEMEAN LION — This wild lion would devour animals and humans at Nemea. Hercules found it in its cave, which had two exits. He blocked the one and attacked through the other. Fighting with his bare hands, without a club, he eventually managed to strangle it. Then he skinned it and wore its coat.
THE HUMAN-EATING MARES OF DIOMEDES — Hercules was ordered to capture the four human-eating mares of king Diomedes of Thrace, son of god Ares. Diomedes was a cruel person and would feed any stranger to the mares. Hercules brought along his friend Abderus, and after a few attempts, he managed to capture the horses. Being certain of his success, he left Abderus in charge of leading the animals to Eurystheus, but Abderus did not possess Hercules' abilities and therefore the mares killed him in a rampage. Hercules had to chase the horses for another time and he captured and tamed them, as he fed Diomedes to them, having him devoured.
THE GOLDEN APPLES OF HESPERIDES — Hesperides were nymphs living in the garden of the gods who ordered them to guard the golden apples growing there, donated by Gaia as a wedding gift to Hera and Zeus. Along those nymphs of the evening, the garden was watched over by the terrible dragon Ladon, as well as by Atlas, who held up the sky. This garden of the gods lied in the farthest western frontiers of the earth, where the sky and the earth met each other in an island. This was his longest-lasting labour. It took a year and much strain for Hercules to find the garden. The apples were retrieved with the help of Atlas, after Hercules offered to hold up the heavens on his shoulders until the former could steal the apples from the garden.
This work constitutes a research based on the concept and the qualities of the hero and on how modern societies mold this image while they reproduce its opposite.
It is based on the 12 labors of Hercules. The labors of Hercules are a series of episodes recorded on Greek mythology as twelve accomplishments made by the mythical hero in penance for the murder of his wife and children, which he carried out while driven mad by goddess Hera.
We are writing for the first time
With red flowers
WE NEED HEROES NOW*
In a world
where permanent turbulence
repeatedly develops into
horrendous violence
of huge proportions
It is also a world
that offers incessant opportunities
to our hero
Where's our hero?
I can smell him
Where's that beguiling form
who goes to battle with red flowers
Who knows about the violence of aesthetics
and the aesthetics of violence
Beauty spawns heroism
Are we desperate?
Do we long for some demagogue
with brilliant acting skills?
Do we yearn for an embodiment of courage
with theatrical bravery?
I'm saying it now!
For a second time
Where's our hero?
Where is he!
Yes, he's a man
But even if it was a woman
she would still wear a man's clothes
to enter the pantheon of heroes
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a defender
with never-ending militancy?
Do we yearn for a revolutionary
with a fearsome bravura?
I'm saying it now!
For a third time
Where's our hero?
Who gives his all for us
Even his life
To assert his uniqueness
To give his mortality
worth and meaning
and flee from oblivion
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a guardian
with an honest vehemence?
Do we yearn for a savior
with an intoxicating charm?
I'm saying it now!
For a fourth time
Where's our hero?
Who, little man as he is,
dares to stand against giants
Who, with his subversive and sarcastic humor
makes a mockery out of the extreme
dangerous authority
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a pillar
Of the archaic empire
With a rousing rhetorical talent?
Do we yearn for a rebellious partisan
with unshakable courage?
I'm saying it now!
For a fifth time
Where's our hero?
Who's ready to denounce
his human nature
to become a complete animal
Whose name is like a spell
with a magical effect
Who's always loyal
to himself
and to his principles
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a brilliant outsider
With an unbridled charm?
Do we yearn for a free wanderer
with a complete freedom of choice?
I'm saying it now!
For a sixth time!
Where's our hero?
I caught a glimpse of him... I think
Who knows the importance of haste
and can show up
where they least expect him
Who can make your blood run cold
like a supernatural figure
Who can discourage the opposition party
and fill us, my peers, with renewed courage
Are we desperate?
Do we long for an insightful warrior
with an unequivocal goal, a name
Do we yearn for a true knight
from a bygone era
with a wonderful and genuine urge?
I’m saying it now!
For the seventh time!
Where’s our hero?
This legend
that his improvised myth
is the invention of an impressive grandeur
A man who occupies a great place
in our imagination
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a glorious resistant
with visible greatness
Do we yearn for a pacifist who is fighting
with divine stupidity
I'm saying it now!
For the eighth time!
Where's our hero?
Whose form was shaped
by the past
And who will shape
the things to come for us
Whom we want to worship
and revere
I feel him
He bears the aura
of an almost human tragedy
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a founder of a new academy
with a natural talent for leadership?
Do we yearn for an energetic young dictator
with wisdom from antiquity?
If you want to lead the people,
you have to follow them2
I'm saying it now
For the ninth time
Where's our hero?
This aristocrat, made in the image of God
The history of the world
is his biography
Where is he?
Is it that he fled again
with that heartrending delusion
of a defeated idealist?
Are we desperate?
Do we long for some philosopher-poet
with a vulgar, yet outstanding character?
Do we yearn for a global benefactor
with his own rhetoric
with a desire to destroy
to change
to create something new?3
I'm saying it now!
For the tenth time
Where's our hero?
I see the traces
of his vital fluids
A clear aim for his enemies
Is he hurt?
For us, his followers
a fantasy
Is he wounded?
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a symbolic prophet
With a primeval reverence?
Do we yearn for an altruist
a dandy-poet
with a romantic soul?
I'm saying it now!
For an eleventh time
Where's our hero?
Our triumphant hero
is a holy martyr
He doesn't conquer
He arrives
He is the bearer of the color of freedom
Reincarnating the tragic beauty
of defeat
He will die
but he shall not fade away
Shall I care for his wounds?
I hear him
Hero: Never close the wound
from which beauty is flowing
Let my red flowers blossom
until I am totally empty
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a genuinely creative being
with sincere faith
to the falsehood of imagination?
Do we yearn for an artistic model
with unscrupulous power
to transform?
I'm saying it now! GOODNESS GRACIOUS!
For the twelfth time
Where's our hero?
Where's our fine golden vase?
To place our red roses
To marvel at our love
To adorn our house
We write for the last time
With our rose-blood
WE NEED HEROES NOW*
*On September 12, 2001, in front of New York's Ground Zero, a group of people was photographed
with a banner saying: "WE NEED HEROES NOW".
It is based on the 12 labors of Hercules. The labors of Hercules are a series of episodes recorded on Greek mythology as twelve accomplishments made by the mythical hero in penance for the murder of his wife and children, which he carried out while driven mad by goddess Hera.
We are writing for the first time
With red flowers
WE NEED HEROES NOW*
In a world
where permanent turbulence
repeatedly develops into
horrendous violence
of huge proportions
It is also a world
that offers incessant opportunities
to our hero
Where's our hero?
I can smell him
Where's that beguiling form
who goes to battle with red flowers
Who knows about the violence of aesthetics
and the aesthetics of violence
Beauty spawns heroism
Are we desperate?
Do we long for some demagogue
with brilliant acting skills?
Do we yearn for an embodiment of courage
with theatrical bravery?
I'm saying it now!
For a second time
Where's our hero?
Where is he!
Yes, he's a man
But even if it was a woman
she would still wear a man's clothes
to enter the pantheon of heroes
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a defender
with never-ending militancy?
Do we yearn for a revolutionary
with a fearsome bravura?
I'm saying it now!
For a third time
Where's our hero?
Who gives his all for us
Even his life
To assert his uniqueness
To give his mortality
worth and meaning
and flee from oblivion
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a guardian
with an honest vehemence?
Do we yearn for a savior
with an intoxicating charm?
I'm saying it now!
For a fourth time
Where's our hero?
Who, little man as he is,
dares to stand against giants
Who, with his subversive and sarcastic humor
makes a mockery out of the extreme
dangerous authority
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a pillar
Of the archaic empire
With a rousing rhetorical talent?
Do we yearn for a rebellious partisan
with unshakable courage?
I'm saying it now!
For a fifth time
Where's our hero?
Who's ready to denounce
his human nature
to become a complete animal
Whose name is like a spell
with a magical effect
Who's always loyal
to himself
and to his principles
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a brilliant outsider
With an unbridled charm?
Do we yearn for a free wanderer
with a complete freedom of choice?
I'm saying it now!
For a sixth time!
Where's our hero?
I caught a glimpse of him... I think
Who knows the importance of haste
and can show up
where they least expect him
Who can make your blood run cold
like a supernatural figure
Who can discourage the opposition party
and fill us, my peers, with renewed courage
Are we desperate?
Do we long for an insightful warrior
with an unequivocal goal, a name
Do we yearn for a true knight
from a bygone era
with a wonderful and genuine urge?
I’m saying it now!
For the seventh time!
Where’s our hero?
This legend
that his improvised myth
is the invention of an impressive grandeur
A man who occupies a great place
in our imagination
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a glorious resistant
with visible greatness
Do we yearn for a pacifist who is fighting
with divine stupidity
I'm saying it now!
For the eighth time!
Where's our hero?
Whose form was shaped
by the past
And who will shape
the things to come for us
Whom we want to worship
and revere
I feel him
He bears the aura
of an almost human tragedy
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a founder of a new academy
with a natural talent for leadership?
Do we yearn for an energetic young dictator
with wisdom from antiquity?
If you want to lead the people,
you have to follow them2
I'm saying it now
For the ninth time
Where's our hero?
This aristocrat, made in the image of God
The history of the world
is his biography
Where is he?
Is it that he fled again
with that heartrending delusion
of a defeated idealist?
Are we desperate?
Do we long for some philosopher-poet
with a vulgar, yet outstanding character?
Do we yearn for a global benefactor
with his own rhetoric
with a desire to destroy
to change
to create something new?3
I'm saying it now!
For the tenth time
Where's our hero?
I see the traces
of his vital fluids
A clear aim for his enemies
Is he hurt?
For us, his followers
a fantasy
Is he wounded?
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a symbolic prophet
With a primeval reverence?
Do we yearn for an altruist
a dandy-poet
with a romantic soul?
I'm saying it now!
For an eleventh time
Where's our hero?
Our triumphant hero
is a holy martyr
He doesn't conquer
He arrives
He is the bearer of the color of freedom
Reincarnating the tragic beauty
of defeat
He will die
but he shall not fade away
Shall I care for his wounds?
I hear him
Hero: Never close the wound
from which beauty is flowing
Let my red flowers blossom
until I am totally empty
Are we desperate?
Do we long for a genuinely creative being
with sincere faith
to the falsehood of imagination?
Do we yearn for an artistic model
with unscrupulous power
to transform?
I'm saying it now! GOODNESS GRACIOUS!
For the twelfth time
Where's our hero?
Where's our fine golden vase?
To place our red roses
To marvel at our love
To adorn our house
We write for the last time
With our rose-blood
WE NEED HEROES NOW*
*On September 12, 2001, in front of New York's Ground Zero, a group of people was photographed
with a banner saying: "WE NEED HEROES NOW".
Medium:
Video, photographyRE_Built
What do we have to demolish in order to build something new?
And will the one created in place of the old be better?
How should we cut ties with the “old” (which, in this case, takes the form of structures), from whatever is preventing us from developing individually and socially?
Maybe it has to be done in a violent manner, like a demolition, instead of waiting till it becomes old, turns into ruins and sinks into itself?
And how should this “demolition” be conducted, so that it doesn't also carry away whatever useful exists?
And what and who determines what and which ones should be demolished?
And will the one created in place of the old be better?
How should we cut ties with the “old” (which, in this case, takes the form of structures), from whatever is preventing us from developing individually and socially?
Maybe it has to be done in a violent manner, like a demolition, instead of waiting till it becomes old, turns into ruins and sinks into itself?
And how should this “demolition” be conducted, so that it doesn't also carry away whatever useful exists?
And what and who determines what and which ones should be demolished?