Replicas by Eleni Palogou

What triggered me to start this research is the multiplicity of reality. How something is represented, how it actually is and then how we all perceive it in our very own way. In that sense reality doesn’t exist, only versions of it. The lack of awareness of this multiplicity affects a lot our lives; what we believe, what we take as granted and how he behave.Through this practice based research I am experimenting on how to create moments of surprise and realization for the spectator. I work with copies and representations, replicas as I like to call them. The Replicas can be made of different materials, can be virtual or very physical. Until now I used scale models, mirrors and projections but the list is endless; so are the different ways to use the replicas or the impact that they will have. The way that the replicas are introduced to the spectator and their interaction is also very crucial in my work and another field to research. The movement and the body play a significant role to this. The special relationship that we have with our body, the way that we perceive it and how the movement can reset these relations and affect how we experience things.

<-- Back

When does this click happen?

The click in your mind that will reset your thoughts and the way that you look at things...

I am in the center of Athens. All kinds of noises trigger me and, at the same time, don’t leave me to focus anywhere. My stomach is full and satisfied, but my body is heavy and lazy. I would rather be at home sleeping right now, but I have to go back and continue; the day is long. Maybe a bar of chocolate will give me the bust that I need, and it will wake me up from this lethargic torture. I stop at a kiosk. It is packed—full of products of any color and size. I can see the owner’s effort to fit as much as possible and cover every little empty spot. I am still lost in this state of being, and then suddenly I see her.
She is looking straight into my eyes; I find it rude, but I stare back at her exactly in the same way. It is like time pauses, and I have this moment when I compare myself with her. I am competitive, but why? Is it the direct way that she looks at me? Only one second has passed, and I realize that it is my reflection on the mirror hidden among the chips and the chocolates. My cheeks are heated, and I quickly look away. I was tricked. My whole body is tense and present.

This incident happened in 2014, but I am still amazed by the fact that I looked at myself from a third person’s perspective. This deceptive moment was enough to reset how I perceive my image, and how subjectively I look to myself.

Tip

Tip