SELF-PORTRAITS // 2014 – 2023
// very many faces
As part of his ongoing explorations of all things ridicule and transformation, Euripides accepted an invitation from the Libby Sacer Foundation, back in 2014, to create a visual art piece for its inaugural Trust Exhibition.
The Trust Exhibition included both authentic objects, reconstructions and/or copies drawn from the Libby Sacer Archive, and creative approaches to the archival material.
SELF-PORTRAITS [Series A], initially named PERSONAS, fell into the latter category and was a collection of (multiple-self) portraits, inspired by Libby Sacer’s friendship with self-portrait pioneer Claude Cahun (1894-1954). Through this work, Euripides explores a range of different characters and identities created using only simple accessories such as clothes, wigs and cotton padding. Aiming to project different personalities onto a single face without resorting to post-production tools like Photoshop, he throws light on our own preconceived notions of social norms and assimilation.
In 2021, Euripides enriched his collection with an additional set of self-portraits, now known as SELF-PORTRAITS [Series B], further exploring the many faces of the self.
During that same summer, [Series A] was showcased at the Hydra School Projects exhibition, along with the video artworks ARTIST PORTRAIT and RELIC VITRINE, providing a comprehensive view of Euripides' ongoing artistic exploration in the realm of visual arts.
An iteration of this project was later incorporated in the multidisciplinary, site-specific work [KÁMARES], which was presented in August 2022, at the ConTempo Festival in Kaunas (ECoC), and in January 2023, in Eleusis, again, as part of the city’s European Capital of Culture program. [KÁMARES] marked the first time that both series were presented alongside one another.
More recently, in June 2023, the complete set of self-portraits was featured at the 58th Maribor Theatre Festival, exhibited at the “Kazinska” Hall of the Slovene National Theatre. The portraits were presented in various formats, with flyposting being the most prominent, creating a striking contrast to the hall's lavish Neo-Baroque ornamentation. Alongside the self-portraits, the exhibition also included the video artworks ARTIST PORTRAIT, RELIC VITRINE and MANDO, along with the screening of the 2020 doc-film HERE NOT HERE.
// where & when
GREECE // ATHENS // Cheapart Gallery // 10 April – 17 May 2014 // Trust Exhibition – The Archive of Libby Sacer
AUSTRIA // BURGENLAND // Burgenländische Tanztage International Dance Festival // 8 May 2015
CYPRUS // LIMASSOL // The Performance Shop // 19 December 2015
GREECE // HYDRA // Hydra School Projects – Pow, Blop, Wizz // 19 June – 19 September 2021 // video screening
LITHUANIA // KAUNAS // ConTempo Festival – Kaunas Artists' House // 12 August 2022 // video screening
GREECE // ELEUSIS // 2023 ELEUSIS European Capital of Culture // 20 – 22 January 2023 // video screening
GREECE // ATHENS // Museum of Cycladic Art // 26 April 2023 // Pharao – Young Patrons dinner
SLOVENIA // MARIBOR // 58th Maribor Theatre Festival // 16 – 17 June 2023 // self-portraits exhibition & video screening
// project info
SELF-PORTRAITS // 2014 – 2023
// portrait series
series A [PERSONAS] // 2014
created by // Euripides Laskaridis
commissioned by // The Libby Sacer Foundation [GR]
produced by // the OSMOSIS performing arts company [GR]
series B // 2021
created by // Euripides Laskaridis
collaborating photographer // Elina Giounanli
creative production assistant // Dimos Klimenof
produced by // the OSMOSIS performing arts company [GR]
