Fishing

The final act in this performative triptych was the construction of a dialogue with the viewer on the subject of democratic hegemony.

At the time humanity existed within a paradigm where “democratic principles” were the dominant direction.

At every step, we were taught, corrected, or reproached for failing to correspond to the theoretical basis of this lifestyle—one that was ostensibly based on δῆμος (people) and κράτος (power), yet functioned as a manipulative element for the corporate collusion of those in power.

Considering the historical development of “democracy,” it had to be noted that, in essence, it had never truly existed in reality—not even within the Greek society where its theoretical roots had been planted. The concept remained only on paper; yet, this was the very piece of paper waved in our faces whenever the political elite sought to disguise their corruption schemes.

These games were well-documented, and academic volumes had been written on them. Yet, whenever a “democratic” leader—or rather, the forces behind them decided to seize control of economic sectors or entire regions, they unfailingly invoked “democratic” principles to achieve their ends.

As an artist and an individual, I was left with a single question:

How long will they continue to plug any holes with this vulgarized concept of “democracy” that has lost its true meaning?

For the performance “Fishing,” I had commissioned a monumental, beautifully decorated cake. Across its white, creamy surface, the word “ΔΗΜΟΚРАТΊА” was written in ancient Greek. This cake was not a food product; it was an aesthetic symbol—my visceral reaction to the contemporary reality.

During the performance, I devoured this ornate culinary work for as long as my body allowed I strove to consume it all.

The final point of this work was the physical rejection of artificially imposed principles, manifested through the visceral expulsion of the symbolic object.

2021

“Do you really believe in what you see in front of you”?, “Michael W. Schmalfuss” gallery,   Marburg (DE)

Special thanks to:

Anna Hakobyan and Evol Puts