short bio
Eliza was born in Athens (Greece) in 1994. Her need to express and also relieve her feelings, from a very young age, resulted in her involvement in painting, music, rhythmic gymnastics and later on, contemporary dancing. In 2019, she graduated from the Athens School of Fine Arts, where she trained in Painting, Sculpturing, Scenography and Graphic Arts. In 2017, through the Erasmus program, her stay in Spain and University’s studies at Universidad Politécnica de Valéncia, determined her artistic course to date as she firstly experienced on the Performance Art. The fact that she was out of her depth, served as a challenge to overturn what she knew and to exceed her previous limitations. She found out that what she needed for her art was something direct, “hard” and experiential, something she discovered through performance. Since then, Performance is her primary means of expression.
Her works have been presented both in Greece (The House of Cyprus – Athens 2019, Kappatos Gallery Rooms – Athens 2019, #SKG Bridges – Thessaloniki 2018, Body and citizenship – Athens 2018) and abroad (Museum of Now – Berlin 2020, Venice International Performance Art Week – Venice 2020, Excentricities – France 2019).
artist statement
Inspired by her need to share thoughts and anxieties about the next day, Eliza, in her artistic research, studies contemporary social phenomena and their impact on the social fabric. She perceives every human being, as well as herself, as an integral part of society and accomplice of events and she is balanced between the dipole “action-inaction”, with her works embodying an endless inner effervescence that culminates in a silent cry of despair and hope. Through her practice, she seeks a collective, conscious awakening to a holistic redefinition of existence itself.
Eliza uses art as a mean of recording history and a channel of communication between different cultures and also, past – present – and tomorrow, choosing to reflect the violent reality through a comic-tragic prism using a harsh and caustic language. The starting point of her research is always the body, the space and time, while during the creation her work is defined by symbolisms that outline the experiential process of its production and often go beyond the work itself, developing a parallel condition. Setting the ultimate goal of opening an active dialogue, Eliza challenges the audience to detach themselves from the spectator’s pathetic position, and turns it into a witness and an organic part of the project.
CV
education
(2013-2019) Intergrated Master, Athens School of Fine Arts – Painting Department
(2017) Erasmus, Universidad Politécnica de Valéncia, Spain – Facultad de Bellas Artes
Subjects: Contemporary Performance Art, Process of Painting Production, Photography in
Contemporary Art
workshops & seminars
(2024) Transformation and Ridiculousness – Euripides Laskarides, Athens | “Engaged Scenography” , Goethe Institute & Institute Francais
(2023) Site Specific Performance Art – Eliza Soroga, Athens
(2020) Dissenting Bodies Marking Time – Marilyn Arsem, Venice
(2018) Body and Citizenship – Francesco Kiais, Athens
(2017) DO IT- Vera Iona Papadopoulou, Athens
group exhibitions
(2024) Delphi | performing Myrrha for Linder Sterling’s project ” Cut The Chase” – Curated by Kika Kyriakakou & PCAI
(2020) Athens | Αδράνεια, Ocupa Athens – Curated by The Krank
(2020) Berlin | Distant Bodies, Museum of Now – Curated by Denis Leo Hegic, Michelle Houston & Jan Fiedler
(2020) Venice | Venice International Performance Art Week, Palazzo Mora
(2020) Athens | Love is made of orgasm, -ισμός gallery – Curated by Nikolena Kalaitzaki
(2019) Athens | Επιτρέπεται, Το Σπίτι της Κύπρου – Curated by Lina Tsikouta
(2019) Athens | Sin as a portrait, Chili Art Gallery – Curated by Olga Latousaki
(2019) Athens | Ακάλυπτος, Arte Visione gallery – Curated by Maria Moscha Karatzoglou & Evaggelia Kairaki
(2019) Athens | Οι Άγριοι, Πεδίον του Άρεως – Curated by: Vera Iona Papadopoulou
(2019) Besançon | Excentricités 10, ISBA Beaux-Arts
(2019) Athens | Performance Rooms 2019- Kappatos Gallery- Curated by: Lina Tsikouta
(2018) Thessaloniki | #SKG Brigdes Festival
(2018) Athens | Body and Citizenship, Syntagma Square – Organized by G.A.P., -Facilitator: Francesco Kiais
(2018) Athens | ΤΟ ΣΠΙΤΙ, Koukaki- Curated by: Vera Iona Papadopoulou
(2018) Athens | Νέοι Ιστορικοί Τέχνης της Α.Σ.Κ.Τ. επιλέγουν, Trii Art Hub –Curated by: Dionisia Fotiadou
(2018) Athens | International Visual Poetry Festival, EBROS Theater
Valencia (2017) BIG DATA, INESTABLE, Valéncia – Curated by: Martina Botella Mestres
References & Interviews
https://www.space52.gr/eliza-krikoni/ ‘Parallel Conjunctions’, Interview by Vicky Tsirou in collaboration with Space52 Gallery