QUOKKA
joint portfolio of selected works by Alkistis & Mina
Quokka is an artistic duo of two sisters, Alkistis and Mina, who complete each other as artists and human beings. They joined forces during lockdown in early 2020, while trapped in their shared apartment in Athens, Greece (still trapped). Quokka is their common ground for constant creative experimentations, using their combined skills and variety of mediums to speak for an equitable world and a healthy society of free human beings, who are able to experience beauty. Alkistis is a multidisciplinary artist, well rooted in the art of theatre and dance/movement, experimenting with video, photography, poetry and conceptual writing. She calls herself a Life’s Alchemist, because her true talent is transforming her experiences into art! Her main focus at the moment is the exploration of the idea of Poetry N’ Motion. Mina is a researcher, architect/maker and visual artist, mainly working with photography (film, digital), bricolage and poetry for the creation of Visual Narratives on subjects inspired by landscapes, flowers and traditional heritage. She is also learning to do magic along with her sister.
At the moment they are developing a work inspired by the relationship between the Ancient Greek Theatre (as space and dramaturgy) and landscape, as well as a comic performance piece titled HorTer Performance, to mock the lust of some journalists for horrifying and terrifying news. For more information about Alkistis’ and Mina’s individual work, please visit the following links, while Quokka’s official website is being constructed.
FYI Quokkas are those beautiful animals inhabiting a remote part of Australia. They do not carry any memory of violence in their DNA, since they have lived far away from human civilisation! They are, thus, the manifestation of happiness and innocence. They help us remember our true goal in life: Laugh, Share Joy, Play! However, recently, we discovered their dark side (which, of course, exists). It is possible that a Quokka in danger will throw its baby away in order to escape a predator. So, our mission is to become an improved version of stronger Quokkas who won’t abandon anyone, but always fight with a smile on the face and a light heart!
contact: quoka.libera@gmail.com
sample works by Alkistis Voulgari Website: https://alkistisvoulgari.weebly.com/ Performing Arts personal portfolio: https://issuu.com/ alkistisvoulgari/docs/portfolio_voulgari Visual Arts personal portfolio: https://my.visme.co/view/ ep9zy17m-portfolio-alkistis-voulgari#s1
The Fight Within An interpretation of the word EVIL, through experimentations with various mediums (videos, photographs, installations and writings) to develop a final performance that was presented live online as an interaction to a spoken word piece by Dyalekt, the founder of The Museum of Dead Words (Brooklyn, NY).
Performance on film EVIL “The Fight Within” : https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=IE7MAyhqknM Movement Improvisation on EVIL : https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSV95-7Qjvs Description: https://alkistisvoulgari.weebly.com/vinylroad/the-museum-of-dead-words-modw Trailer: https://m.youtube.com/watch? v=RxMxhQGJiGk Museum of Dead Words Website: https:// www.museumofdeadwords.com/
Snapshot from “Triptych”
The Terrace Project Short experimental films of movement improvisations, based on the idea of Poetry ‘N Motion. They were created, performed and filmed as a solo project on the terrace of my apartment. They are titled Dancing in the Silence, Triptychon and Attitude. Dancing in the Silence was hosted at the Navajo Film Festival with an Honourable Mention, at Bibart Biennale Internazionale D’Arte in Bari / Italy and at the Bridges International Film Festival. Triptychon was hosted at the Miracle online film festival. Attitude was hosted at the Vertical film Festivals of Rome and Prague. Link: https://filmfreeway.com/alkistisvoulgari
Travel through Time Dance performance based on Isadora Duncan’s choreographies presented live at the 4th Compartments Dance Project, held in Theatre Train of Rouf, Athens, 2019.
Link (slideshow): https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=lVTiMhpPxtc&t=21s * photos by Ypatia Kornarou
Hanjo Interpreting the role of Hanako, a character in Yukio Mishima’s Hanjo from his work Five Modern Noh Plays. The play was directed by Zambia Pateraki and presented at Hityrio theatre in Athens in 2017, as well as at the Museum of Asian Art in the island of Corfu.
Link (trailer): https://m.youtube.com/watch? v=NfQE1x2HgEc Link (press) : https://www.greecejapan.com/ theatro-hanjo-tou-yukio-mishima/
Barefoot Memories An ongoing project that combines photographs and video captured with an action camera, along with text and instinctive poetry, inspired by Nature and Gavdos' island landscape.
It was like I was living in a parallel Universe Out of Space and Time Wandering in the Starry night and the Cedar Perfume… Carina Navis and Silver Bear Show me a road bright and fair I’ve danced with Pegasus nine times Been burned with Phoenix in a forest of Pines The Seven Sisters call me to hear A song of Wisdom is coming near Those memories have no end Stories of fairies everywhere spread True or false It is your choice Trees don’t speak But they have voice. Youtube link (Small Intro): https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RHyzIlERazI
sample works by Mina Kouvara Website: https://minakoov.wixsite.com/foliomix
Lines of Brighton | Visual Journals
Mist & Clouds | Visual Journals
Visual Journals An ongoing visual journal filled with moments of my life, places and memories. I use photographs that I take with a digital or analogue camera, which sometimes I post-process. Each entry comprises an interpretation of my experiences, presented as curated groups of images, GIFs and compositions.
Icarus fall | Juxtapositions
Juxtapositions Compositions created by analogue photographs using digital means, where a theme is not predecided, but rather created by luck after multiple experimentations. As a result unexpected images are created, juxtaposed realities that never occurred. I am using two techniques for this project. (1) Scan of two slides in one slot and process them afterwards only to fix the colours. The slides are old, found in thrift shops. (2) Use of random photographs I have taken with a film camera, to create new digital compositions with them.
Christmas | Juxtapositions
Glitched Traditions A series of digital collages exploring the notion of tradition in the digital era. The compositions consist of images that have been ‘glitched’ and heavily processed.
Earth and Clay
Paper Collage A series of handmade paper collages created mainly with fashion photography. The themes are varied depending on the inspiration I get from each photograph.
Untitled
Poetry & image Poetry, short text or stories written by me, accompanied by images or artwork from a personal archive.
A sea overfilling with history and a sea overfilling with fish. A sea overflowing with bodies gone dreams. Drowned refugees coming from the countries of sand and pain. One day the rotting flesh will absorb all the water and only salt will remain. Flesh and bones under a thick layer of salt. To be preserved. To be remembered. Burning under the hot southern sun.
We ‘ll stand there speechless. In front of a horrific spectacle. Helpless people we are. All us. These bodies that form the hidden tip of the iceberg of our era. And we are still paying tribute to the 1200 people of Titanic. An iceberg inside burning waters. A burning sea. Boiling waters from the blood of children, Still hot. Still burning. Still boiling,
People running away from death to die a bit later. A bit further away. Their beloved, How will they know? How will they face it? I ‘m in a room full of weird dolls covered in meaningless fabrics and it kind of hurts. “Med” poem, with a photograph of a sand sculpture made by me and a drawing by children from a refugee camp in Athens.
Architecture, Building
when d : e i l holds rs!� e rep e r c u a t f u the d you he f t w n t o a a h s h d is w n This my ha nows k y b t i , f e i ad asked be handm all “It sh
Slide from a presentation created for the Landscape Research Group, using a photo from a building project I co-organised in a remote mountain village in Greece. https://wordswithgoodintentions.wordpress.com/2020/06/25/reading-between-the-lineslandscapes-in-limbo/
As a researcher I am focusing on the interpretation and perception of the landscape. It is a notion and material space that can be investigated through the lens of the commons and history, political ecology and environmental humanities, which are the scientific fields I enjoy.
As an architect and builder I am interested in the traditional building techniques and building with natural materials in a sustainable manner. I believe that architecture is directly linked to politics and therefore architects need to be aware of their works impact and power to influence a change for a healthier future.
Portfolio 2018-2020: https://issuu.com/boulouki/docs/ final_portfolio
thank you!