The translation of Júlia Costa’s article Divirta-se Mais, originally published in Correio Braziliense.
Two years of work by Greek painter Aliki Paliou, inspired by real and symbolic journeys in the artist’s life, are brought together in the exhibition A Journey Through the Perception of Painting, currently on view at Karla Osorio Gallery through January 30.
The paintings are based on places visited by Paliou as well as moments and gestures that shaped her way of seeing the world. “At first glance, the works may appear light or pleasant, but a closer look reveals a deeper meaning. This duality is what interests me,” the artist says.
In The Drone, for example, a girl on a beach looks up at a drone hovering above the sand. “It appears to be an innocent moment of curiosity. However, the drone carries two meanings: it is both a toy and a weapon used in warfare. I want to show how violence can easily become part of our daily lives,” Paliou explains.
The exhibition also includes works inspired by Brazil. The Traffic Lights portrays Copacabana and the coexistence of different rhythms within the same environment. Two tourists walk along the waterfront, a mother shields her baby from the sun, while her exhausted partner rests on a chair, and the traffic light above them attempts to set the pace of the scene.
Despite the varied sources of inspiration, the exhibition’s focus, according to curator Marina Fokidis, is to present “a journey that is literal, as it comes from different places, but also conceptual and symbolic.” “What the viewer encounters is a type of landscape — a synesthetic landscape, in a sense, of Copacabana — but not one that is immediately recognizable,” she explains.
Part of the exhibition consists of works from two distinct painting series: Magic Landscapes and Synesthesia. The former emerged from Paliou’s intention to depict the natural world. “If I learn to see the natural world in its expansive form, I believe I can rediscover a ‘magic’ that humanity has lost through its illusion of infinite power. The more immersed I become, the more I try to capture a life that exists beyond what I can paint,” the artist says.
Synesthesia, according to Paliou, represents “a step forward, but always in the same direction.” For Fokidis, the two series differ while remaining continuous. “Magic Landscapes presents landscapes that exist not only in terms of natural life, but also in a paranatural context — something that goes beyond the laws of physics. Synesthesia, in turn, refers to a neurological condition in which sensory stimuli, such as sight or smell, trigger additional sensations, creating multiple perceptions simultaneously,” she concludes.
Synesthesia
2024 ⎯ in progress
Magic Landscapes
2007 ⎯ ongoing
Blue Light
2003 ⎯ ongoing
Mother and Child
2005
Zacharitsa 44-42
Athina 117 41