– Performance (indoors in exhibition space)
Title: Choreo-graph II
Venue: Romantso
Date: 16-20 March 2017
Hour:

We experience a space through our bodies, through our movements and the ability to perceive the different profiles and surfaces of it. Each space induces different emotions to a person which guide his actions and movements within it. The work aims to illustrate and reveal my body movements on my first encounter with a space as an initial response to it. Movement is unique and ephemeral, thus, through this art work I aim to capture and present my movements using lines and shapes on the floor of the space.

The work takes a site-specific and personal approach on the space. Although I have visited Athens before some of the spaces of the exhibition would be a completely new experience for me. What I plan on doing is explore these spaces, particularly the one where the work would be exhibited, through movement and dancing. This will allow me to experience the space and figure out a flow of movements to explore it. These movements would be improvised on the moment according to the architecture of the space, the objects inside it and also the feeling I get from it. I plan on researching about the history, the use, and the character of the space before visiting, so I can have a complete image and idea of what the space is about. My movements and improvised dance would be recorded on video which I will then use to mark out on the floor the path that I have "drawn" through them. I will then use the most appropriate material for the space, to create a graph of my movements using lines around the floor area. Therefore, it is a work that needs to be performed and recorded in the space a few days before the installation. If the work gets accepted I would like to know the space where it would be exhibited, so I can prepare the most appropriate material to use on the floor beforehand. If an indoor space is selected and the floor is concrete or marble a floor tape could be used, or if it is a carpet Velcro stickers. It all depends on the space, as I want to make it as relatable to the material of the floor as possible. This work would be the second in a series of space exploration through movement works. An explanation and images of the first one can be found here: http://panayiotakoushiappa.wixsite.com/portfolio/blank-1

Panayiota Koushiappa

Panayiota Koushiappa was born in Cyprus in 1993. In 2012 she moved to UK where she studied Fine Art in the University of Kent finishing her degree with first class honours. Koushiappa primarily worked with realistic painting and gradually moved to installation combining performance art and drawing, exploring movement in spaces. During her time there she took part in three exhibitions within the university, and had the opportunity to work with the artist Nadia Perrotta on art workshops for children based on the exploration of the 5 senses. In 2014 she took part in the group exhibition In Media Res, at Atelier Di Pittura in Larnaca, Cyprus. Completing her bachelor’s degree Koushiappa moved on to Performance Design at Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama where she currently completes her Master’s Degree. She designed the set and costumes for two contemporary dance performances at the National Dance Company of Wales, for Alternative Routes 2016, and worked as a scenic artist on two performances within the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Koushiappa is currently writing a research paper on movement in performance design, exploring how the design can enhance and provide opportunities for movement, and whether this causes the audience to identify with the concept and characters better.

http://panayiotakoushiappa.wixsite.com/portfolio