When my family members passed last year, I was left with memories and a handful of former possessions: videos, trinkets, gifts, audio clips, photographs, and a collection of lace tablecloths and doilies gifted by elder Greek relatives to my Yaya (grandmother) and mother. Lace can be seen as a “collective memory” in Greek culture, something that is passed down through generations. This idea of lace as a shared memory resonated with me as I reviewed a variety of recorded memories from my family’s video archive, including my Greek dancing as a child, roasting lamb on a spit during a family reunion 40 years ago, moments of music making, Greek worry beads, and my baptism at the Greek Orthodox Church. By projecting these family videos onto the lace, I represent my Greek immigrant experience. The large lace table linen features a projection of the Aegean Sea with a memorial wreath floating in the water, honoring those that have passed. Audio from the streets of Greece can be heard echoing throughout the gallery space, transporting the viewer to the native homeland.
δώρα χωρισμού (Parting Gifts), Multimedia installation (projection mapped video, audio, lace table linens and doilies), 2024