Louiza Charitonidou
(GR)
Hi there! My name is Louiza and I am a visual artist working with photography. The focus of my work is about highlighting the value of often overlooked aspects in today’s society. I do this by drawing attention to insignificant elements found in everyday life which metaphorically represent larger social issues. My work is socially engaged not only in the topics I work with, but also in the execution. I enjoy collaborating and including the voices of the people who are impacted the most by the topics I work on. My general goal in everything I make is to evoke empathy and for my audience to reflect on the urgency at hand.
“Home Is Where The Sun Is” showcases the impact of migration and displacement in a family separated in different countries as a result of the ongoing Greek economic crisis. Many aspects such as the home and familial unity are sacrificed in the pursuit of living better lives separately. The pain of distance become more and more apparent each year spent detached, while the pursuit of connection diminishes by the ongoing grief of the idyllic past. In order to strengthen unity and preserve virtual contact in a family which lacks it physically, a collective therapeutic ritual was established. The pursuit of this connection takes form in the continuation of the family album apart. This experience gives value to the individual’s engagement despite of artistic concern.
“To Further Experience” is a dissertation written on the purpose and influence of art to the world outside of it, and the importance of that experience. The text is written in an engaging style which takes the reader by the hand and explains in simple terminology the basis of which art is created and shared on. The text is directed towards an audience which searches for a clearer understanding of art and its relevancy to society. To do so, the text is composed into five chapters: Life, Memory, Urgency, Perception, and Bond. Each chapter’s function is to touch base on the framework of art and how and why it is designed for the individual’s experience of it.