Chance marks many of Papadimitriou’s projects as they emerge from extraordinary and everyday life events. The present work, Rebirth was such a project, as it was inspired when the artist had fainted from over-exhaustion after setting up an exhibition. She described the sensation of this collapsein terms of a physical death, for even though she was unable to move or speak, her senses were very much alive as she could hear everyone around her, moving and talking. She was then taken to the hospital, dressed into a hospital gown and subjected to a medical examination. During a momentary lapse of consciousness, Papadimitriou murmured to her companion, “Thalia, video.” To which her companion took out her hand held camera and filmed Papadimitriou as she relapsed into deep slumber on the hospital bed once again.
This work was never shown as a video, but two video stills were chosen by the artist and exhibited at “Ritratto & Autoritratto.” In one of these images, her arm and part of her face are visible, and her eyes have rolled back, reminiscent of a scene of religious invocation, as is often depicted in representations of the Virgin Mary. The subject is not far from Papadimitriou’s visual language as it is only a year later that she re-visits the subject of re-birth and regeneration in her Dialogues project with Joseph Kosuth I, Mary.
Maria Halkias