Maria Papadimitriou to Represent Greece at 2015 Venice Biennale with Animal-Themed Installation

Maria Papadimitriou will represent Greece at the 2015 Venice Biennale, installing her work in the Giardini pavilion. Her project, titled 'Why look at animals? Agrimiká,' explores human-animal relationships, drawing from John Berger's 1980 essay 'About Looking.' The Greek word 'Agrimiká' refers to wild animals like foxes and bears, as well as resistance leaders from the Greek Civil War (1946-49). Papadimitriou plans to transport an actual animal hides and leather shop from Volos, Greece, to the pavilion, creating a 'ruined' landscape where undomesticated animals serve as allegories for resistance against ownership. She views the work as addressing anthropocentrism and linking to broader political and economic concerns, noting Greece's role as a paradigm in Europe's crisis and the dismantling of welfare states. Papadimitriou emphasizes that her approach remains consistent regardless of exhibition context, aiming for simplicity and accessibility to all viewers. She recalls appreciating the Danish pavilion at the previous Architecture Biennale for its focus on welfare state aesthetics. The artist expresses honor in representing her country and hopes her art communicates about the European crisis, referencing Documenta's upcoming dual location in Athens and Kassel. She does not believe the Venice pavilion significantly impacts Greece's art scene. The questionnaire was published online exclusively on 8 May 2015 by ArtReview as part of a series leading up to the Biennale opening.