The new season of THE ERA OF IMAGES focuses once again on sociopolitical issues, prominent figures in artistic creation, origin stories from the Greek diaspora, the formation of collections, and works and artists who encourage and are inspired by the concept of coexistence. Highlights of the new season include, among others, South African artist of Greek descent Penny Siopis with her retrospective at the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST), the DEMOCRACY exhibition at the National Gallery, MOMus in Thessaloniki and the history of its collections, NEON’s Space of Togetherness exhibition at the School of Irene Papas, and the 50th Venice Biennale—a staple and pinnacle of the show since 2003.

Katerina Zacharopoulou meets with the Greek-born South African artist Penny Siopis to present the first major retrospective exhibition of her work in her country of origin at EMST. Penny Siopis was born in 1953 in the city of Breiberg to Greek parents. She currently lives in Cape Town. She first made a name for herself in the 1980s and 1990s with her thought-provoking paintings that tackled important social issues like colonialism, apartheid, racism, and sexism. She's tried out lots of different media during her career, creating a multi-dimensional work that has made her one of the most important artistic voices of her generation, both inside and outside the African continent. She's had a big influence on younger artists and is a reference point for contemporary anti-colonial and feminist art. She chats with us about her retrospective exhibition, "For Dear Life." It's the first time her work has been shown outside South Africa, and it features some of her best pieces from every stage of her career. The exhibition includes stories of origin, memories of family, archival photographs, a wide range of materials like oil paints, inks, glue, newspaper clippings, everyday objects, and even 8 and 16-mm film. Together, they create a moving narrative about the Greek diaspora in Africa. She talks about her research over the past fifty years, including the politics of the body, trauma, and the sadness and shame that are part of personal and collective stories in her homeland, South Africa. We see her work, which she says is inspired by the stories behind it. For example, the Cake Paintings, which she created in the early 80s, explore family memory and its gender imprint. Then there are the History Paintings (1985-1995), which capture one of the most defining decades in South Africa's history: the end of the 20th century and the fall of apartheid. The Pinky Pinky paintings look at the myths that haunt the childhood imagination as a consequence of colonialism. Finally, there are the Shame Paintings, which explore the notion of shame as a trace of personal and political trauma, as well as her most recent works created during the coronavirus era. We look at excerpts from an important part of her experimental film work, a piece that expresses the experiences of her Greek ancestry and reminds us of important historical and social events that shaped Greece and its diaspora in the first half of the 20th century. Penny Siopis and her work are discussed in the program by EMST Artistic Director Katerina Gregos.