Kelly Vardaka | Oblivion

Today’s man gives greater value on “appearance” and forgets his immaterial essence. Cultivates his external appearance and neglects his inner world. This happens primarily because he follows the instructions of a society that prefers to accept only people with external “beauty”, a beauty perceived through certain conditions defined by the society itself. So the definition of “beauty” turns, mistakenly, from a purely subjective to merely objective notion. Today’s society, by serving the entertainment industry, is built on shaky foundations and fosters mentally handicapped people. People confined to a chair with a empty gaze. People trapped in a lifestyle that converts the individual from a thinking into will–less being, almost hypnotized, becomes a prisoner of his own existence. An existence that denies its uniqueness giving value only to its material existence, and “hides” underneath fancy clothing. So the person falters in an oblivion state, ie ignoring the messages sent by the abandonment of his immaterial existence, this existence we call the soul... A soul that is reflected into body movements, facial expressions, gaze... A soul that lives from the beginning until the end forgotten in the same house forever, always in the same body... To be prepared at some point for the abandonment of the body which still feels sadness and after its withdrawal from the material body, trying to katannoisei its new, unprecedented, immaterial existence. A soul, that before exiting to the “light” seems to want to “accept” its frozen, material existence. An existence that lies now like a loaded from absence home. Curation: Dimitra Limniati...more

Kelly Vardaka was born in Athens in 1982 and in October 2004 she graduated from the Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Social Anthropology and History of the Aegean University. In December 2006 she was admitted in Athens School of Fine Arts where she graduated in September 2011. She has participated as a convener at the 2nd International Scientific Conference: “Technology in the service of Cultural Heritage” which was organized by the Department of Cultural Technology and Communication of the University of the Aegean in Mytilini, while she has also attended, the School of Fine Arts in Barcelona for five months through the Erasmus program (academic year 2009–2010 spring semester). She attended the 3rd Training Seminar in Special Education and Training entitled “From Theory to Practice Emphasizing in Practice and Designing Intervention and Support Programs” organized by the Pediatric Development Unit of the B’ Pediatric Clinic of the University of Athens, for the academic year 2011–2012. She has done the photographic coverage of the dance show “Dump” of the “VOID” group and has also covered the “Commandments A.D.” dance show of the dance group “Wanderers”. She has participated in group exhibitions and has done one solo exhibition. [Biography updated on: 29/1/2013]