STOMACHOMA

Eirini Tiniakou: STOMACHOMA2021, Installation“From the words we utter through our mouths to the soil we toil with our hands, as a form of artistic practice, to being closer to the ground, where the functionality of cultivation becomes a performative practice in everyday life.”
The island of Lesvos is the site for my thesis research. For the purposes of this project, I was part of an endeavour in search of local elements, such as soil, people, culture, folk stories and trees. I ended up with a treasure hold of gargantuan proportions, a trove of silent topographical treasures that are dear to me and ultimately, universal. The focus of my research is primarily to explore the ways in which harvesting is done, in addition to tapping into the skills and technical know-how of generations of olive pickers. Also, by taking the plunge and breaching their circle, which employs mainly men, I was challenged to comprehend the current way of working in the olive fields and my own role in such a setup. The significance of the olive tree as a symbol and an entity in the identity of the Mediterranean people never ceases to amaze me. The olive groves imply an incredibly rich socio-economic background. They are indeed a silent poetry for the soul.