Deutsches Historisches Museum - Verf�hrung Freiheit. Kunst in Europa seit 1945 - Blog

‘My name is Lizzie Calligas and I am a visual artist born in Athens. My connection with the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art is a long one starting in the 90s when the museum acquired a large piece from my series ‘Metamorphoses: My Body – Your Body’.'

You helped a great deal with the installation of the exhibition by photographing it and showing the pictures to Denys. Did you want your photos to also have an artistic quality about them or was it more of a technical assignment?

‘I tried to help Denys by photographing the process of installing the exhibition since he could not be there all the time and all the days before the opening. Of course he had planned the exhibition already and his two assistants Alexios and Maro knew very well how to follow his instructions. Through the photographs he was able to make final touches. Of course the need and urgency of the situation resulted in a very large number of photos. Most of them had the specific purpose of informing Denys, but I also took some more personal ones, e.g. close ups, auto-portraits through reflections on art works etc. As for the ‘artistic aspect’ that is coming later depending on how I would like to use these photographs.’

What are the most fascinating aspects of this exhibition for you?

‘This exhibition is absolutely fascinating as a whole, but I was very happily surprised with the Dark Room with the works of Peter Kogler as a background for other works but still retaining its autonomy.’

When and why did you first become interested in art? Was there a special moment in that regard?

‘I come from a family with strong cultural background, including painters, musicians, archaeologists and art historians so I guess this had something to do with my decision to become an artist. The special moment came rather late: I was already 32 years old and a mother of three children. Then I started my studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Athens and I haven’t stopped practicing ever since.’

What are the most challenging aspects of working as an artist? What are the most rewarding?

‘Working as an artist I believe is a way of life. It is not a ‘job’ like many others. It is challenging all the time, every day, because there is always a new discovery awaiting you, a new path to follow and you never know what the result will be!

Rewarding is the fact that an artist can look at the world like a child, that is with ‘fresh eyes’, rewarding when you accomplish something you have as an idea, rewarding when this something finds its way to communicate with other people.’

Is there an artist or a piece of art that particularly inspires you?

‘I draw my inspiration from many different things and certainly yes from art history as well. At times, there were different pieces or place that inspired me: La Venus de Milo in the Louvre, the Eleusina site, the Old Acropolis Museum etc. But I draw my inspiration also from nature, the sea, light.’