Zafos Xagoraris, “Minor Alterations of Legal Texts or other Regulations – Selling Flowers at the Glyptothek”, action on the stairway of Glyptothek during the personal exhibition “Agora”, Francoise Heitsch Gallery, Munich, 2010

 

Zafos Xagoraris, “Minor Alterations of Legal Texts or other Regulations – Selling Flowers at the Aphaia Temple”, action in the archaeological space of Aphaia temple during the group exhibition “Open Grounds”, Aigina, 2010

 

During these one-day events in 2010, Zafos Xagoraris initiated flower sales in an archaeological space and a museum. These events are related to former installations and projects during which legal or other administrative regulations were converted, re-organizing urban conditions and transforming urban reality into a new unfamiliar environment. The two temporary permissions of Glyptothek and Aphaia altered the image of the places for a few hours, while the buckets, the flowers and the wreaths created a vibrant, informal situation which formed a contrast to the various meanings of the two institutions. The visitors buying the offered goods contributed to the vivid flower market life and at the same time experienced a familiar everyday activity in an altered environment. In so doing, an alternative but at the same time direct connection between antiquity and present is established. Just as the visitor becomes a part of this procedure and by buying flowers will take home a part of the installation, so does the institution becoming part of an everyday action is regarded by spectators in an entirely new context.

(In the 19th century, many sculptures exhibited at Glyptothek have been pulled apart from the Aphaia temple and transported to Munich)