Perasma proudly presented All Things Become Islands Before My Senses, a group exhibition of site-specific installations in dialogue with historic venues across the island of Leros this past summer. On display until 18 August 2024, the exhibition featured a blend of new and existing works, adapted to the unique historical context of the island by 17 international artists, including William Kentridge, Goshka Macuga, Cevdet Erek, Maryam Turkey, and Lindsey Mendick.

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The exhibition explored the complex relationship between time, water, and the island’s rich history. It revolved around the fluidity of existence and how it manifests both beauty and adversity, especially on an island with such a multifaceted past. The maritime heritage of Leros, with its constant ebb and flow of ships and stories, became the focal point where history, mythology, and reality blended like the currents of its waters.

Leros, nestled in the Dodecanese Islands near Turkey, provided the perfect backdrop for All Things Become Islands Before My Senses. Its diverse architectural landscape, shaped by decades of Italian occupation and characterised by urban neoclassicism and Italian modernism, enhanced the experience for visitors. The artworks were installed across several key locations, each one chosen for its historical significance.

At the Perasma Space, located in a neoclassical mansion built in 1886 in Agia Marina:

• Goshka Macuga premiered a new experimental horror film, marking the first time she worked with the medium, featuring actors from a local theatre group.
• Cevdet Erek presented a sound installation with glass sculptures shaped like goat bells sourced from Leros, combining sound, rhythm, and architecture.
• Cansu Yıldıran and Maryam Turkey created new works during residencies, with Yıldıran’s photographic series and Turkey’s light sculptures and installation of found objects from Leros.
• Paweł Althamer exhibited Case for Dogon Queen (2020) and fools boat (2024), along with other sculptures.
• William Kentridge’s mohair tapestry and other works by artists like Laura Footes, Sophie von Hellerman, and Kostis Velonis were also featured.

Other key locations included:

• The Elementary School, home to Cevdet Erek’s SSS – Shore Scene Soundtrack, an interactive project that recreated the sound of the ocean through specific hand movements.
• The Old Barracks of Xerokampos, where William Kentridge’s Shadow Procession (1999) was displayed, within an abandoned barracks that also contained frescoes by German painter Otto Meister.
• The Leros Nautical Club, which hosted Paweł Althamer’s Art Academy for children from immigrant communities, with workshops led by renowned international professors.

This exhibition was the second edition of The Leros Project, launched by Perasma in 2023 in collaboration with Galerist, and built on the themes explored in the previous edition, Time is a Child. Throughout its work, Perasma collaborated closely with the local community and organisations such as the Artemis Cultural and Educational Association and the Caserma of Herbs and its Social Cooperative, enhancing the relationship between contemporary art and Leros’s historical and social landscape.

On the Media:

All Things Become Islands Before My Senses Press Cuttings selection