At this point in the Square.project, the journey unfolded anew: beyond shapes and constructions, the square became a vessel for words, emotions, singing and observation of the changes around us.
During an in situ art residency (October 2022) at Grosse Kunstschau, the contemporary art museum in Worpswede, I set my creative laboratory among the exhibits.
Within a pre-defined, marked square of
3,124 m², on the museum's floor, this space became a site of active research and dialogue.
Moving between the square and its surroundings, I invited visitors to experience the space and the very idea of the square, in new ways - to reimagine our relationship with it.
The in situ devising process became a shared experience between artist, audience and space. Α safe environment to re-explore, release, and express.
An ongoing personal journey exploring the “square”.
How this fundamental geometrical shape transforms into rhythm, dynamics, movement, space, construction, even sound. From the world of design into the world of performance.
During my training and creative process, the “square” has been a central tool and recurring motif, reflecting the modern cities and lives that are “perfectly” fitted into boxes.
In design, the square serves as a starting point; ideas and images are first squared on paper and then gradually evolve, angles soften, details are added and the hand is eventually freed to create beyond rigid forms.
In modern life, however, the square often becomes a confining shape, both literally and metaphorically. A symbol of order and control that limits freedom in areas such as fashion, technology, relationships, and even love.
How can we introduce freedom and softness into these rigid forms?
The Square.project is a personal artistic research that seeks different languages of expression through this shape. Past works include: “Eternity can wait” (theater, 2019), “Grid” (visual art, 2021-22), and “(re-)lease” (installation, 2022).
Reflections....
During my residency at Grosse Kunstschau (October 2022), I transformed a marked square of 3.12 m² within the museum into a living studio. A space of observation, presence, and shared potential. I worked continuously inside and around the square, inviting visitors to enter, use and transform the space as they wished.
At first, I referred to this square as a safe space encouraging free movement and personal expression, both for myself and for the audience. But over time, through observing how visitors approached (or avoided) the space, I began to question what safe space really means: for me, for each individual and for a collective.
The square became a vessel not only for my own practice but also for the quiet tension, curiosity and unspoken limits within the museum itself.
Original idea, design and direction: Despoina Filippidou
participation at "eigenfläche" by Jakob Margit Wirth
