Iakovos Volkov: i am still here

Thursday, June 14, 2018

i am still here

''forgive them, even if they are not sorry'', found objects,

plexi glass and led light, variable dimensions, 2018

''sometimes i still remember you'', found clothes, tire ups and plexi glass, 2018

''wish i had forty arms to hug you''. found teddy bears and fishing line on metal grid, 2017

''jacob's ladder'', clothes and glue, variable dimensions, 2018

''teddy cube I'', found teddy bears and glue, 2018

''five working days'', alarm clocks and wood

few works from my 4th solo exhibition in Athens ''i'm still here'' at Alibi gallery

about this diary

I started painting graffiti on walls when I was 15 and living in Thessaloniki. Over time, my thoughts about art evolved. I began creating installations in deteriorating areas of the city, mainly in abandoned factories. Since moving to Athens in 2014, I have frequently been invited to participate in gallery and museum exhibitions. For these venues I created sculptures that were site specific, independent freestanding works or pieces that could be installed on a gallery wall.

Primarily I work with discarded things - plastic, clothes, textiles and everyday items are my basic materials nowadays. I see value in things overlooked by others. Flowing from my history as a graffiti artist, I began building word sculptures. More recently I have also explored working abstractly, building objects and installations focused on composition and materials.

I deeply feel one can create meaningful work from small, ordinary things found abandoned on the street. Carefully observing my environment and experimenting with discovered materials, I construct meaning from the discarded, meticulously reconfiguring what society has worn out and broken. I restore life into forgotten places with what I have saved, giving a reason to consider places no longer noticed. For me, this work is essential.