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Text by Eleni Riga, Independent Curator
 

Eirini Linardaki introduces a new series of installations made of faux marble under the title Raised - the floating playground at The Owl’s Head Park in Brooklyn following an invitation from the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation.

Raised - the floating playground consists of ambiguous objects (assemblages), ranging from handmade rafts to playground toys. Inspired by the Park’s unique position overseeing New York Bay, Linardaki’s new works reflect on migration by sea over the last century and humankind's inherent nomadic condition. She draws inspiration from her childhood, creating works resembling vehicles of all sorts, made from household objects such as chest drawers, cushions, chairs, and bed sheets, referring to family displacement as a crossroad between playtime and a life-altering journey. 

The symbol of the raft holds tremendous importance in art history. The first thing that comes to mind is the emblematic painting by the French artist Théodore Géricault, The Raft of the Medusa. Painted in 1816, it refers to the aftermath of the wreck of a French naval frigate that was heading to today’s Mauritania and ran aground due to the captain’s incompetence. Only 15 people out of the 147 onboard a hurriedly constructed raft survived. This painting has influenced numerous artists, among them Martin Kippenberger, Bill Viola, and Frank Stella. The raft has been appropriated by artists in different ways to emphasize hope, loss, or despair over time. Not only has the meaning changed but also the form. Internet research - similar to the one Eirini Linardaki has undertaken - proves that the form and the material of the raft have changed significantly over time, depending on what resources have been available. “You can make anything float, even cement”, says Linardaki during one of our conversations. The raft seems to have accompanied Linardaki for a long time since she was still a student in the South of France. It is a rather basic structure: a square or rectangular base with a beam and a sail. Nevertheless, people keep deconstructing these elements and adjusting them to ensure they will float and sail. Some of them seem to hold together on people’s faith alone.

Moreover, the raft is one of the vehicles we have available to reach dry land somewhat safely. This installation celebrates maritime immigration route ingenuity. Some rafts are able to float only for the duration of the crossing. Here, the rafts Linardaki has made from drawers, chairs, and balls suggest a feeling of the domestic. The artist wishes to encourage everyone to “anchor” their personal and collective stories on these works. Also, the DIY character of the rafts refers to our capacity to make our own home anywhere and carry it with us, as well as within us. 

To understand Linardaki’s work, it is necessary to go back to her childhood: she draws inspiration from her memories, whether it is the floral sheets her mother used to wrap her in after her nightly bath or the everyday objects she used to make imaginary constructions, castles, barricades or vehicles. Linardaki has repeated many times that “my childhood is my only country”. So, it comes as no surprise when she integrates the notion of the game into her sculptures. Balloons casually appear as a part of her composition, laying on the lower part of the sculptures and adding a welcoming tone. Her choice of materials is in line with her intentions: the faux marble, made from a mix of small marble debris, stone powder, sand, cement, etc., desacralizes this classical sculptural material and interrogates the way we inscribe histories and memories. Linardaki favors phenomenological experience, meaning lived experience and feelings that are both unique to each person and universal, addressing the “human condition”. 

Furthermore, to create a deeper understanding of Linardaki’s work, it is worth mentioning that she lives between two islands: Crete in Greece and Manhattan in New York. The “islander spirit” contains two seemingly contrasting characteristics: on one hand, it seeks mobility and connectivity - there is evidence of ancient seafaring across the Aegean Sea dating as far back as the eighth millennium BCE; while at the same time it encourages a strong sense of belonging to the island and a distinct cultural identity proven by archaeology, art and history. Islands are both divided from the mainland and connected to it by water. 

All in all, Linardaki wishes to use the raft as a metaphorical vehicle, encouraging all visitors to find new meaning in their everyday walks, in mundane things or activities at the park. Their joyful character is a reminder that childhood is a state of mind where we observe things for the first time with curiosity and an open heart. 

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