Manifesta purposely strives to keep its distance from what are often seen as the dominant centres of artistic production, instead seeking fresh and fertile terrain for the mapping of a new cultural topography.
Maria Papadimitriou, GR
Video installation at Hauptbahnhof
The community-based, public art project TAMA (Temporary Autonomous Museum for All) was conceptualised by the Greek artist Maria Papadimitriou in Avliza, near Athens, which is occupied by Roma and Vlach-Romanian Greeks. For Manifesta 4 in Frankfurt a large screen was installed at the train station, on which the video T.A.M.A sentimental was projected. Positioned in front of the screen were white plastic chairs, also known as “Gypsy’s chairs” in Greece because they are often sold by Romani vendors. The installation referred to the Roma people’s temporary appropriations of any place, while also offering train travellers a place to rest.