A highly interesting new exhibition raises the curtain for the autumn season of the MOMUS-Experimental Center for the Arts (Warehouse B1, Pier A, Port of Thessaloniki). Under the title “Becoming a Ghost”, the Greek visual artist Alexandros Plomaritis, well-known for his performances, explores the human body, its very state of beingness and its performative role, in various and in good parts unknown spaces and locations, both in Belgium and in Greece. This multiform exhibition includes thirty photographs (performances for camera), three installations and three videos. The selection of the works was carried out in concert with Eirini Papakonstantinou, art historian and MOMUS-Experimental Center for the Arts curator.

The photo project kicked off about three years ago, at a time when Aleaxandros Plomaritis was in Belgium. In his words: “I walked all around Brussels, observing spaces and locations, photographing anything that stirred my interest. Having joined forces with photographer Yorgos Athanasiadis, with whom we have been working side by side over the last five years, we decided not to limit ourselves within the city boundaries, and seek abandoned places of historical importance outside the city. Many of these spaces and locations were not accessible, but after many efforts we were finally granted access to some of them. The core idea was to explore the way the “foreign” body reacts within an unknown space that carries a particular charge. Prior to any photo shooting, I conducted targeted research to find out the history of each place and location, its past use, who were its owners, what wear and tear it underwent in the course of time.”

Several of these photos depict spaces and locations familiar to Belgian people, such as parks, churches, old retirement homes, while some others bring forth lesser known ones, such as castles, abandoned monasteries, redundant libraries and theaters. “I wanted this alternation to look like a photo album that draws a comparison between the old and the new. The grandeur of the past that fades away with the passing of time, juxtaposed against today’s reality,” explains the artist.

Apart from places and locations of “otherness”, Plomaritis also selected a series of “familiar” ones found in Greece, such as the island of Thassos and the Mount Pangaeos. In one of the exhibition’s photos, he stands in the middle of the sea, in the city of Kavala, on an old pillbox, holding an open black umbrella as a silent poetic reference to René Magritte.

Plomaritis’ key means of expression is the body, which “talks by itself and responds to any given moment.” Every action is unique and genuine, aiming to forge a powerful connection with the viewer and trigger a deeper emotional reaction. At the same time, the body works as a political or social symbol – as does art in the whole –, while often serving as the pretext and foundation for an area of negotiation and public statement.

The exhibition “Becoming a Ghost” is matched by a program of parallel events and guided tours.

Saturday October 11th, 11 a.m.

Experiential workshop for adults “In motion: Art and displacement”

Sunday September 21st & October 19th, 12 p.m.

Guided tour by Eirini Papakonstantinou, the exhibition curator, in dialogue with the visual artist Alexandros Plomaritis.

Saturday September 27th, 9 p.m.

Performance by Alexandros Plomaritis and Maria Kremeti.

Saturday October 4th, 8 p.m.

Pop-up event with students from the School of Visual and Applied Arts of the AUTh Faculty of Fine Arts. Curation: Alexandros Plomaritis.

Saturday October 18th, 8 p.m.

Music performance with Kareen Samara.

Co-production: International Workshop in Theory and Sound, University of Thessaly & Beyond 1932: Rethinking Musical Modernity in the Middle East and North Africa (King’s College London, ERC/UKRI). Curation: Daphne Tragaki, Associate Professor, University of Thessaly & Martin Stokes, Professor of Music, King’s College London.

Exhibition duration: September 11th – October 25th, 2025

Additional info:

www.momus.gr/exhibitions/alexandros-plomaritis-becoming-ghost