Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva
Encyclopedia
Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva is a Macedonian-born artist based in Brighton
, UK. Her work has been widely exhibited in places such as the Swiss Embassy and the World Bank in Macedonia; Kilmainham Gaol Museum, Ireland
; Berwick Gymnasium Gallery, UK; L’H du Siege, France
; and the 51st Venice Biennale
in Italy
.
She graduated in Sculpture
from the Royal College of Art
, London
, in 1998 and has since participated in numerous exhibitions and commissions both nationally and internationally. Her work is mostly installation based and site specific, drawing on the particularities of a place—its history, light, texture, and smell—and drawing attention to spaces that may not usually be encountered. She often uses materials that already have an existing link or history to the specific environment, which often results in new and unusual methods of working. Past works have included the use of butter, fish skins, chicken skins, internal animal organs, rice, and watercress.
Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva’s practice encompasses photography
, sculpture
, video
and sound installations, as well as architectural interventions, such as Ambush (2000), which was a temporary outdoor architectural intervention, where engineered tunnels were used to expose the roots of living trees with glazed roof areas allowing the visitors to see the world from below the ground, a project co-ordinated by Southern Arts, and hosted by ArtSway and the Forestry Commission.
Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva was shortlisted for the Jerwood Sculpture Prize
in 2001, London, and was commissioned by The Samling Foundation for Road to Nowhere, 2002 in Kielder Forest
, Northumberland
. She has also held many residencies, including ArtSway, The Irish Museum of Modern Art, The Berwick Gymnasium Fellowship and was Artist in Residence
at Gloucester Cathedral
in 2008. She is also an ArtSway Associate.
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
, UK. Her work has been widely exhibited in places such as the Swiss Embassy and the World Bank in Macedonia; Kilmainham Gaol Museum, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
; Berwick Gymnasium Gallery, UK; L’H du Siege, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
; and the 51st Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
She graduated in Sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
from the Royal College of Art
Royal College of Art
The Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in 1998 and has since participated in numerous exhibitions and commissions both nationally and internationally. Her work is mostly installation based and site specific, drawing on the particularities of a place—its history, light, texture, and smell—and drawing attention to spaces that may not usually be encountered. She often uses materials that already have an existing link or history to the specific environment, which often results in new and unusual methods of working. Past works have included the use of butter, fish skins, chicken skins, internal animal organs, rice, and watercress.
Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva’s practice encompasses photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
and sound installations, as well as architectural interventions, such as Ambush (2000), which was a temporary outdoor architectural intervention, where engineered tunnels were used to expose the roots of living trees with glazed roof areas allowing the visitors to see the world from below the ground, a project co-ordinated by Southern Arts, and hosted by ArtSway and the Forestry Commission.
Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva was shortlisted for the Jerwood Sculpture Prize
Jerwood Sculpture Prize
The Jerwood Sculpture Prize was launched in 2001 as an initiative of the Jerwood Foundation. This commissioning prize aims to give support to emerging talent within the medium of outdoor sculpture...
in 2001, London, and was commissioned by The Samling Foundation for Road to Nowhere, 2002 in Kielder Forest
Kielder Forest
Kielder Forest is a large forestry plantation in Northumberland, England, surrounding the reservoir Kielder Water. It is the largest man-made woodland in Europe...
, Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
. She has also held many residencies, including ArtSway, The Irish Museum of Modern Art, The Berwick Gymnasium Fellowship and was Artist in Residence
Artist in residence
Artist-in-residence programs and other residency opportunities allow visiting artists to stay and work so that they may apply singular focus to their art practice....
at Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral
Gloucester Cathedral, or the Cathedral Church of St Peter and the Holy and Indivisible Trinity, in Gloucester, England, stands in the north of the city near the river. It originated in 678 or 679 with the foundation of an abbey dedicated to Saint Peter .-Foundations:The foundations of the present...
in 2008. She is also an ArtSway Associate.
Education
- 1998 MA in Sculpture, Royal College of Art, London
- 1996 BA (Hons) in Sculpture, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow, Scotland
Key artworks
- Gunna (2009) (Sculpture)
- Motectum (2009) (Sound Installation)
- Angel 1-40 (2009) (Sculpture)
- We Are Shadows (2008) (Sculpture)
- Butterflies in the Stomach (2007 – 2008) (Installation with sound)
- Time Stands Still, 1916 & 1991-2001 (2006) (Photography)
- me, you & them (2005) (Film and video)
- Life Cycle, (2004) (Sculpture)
- Epidermis (2000 – 2001) (Installation)
- Butter Wall (2000) (Sculpture)
- Ambush (2000) (Architecture and Environment)
Selected solo exhibitions
- 2009 Motectum, Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester, UK
- 2008 We Are Shadows, Unit 2, Whitechapel, London, UK
- 2008 Butterflies in the Stomach, L'H du Siege, Valenciennes, France
- 2006 Time Stands Still, 1916 & 1991-2001, Kilmainham Gaol Museum, Dublin, Ireland
- 2002 re|sort, Fabrica Gallery, Brighton, UK
- 2001 Epidermis 2, Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow, UK
- 2001 Love Carpet Hexham Art Centre, Hexham, UK
- 2001 Sweet Red (permanent), Nowton Park, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK
- 2001 Epidermis Berwick Gymnasium Gallery, Berwick upon Tweed, UK
- 2000 WHO AM I, ArtSway, New Forest, UK