40Roomors

The art exhibition "To soma mila" ("The body speaks"), inspired by the work of Lorna Marshall, offers a journey through the multiple facets of physicality. Transcending the limits of simple representation, the human body is approached here as a living, breathing organism that accumulates experiences and exists in a state of perpetual flux.

Through works of painting, photography, sculpture, and textile art, the visitor enters a space that echoes the logic of the tableau vivant: a moment frozen within an ongoing physical narrative. Yet, the stillness of the forms remains strictly apparent; their constant flow is merely isolated into a single visual snapshot.

Exactly how this action will evolve is intentionally left suspended. Its completion is left entirely to the viewer. Through their imagination and personal perspective, it is the viewer who is called upon to carve a completely unique, unseen path for each form.

Curated by: Anna Margaritidou

Text by: Anna Margaritidou & Marianna Mitsioti Ganidou

Artists:
40ROOMORS
ELENI ARVANITI
GIORGOS CHATZIAGOROU
JOTA ZABITHA
KLER
KOSTIS ARGYRIADIS
MARIA KYNIGOU
MARINA SUZDALTSEVA
MARITA BASDRA
OLYMPIA LETSIOU
TASSOS SCHIZAS
VASARTE

40roomors present their own perspective of Thessaloniki in an exhibition where the art of photography and the world of textiles engage in a dynamic dialogue. The use of weaving as a visual medium is far from incidental: as the evolution of a traditional technique and, at the same time, a component of contemporary folklore, it holds the privilege of recording aspects of the present through the lens of the urban landscape, while simultaneously addressing our relationship with the image, materiality, and memory.

Through the dialogue between the two media, a journey through the city unfolds, where bustling streets, secluded neighborhoods, and small, almost forgotten shops are not presented merely as documents of reality or moments frozen in time. Rather, they function as punctum—that small, often at first glance inexplicable detail that leaves a deep imprint and is frequently experienced on an affective level. The addition of tufting onto the photographic surface may be understood precisely in this way, transforming the image into a tactile archive.

The seemingly fixed position of gray as the dominant color of everyday life is challenged by the vision of the two creators who, with the collaboration of photographer Nikos "On The Run" Pasxalis, choose to document neighborhoods where color still survives. In this way, new, multicolored landscapes emerge—ready to be experienced—while the act of weaving reclaims space in a distinctive manner, inviting us to engage with ourselves as part of a city that remembers, intervenes, and functions as a fluid body rather than a static entity.

Touch and sight, activated simultaneously, rearticulate the urban landscape and narrate stories of the streets, which in turn remind us that Thessaloniki, with its distinctive Balkan identity, currently stands at a crossroads of transformation. The city’s character is shifting, tolerating—and at times even embracing—gentrification. It is precisely here that the need arises to reinvent its identity, perhaps in a different direction: one that does not disregard collective memory and acknowledges that the homogenization of urban space does not follow fixed trajectories, but is something that is (re)constructed collectively.

Curation: Anna Margaritidou

Text: Marianna Mitsioti

Photography: Nikos Pasxalis (aka Nikos On The Run)

In an era where artificial intelligence is redefining production and creation, the need to make room for and give voice to new creators becomes more urgent than ever.
Human Hands functions as a quiet yet meaningful form of resistance: it reminds us of the value of the human hand, of experience, learning, and hands-on knowledge. It is a struggle we must bring to the forefront, encouraging our children to look beyond the obvious, to discover professions with substance, longevity, and a future — professions that keep the human being at the center of creation.

Our artwork for this exhibition functions as a play on words that expresses anguish and concern toward artificial intelligence and contemporary digital glorification. It refers to the sanctification of technology (Ai–AI), commenting on the failure of the social advancement promised by techno-scientific progress.

Media: Tapestry loom

Curation: Eleni Simoni, Giannis Argyriadis

Participated in Art Thessaloniki Fair through Papatzikou Gallery, presenting the woven work "Terra arida". A single flower within a dry, barren landscape, exploring the tension between fragility and endurance.

Variations in texture and density articulate the landscape and form. This artwork continues 40Roomors’ investigation of textile as a contemporary artistic language grounded in process.

40 Roomors unfold on OTE Art Showcases three stories made of thread and love, ode to Mother Nature. Under the title, 'No Room for Tales', 'Traces of Life', 'Terra Árida', made with tufting technique, the works reveal the
close connection that the two creators feel continuously with the
light and the natural environment.

Text: Sofia Zarari

Metal installation standing in space as a four-panel screen paravan.

Each side is dressed with wool tufted textiles and tapestries.
On one face, a deconstructed Balkan chamois, on the other side climbing forms shaped through forest tones.

Warp threads define the in-between surfaces, with knots mapping contour lines of mountain landscapes.

Abstract dripping scene developed in direct response to the space’s color palette.

A woven tapestry artwork installed in an all-day bar in the heart of Thessaloniki. It becomes an integral part of the space, functioning almost like a living wallpaper. Through its smooth colour pallette and tactile textures, the tapestry softens the architectural lines and adds warmth and depth to the interior.

Flows and textures of a wetland habitat.