Georgia Sagri
Case_O. Between Wars

Georgia Sagri’s forthcoming exhibition, Case_O. Between Wars, at Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, explores the complex interplay of personal and collective struggles amidst global tensions. With a practice deeply rooted in performance, sculpture and social engagement, Sagri navigates the fluidity of conflict, survival and transformation. The exhibition examines how wars – both internal and external – shape identities, societies and histories, inviting audiences to engage with these themes through immersive experiences that connect mind and body.

Case_O. Between Wars continues Sagri’s ongoing Cases series following Case_L at Kunsthalle Friart, Fribourg, Switzerland (2022). In Case_L, Sagri focused on physiological responses to anxiety and panic attacks – recurring themes in her self-devised research practice IASI (Greek for ‘recovery’). This series explores wounding and healing, exhaustion and recovery, with Case_O centred on the remnants of conflict, trauma and the potential for regeneration. For over a decade, Sagri has integrated IASI into her exhibitions and performances. Originally conceived as a means to recover from the physical and emotional demands of her durational performances, IASI combines breathing, movement and voice techniques to foster self-care and collective healing. As Sagri explains, ‘Breath is a site of liberation and constraint. It holds the power to connect us to ourselves and each other, transcending cultural and linguistic barriers’.

In Case_O. Between Wars, the remnants of IASI sessions inform much of the exhibition’s material. From private, confidential explorations of self-recovery to public performances, Sagri continues to challenge societal structures and offers pathways for personal and communal transformation.

Incorporating new works alongside pre-existing ones, the exhibition creates a dialogue between Sagri’s dynamic practice and six works of the post-war period from the Veronika and Peter Monauni collection, on permanent loan at the Kunstmuseum. Central to the exhibition is the sculpture Dynamis | Soma in orgasm as sex (2017), 2023, a work initially conceived for documenta 14, Kassel, Germany, carefully repaired by Sagri after being damaged during public display, re-presented as a new art work in her solo exhibition Oikonomia (The Breeder, Athens, 2023). This aluminium sculpture, depicting united male and female sex organs, serves as both the starting point and anchor for the show. Sagri describes orgasm as the ‘structural methodology’ of the work, an approach that challenges traditional conceptions of the body, sexuality and economy. For Sagri, the body becomes a site of resistance and a medium through which she confronts and transcends societal structures that attempt to define us.

A Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein production curated by Christiane Meyer-Stoll and Letizia Ragaglia. Special thanks to the Onassis Foundation for supporting the exhibition.

Opening Performance: City by Georgia Sagri with Jim Fletcher, Thursday, 19 September 2024, 5pm Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Artificial Light Gallery

An integral part of the exhibition is Sagri’s performance City, premiering alongside renowned New York actor Jim Fletcher at the exhibition’s opening. This 40-minute duet performance embodies themes of resilience, war and internal conflict. Sagri’s body becomes a conduit for the cycles of destruction and renewal, encouraging the audience members to reflect on their own relationship to war, memory and survival. More than just a performance, City functions as a living sculpture within the exhibition, inviting participants into a deeply personal and communal experience.

Further performances will occur on Saturday, 23 November 2024, and Sunday, 24 November 2024, at 3 pm. Short guided tours will be led by curator Letizia Ragaglia, starting at 2:30 pm.

Text by Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein