dafni barbageorgopoulou

Space Corals, 2024 

Zellan cast, watercallors

18 x 20 x 17 cm

Exhibition view, Kunstverein Tiergarten, Berlin

The “Space Corals" sculptural project draws inspiration from the coral reefs and the universe and sheds light on the importance of the ocean for oxygen, exploration, imagination and life. It connects the ocean with the cosmos and imagines corals as other worldly beings whose climate-induced migrations have turned them into "aliens of the sea". The project also refers to the historical worship of corals as protective stones with sacred properties. 

Testudo, 2024 

Air-dry clay, bamboo sticks, glue, thread.        

Dimensions: 20 x 34 x 13 cm 

Studio view, Berlin

"Testudo" is a sculptural model inspired by ancient Roman defensive tactics, embodying unity and resilience. Curved interlocking forms evoke protective shields merging into a cohesive structure. This configuration illustrates how interconnected elements provide mutual support and protection, forming a collective strength capable of withstanding challenging circumstances.

The Garden of Gratitude, 2023

3D-visualisation

Coloured concrete cast, variable dimensions, individual objects each 5 to 75 cm high

"The Garden of Gratitude" uses sculpture to create a space of creativity, reflection, and thankfulness within the schoolyard. Through vibrant colors and a free-flowing structure, the Garden enables students to better appreciate the world around them, and thus increase their own happiness and well-being. Each form is cast in different colors and heights, from 5 to 75 cm, and permanently installed in the courtyard. The artwork is currently in the planning phase.

Vagabonds, 2021

Metal structure, fiberglass tubes, polyester, outdoors textile

Each element : 150 x 250 x 180 cm

Installation view, courtyard of Haunt, Berlin

"Vagabonds" takes the idea of vulnerability as a starting point and reflects on migration within the cultural and social-economic landscape. The focus in this case is how the experience of vagabonding or wandering can be concretised through a set of culturally defined codes. The two large-tent like baseball cups installed in the courtyard of Haunt, embody the sense of freedom thorugh their lightness while sublty referring a series of socio-political narratives.

Falkenrot Prize 2020 : Construct Your Stories 

Mixed media installation view, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin

For the needs of the Falkenrot Prize 2020 exhibition, the sculptural works "Barbary Feng & Fig Shui" from 2020, along with the work “Kneeling Woman” from 2015, were presented in a joined installation at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin.

Barbary Feng & Fig Shui, 2020

Polystyrene foam, soap bars, aluminum reliefs tamata. 

Each element : 220 x 160 x 70 cm, 190 x 80 x 55 cm

Installation view, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin

The sculptural works “Barbary Feng & Fig Shui” installed for the needs of the Falkenrot Prize exhibition, operate across two related axes. First, there is the human body and its growth as represented by the organic form and formalism of the sculptures. Second, there is the imaginative undoing and remaking of that growth as seen in the relationship between shamanism and religion through the logic of protection.

Swans, 2019

Video projection, bicycle prototype (106 x 183 x 63 cm)

Video still, digital 3D-visualisation

Installation view, Kunstverein Braunschweig

“Swans” is a series of illuminated bicycles which are offered to the public both as vehicles and as elements in a performative visual metaphor. The project draws inspiration from C.G.Jung ´s Symbols of Transformation, as well as, experimental films linked to the Bauhaus movement and to the avant-garde artists James and John Whitney. The dynamics of these art movements provide a visual link to the bicycle as a geometric form which carries the elements of light, transformation, geometry and movement.

Setting Apart, 2017

Coated MDF, wooden structure, 90 x 320 x 140 cm

Installation view, Mathilde Jacob Platz 1, Berlin

The temporary installation displayed in the glass case of Mathilde Jacob Platz 1 in Moabit, Berlin, invites associations to constructivism while also resembling every day objects like folding paper planes, a tent-like architecture or a crystal. 

The project was initiated by Andreas Prinzing and supported by Künstlerhaus Bethanien.

Heart, 2016

Bronze, patina, 21 x 22 x 13 cm

Studio view, Berlin

The sculpture entitled ‚Heart‘ was modelled out of plasticine before being cast in bronze. It is twice the dimensions of a real human heart and the image below depicts three perspectives of the object.

Soap, 2015

Mixed media, installation view

Hochschule für Bildende Künste (HBK) Braunschweig

“Soap” installation translates noise into spatial objects using sound, moving images, and graphic notations. The inspiration for this project comes from various audio experiments, advertisements, and public social media updates. The sound recordings collected were transformed using the Pure Data software program, visually disrupting repetition in material form and serving as a metaphor for making sculptures. 

Discharge (series), 2012 - 2015

Found 3D channel letters, dimensions variable

Installation view, Uferstudios, Berlin

Using a varying collection of acquired commercial 3D channel letters this work takes on various formal compositions each time it is installed in space.

The collection evolves according to a trading process with a channel letters collector in Berlin.

Scotch Tape, 2014

Found photographic archive, Lambda print, each print: 17.5 x 12.5 cm

“Scotch Tape” is a series of photos depicting an open stomach surgery taken in April 1978. The image of Scotch Tape, which first appeared in a dream, represents the possibility to repair objects rather than replace them. This work is part of a series in which I explore the idea of equivalences and analogies between seemingly disparate narratives.

Combs, 2014

Foam, scissors, spruce plywood, dimensions variable, each element: 80 x 60 x 12 cm

Studio view, Berlin

The sculptural work “Combs” it is based on the idea of sound absorption and made in response to a themed exhibition on the phenomena of lightning connecting the earth to the sky.

∞ , 2013

Aluminum, plexiglas, LED, 415 x 120 x 20 cm

Exhibition view, Heldart, Berlin

This work uses the found three-dimensional lettering of word ‘allein‘ as a play on words that bridges the holistic Chinese philosophy and the Greek ideas concerning the relationship of the cosmos to the body. The German word allein, on the other hand, can be misread as ‘all ein‘, ‘alle in‘, etc..

Discipline(!), 2013

Mixed media installation view, The Wand, Berlin

The series “Discipline(!)”takes the idea of the rectangle as a representation of the human body as employed in the notation systems of the Austro-Hungarian choreographer Rudolf Laban. A series of bodily movements are transformed into forms of familiar geometrical modernist sculpture mixed with IKEA furniture aesthetics.

SL_10, 2011

Satellite discs, dimensions variable

Installation view, ReMap KM3, Athens

The installation “SL_10”attempts to connect the elements of reception and migration. Installed on site in Kerameikos, Athens, as part of the exhibition ‘On the Balconies‘ for Remap, the piece describes the global use of the balcony in a district inhabited by several nationalities and cultures.

ZZOT (series), 2012

Maritime signal flag system, aluminum offset plates, 320 x 120 cm

Studio view, Berlin

The “ZZOT” series is based on the idea of spelling out a fictional word using the maritime signal flag system as a metaphor for hidden meaning. The work raises the issues of migration, urgency and communication.

Straight Right Angle, 2013

Mixed media tapestry on bast weave, wool yarn, spray paint, 400 x 370 cm

Installation view, Heldart at Münzsalon, Berlin

The following series of works are based on the interplay between 2D and 3D spaces and deal with geometric forms, which originate from a wide range of cultural reference points and research. Central to these works is the notion of identification, where different elements were equated in order to suggest a new identity that is assembled in space.