Boxed bells

8 drawings with pencil 25 x 33 cm

The Box enclosed bell -a part of the sound installation Three bells which was realized in 2003- was commissioned by the National Museum of Contemporary Art within the framework of the exhibition series Works. Three different sites across the city -the hillock atop of which stands the National Observatory of Athens, the Aghios Kosmas pier and, finally, the ground floor of the of the EMST (FIX building) before its recent final renovation- hosted Xagoraris' sound installation. In these three spaces, the artist enclosed an equal number of bells, which rang at regular intervals, resembling the melody of church bells. The sound of the bell is doubtlessly a familiar one. At the same time, it carries the particular weight of a plethora of memories and socio-cultural connotations. Today, it invites the diverse museum audience to an open dialogue. The project is part of Zafos Xagoraris' exploration of the notion of sound and its range.
Eleni Ganiti, ENTER EMST: Collection and history, A short guide, 2020

Credit: Donated by the artist, 2003