Niko Abramidis &NE, Ancient Decision Maker, 2020

2020

Medium

Printed carpet

Dimensions

160 × 290 cm

Status

In Gallery Collection

Collect24 Art ID

C24-156242

Niko Abramidis &NE integrates classic furnishings in his expansive installations, creating a fictional office atmosphere that reflects the efficiency of the financial world in a humorous way. The tapestry Ancient Decision Maker (2020), covered in a printed marble surface and various symbols, is reminiscent of noble trading house floorings of bygone times. In earlier trading metropoles such as Florence and Venice, expensive marble inlays – showing the house's coats of arms and other symbols – was an expression of power and success. Niko Abramidis &NE utilizes industrial production techniques to transfer this expression of domination into the present, thus referring to the power of symbolism, which is still perceptible today. The resulting skeuomorphism, in which a familiar object is imitated by another material or form without being justified by a function, appears repeatedly in the artist's works. While elaborate handicraft technology has become almost secondary thanks to efficient production conditions and inexpensive materials, the efficacy and importance of company logos has maintained its importance, if not become even more important. Today's start-up companies often use these old symbols, such as the globe and pyramid, to emphasize their value. At the center of Ancient Decision Maker is a reptilian creature, reminiscent of a fossil, surrounded by pyramids, fire and a circular symbol, reaching for a globe. Niko Abramidis &NE places mythological beasts in opposition to the lifelessness of machines in his visual worlds. Hybrid and transhuman beings appear repeatedly, representing evolving creatures with both dreams and instincts.