hypercomf

Hypercomf is a pseudo-company formed in 2017 by two collaborating artists: Ioannis Koliopoulos, founder and Paola Palavidi, production assistant. Hypercomf acknowledges the drawbacks of a throw-away society and produces objects ranging from quilts to poetry - often through the act of recycling - that could serve a function, beyond the purely aesthetic factor. Hypercomf makes useful art. Koliopoulos and Palavidi will be presenting the 'making-of' of Hypercomf.

Hypercomf produces wearable or in other ways functional artwork, video and poetry, its aim is an investigation of the useful and the useless, comfort and discomfort, personal and collective experience. This is accomplished through a familiarization of social consumption left overs, using humour and the possibilities of cultural re-invention. The fabric based works are made of second hand clothing items, rags, carpets, blankets, and fabrics which are collected in situ where the company sets temporary base. Occasionally tailor made unique woven fabrics are also used. All these are quilted, stitched and sewn with socio-anthropological concepts and symbols. Similarly to the fabric objects the accompanying poetry is stitched and sewn using second-hand words, frequently used phrases, book excerpts e.t.c. The resulting art work is usable and at times multifunctional, it can be used as wall hangings, blankets, sofas, carpets, soft sculptures, bags or as one piece garments. The soft and comfortable artworks are infused with a slight air of discomfort , hidden in the details of the fabric works and more prominently received from the discomforting poetry and video that accompanies the products. Video uses action to create portraits and narratives of found objects. These become personified subjects placed in destructive situations or in repetitive uneventful routine. The objects are part of an archive and can be casted for more than one role. Frequently the stars of the video performances are shoes. Occasionaly relevant narration for the video is provided by readings of public domain books from Librivox.
These words and items once so close and personal to a single body, time or culture create a language of symbols for the collective memory.