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STANDING THERE, HOLDING THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD

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EXPERIMENTAL VIDEO WORK COMISSIONED BY FESTIVAL DER VORGAERTEN, PROGRAM DOMINO

story, direction, art direction, graphic design Marilena Georgantzi, Athens 2026

More info about the work

“Isn’t it funny that our conversation cycles around the two Mark Fisher books Capitalist Realism and The Weird and the Eerie?” says Marilena Georgantzi. August 2026, the Vorgartion Domino travels to Athens with the work Standing there, holding the other side of the world. The aforementioned Fisher realisation came up after we talked about the architecture in the city of Athens, where basically all stand-alone properties are surrounded by either walls and fences. Georgantzi reflects on this fact that there’s an observable desire by the people to nest in their homes. That’s a common myth, in the framework established by Roland Barthes, the artist, who is also a trained architect, draws upon in her thinking. The wish to nest is especially evident in a city like Athens that has become increasingly populated and busy in the last few decades. I inquire if it’s eventually also connected to the uncertainty that came with the financial crisis 2009. Georgantzi answers that it surely has intensified the social climate and people have become more tense. The urge to be in one’s home, in a secured piece of land is apparent, especially in the current athenian housing crisis. But also the walls as traces have been there since much longer, only the urge to stay inside them has grown. Back in the 1950s and 60s people from Athens used to take chairs out to the pavement to enjoy the social sphere. Something that has meanwhile disappeared in the city, but can still be found outside of it. The walls also make the concept of a homogenised aesthetics of gardens and front yards being unimaginable.

Standing there, holding the other side of the world takes us to the personal nest of Georgantzi, her parents’ house in the suburbs of Athens. Her reflections of the walls do not only have a conceptual purpose, but also resonate in the work’s cinematography. Sequences showing the outside of the property’s walls are shot with an old Hi8 camera that comes with an inherently eerie look. Meanwhile the inside is filmed with a modern digital camera including anamorphic lenses that give the sequences a dreamy aesthetic. To my question, whether the work is autobiographical Georgantzi clearly answers with no. There might be some elements of physical memories in it, but the work explores the space with a fresh gaze and an urge for magical, Alice in Wonderland-like exploration. Also the wonderful movie Daisies (1966, by Věra Chytilová) comes up as a point of reference. Through the curious exploration mixed with a very own playfulness of performance and a precise use of cinematography Standing there, holding the other side of the world creates a nearly hypnotic experience for the viewer. At first glance, one might feel a sense of “I don’t really know what’s going on, but it makes me feel comfortable.” This mythological quality is often found in carefully crafted artworks. The carefulness also resonates in the fact, that the work followed a clear written script by Georgantzi. The realisation of the work included rehearsals with the protagonists and full shooting day with a film crew.

The role of director is new to Georgantzi, as she has previously worked mainly as a set designer in film contexts. I ask her how this new sphere of control feels. „Everyone brought their own POV (point of vision) into the work. Film is an inherently collective medium“, Georgantzi states. Meaning that everyone involved had a voice of expression and could add personal impulses to the work. Another, eventually important element that is woven into the aura of Standing there, holding the other side of the world. Architectural and sociological reflections of walls and private space meet an artistic vision lead by magical realism. So do methods of film and performance art and result in a piece of art with a unique and mesmerising tone.

TEXT BY THE CURATOR WASSILI WIDMER

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