The Wanderers Above the Sea of Fog
Aimilia Liontou (GR)
Until some decades ago, travelers used to consult travel guides written by specialists. Since the rise of the internet, these traditional handbooks have been replaced by trustworthy websites like Trip Advisor, where users exchange reviews about their desired destination. Nowadays, another platform became the most effective marketing tool of the travel industry: Instagram created a space, where influencers and advertising agencies stage perfect looks and happy protagonists in beautiful destinations around the globe. The Wanderers Above the Sea of Fog was published as a contemporary version of the first red travel handbooks by Baedeker and Murray, as a book with Instagram posts by ten travel influencers.
For FMR 21, Liontou brings these pictures in the physical space by turning them into unique location points. But these are not normal pictures: the Instagram aesthetics is reduced to the core. Instead of a glossy colorful pictures, only the average color of the images is depicted. The resulting monochromatic images question how authentic travel ads can be, and what is left of these photos if they do not “capture a moment forever” anymore.
Aimilia Liontou (* 1991) lives between Athens and Linz. She graduated from the Athens School of Fine Arts and holds a Master’s Degree in Time-based Media from the University of Arts Linz. In her works, Liontou examines the ways through which certain conditions can change the perception of space and the potential impact on a person’s life and his/her personality. Her work is characterized by interdisciplinary practice, research and use of different materials and mediums, depending on the thematic, often running on the liminal space between art and reality and frequently making use of humor. Liontou’s work was shown at Offenes Kulturhaus OK (Linz), International Youth Media Festival YOUKI (Wels), DIG Gallery (Kosice), Crossing Europe Filmfestival (Linz), Lentos (Linz), Ars Electronica Center (Linz), Galerie Kullukcu & Gregorian (Munich) or Athens Digital Arts Festival.