ILIODORA MARGELLOS
Hope (Field of Poppies) Variation in collaboration with INAASH, commissioned for Material Witnesses at the ACG/Demos Center
The ACG/Demos Center, 17 Ipitou St., Plaka, Athens, 105 57
Monday 14 July- Thursday 31 July | Monday 1 September- Saturday 27 September
Opening Hours: Monday- Friday, 15:00-19:00, Saturday, 12:00-18:00
Curated by Tamara Chalabi
Iliodora Margellos (b. 1985, Minneapolis) interrogates the duality of embroidery as both a traditional feminine craft and a contemporary medium of political solidarity through abstract tapestries that weave together cultural memory and modern narratives. By working in this medium, Margellos engages with embroidery's layered history - a craft that for centuries represented women's domestic labour in the Balkan peninsula, yet today has become a powerful tool of resistance and solidarity in refugee communities worldwide.
The artist's work acknowledges embroidery's evolving significance as both an art form and political statement. In Palestinian refugee camps and prisons, these portable, low-cost creations serve as vital testimonies of cultural preservation. Margellos' collaborative piece Hope (Field of Poppies), created with INAASH through ITERARTE, directly connects her practice to Palestinian refugee women in Lebanon. This work exemplifies how embroidery continues to function as a medium of resilience, with each stitch representing both personal expression and collective political witness.
Margellos' embroideries operate on multiple sensory levels, their meaning shifting with the viewer's proximity. From a distance, the works present cohesive compositions that evoke natural landscapes and organic forms. Upon closer inspection, each individual stitch reveals itself as a deliberate, meditative mark - what the artist describes as an act of reverence for "every living thing." This dual experience mirrors how cultural traditions are simultaneously perceived as broad historical narratives and intimate, personal practices. The meticulous craftsmanship invites viewers to examine these textile surfaces closely, discovering how thread can be employed to create powerful visual statements about memory, resistance, and the enduring connection between handcraft and cultural identity.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Iliodora Margellos, a Greek-Swiss artist born in Minneapolis in 1985, navigates the intricacies of her mixed heritage to breathe life into vibrant depictions of Greek topography and mythology. She captures the essence of Greek society in her art, exploring the enduring tradition of feminine roleplay and the connections between nostalgia and contemporary vitality. Margellos’s multi-disciplinary practice spans sculpture, embroidery, installation, and other forms of mixed media.
A graduate of Yale University, Margellos has showcased her work in solo exhibitions at prominent venues like Baert Gallery in Los Angeles, Frieze Art Fair, Enter Fair in Copenhagen, and Dio Horia in Athens. Additionally, she was commissioned to produce an installation for the Hermes store shopfront in Athens in 2024. Her works have also been exhibited at esteemed institutions worldwide, including the Museum of Greek Modern Culture in Athens, the Historical Archives Museum of Hydra, and Louise Bourgeois' Sunday Salons in New York, reflecting the global resonance of her evocative creations.
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