Ever want to crawl, 2025
glass, mirror, solder, grout
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dimensions variable
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Hyperhidrosis | Sweating Together, Bath house of the Winds
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Museological and Museographical Curation Niki Dafni (Curator, Department of Exhibitions, Communication and Education of the Museum of Modern Greek Culture), Eleni Riga & Vassilis Zidianakis (ATOPOS cvc x Office of Hydrocommons).
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Martha Panagiotopoulou creates an original glass sculpture installation inspired by the museum’s permanent collection, with particular reference to the traditional footwear used in Ottoman baths.
The wooden footwear, known as nalın in Turkish, are a characteristic element of Ottoman cultural heritage. These were high, decorated shoes, often adorned with elaborate carvings, mother-of-pearl, silver, or semi-precious stones. Especially when they belonged to women of the upper social classes, these shoes had a distinctly class-based character. They were not simply protective for the feet but acted as "bridges," shielding them from the hot or wet floor of the hammam. Moreover, their heel served not only a practical function but also symbolized social status, aesthetic refinement, and prestige.
Through the creation of these glass sculptures, Panagiotopoulou aims to highlight the complex and fragile nature of the social roles women are called to perform. By using the delicate and refined qualities of glass, she alludes to the intricacies of these roles and the fragile balances that define them. Her works underscore the internal contradictions that emerge even in spaces that appear accessible to all, such as the hammam, but where social status, wealth, and religion shape a complex hierarchy.
To convey this multidimensional reality, Panagiotopoulou uses different sizes in her sculptures, creating a variety that references personal and social differentiation. The work acts as a visual allegory of the social hierarchies within the hammam.
This installation materially captures the contradictions of social roles and the weight of expectations that women are often burdened with. The refined nature of the artworks, combined with the use of glass, enhances the sense of constant pressure placed upon our bodies. The aesthetic fragility of the material evokes a sense of vulnerability, referencing the delicate balance of social relationships and the roles assigned to us, while also incorporating the tension between public image and inner reality. - Eleni Riga
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