Elena Efeoglou was the invited AMA artist at the Photographischen Sammlung / SK Stiftung Kultur for the fourth edition of the programme.
She holds a Master's degree in Photography as well as in Philosophical, Pedagogical and Interdisciplinary Anthropology. In her doctoral thesis she dealt with the qualitative analysis of photographic representations during the Greek Civil War of 1946-1949. In her own artistic work she mainly uses the media of photography and video and she is particularly interested in the role of photography in private and public archives. Her interest lies in the materiality of photography and its role both as a document and in true and fictional narratives. Efeoglou is currently working with found photographs and artificial intelligence.
Blurring Reality and Fiction - August Sander Meets AI
With his “People of the 20th Century”, August Sander significantly shaped not only photography history, but also our understanding of images today. Elena Efeoglou takes a closer look at selected portraits within this iconic oeuvre. They provide the basis for her self-penned fictional stories, which she combines with AI-generated images to create imaginary narratives. In this manner, the lives of the illustrated persons take on specific contours and dimensions that open up alternative interpretations. With her multimedia work, Efeoglou not only explores the narrative potential of the photograph(s) and of Artificial Intelligence, but she also fills the archive with new visions and observations.
Elena Efeoglou Meets die Photographische Sammlung/SK Stiftung Kultur
AMA#4 Meets University of Cologne
Elena Efeoglou was interviewed by students of the University of Cologne in the context seminar “Artist Meets Archive – Artists in the (Photo) Archive”, led by Dr. Franziska Brons and held at the Department of Art History Cologne.
She talks about her artistic practice and her residency project, and provides insights into the creative process behind her exhibition.
More about Elena Efeoglou:
Participants
Between 2018 and 2024, 4 editions of the Artist Meets Archive programme have been realized so far. A total of 20 artists took part and presented their projects at the Photoszene Festival in Cologne.