This Is Always This

“This Is Always This” is an intimate dialogue between artists Yorgos Maraziotis and Karen Y. Chan that began in September 2016 at The Studios at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Mass., and continued between New York City and Athens, Greece. After months of sharing of ideas, thoughts, and beliefs, the dialogue now takes the shape of a multisensory exhibition. Through their multidisciplinary work, the artists explore their common search for a literal or figurative home—or center—in times of uncertainty, as well as the need for perpetual beginnings as a means of survival in an unpredictable world.

The show is a continuation of the deeply personal discourse between Maraziotis and Chan, interweaving themes of fragmentation, displacement, and what it means to start anew. Featuring sculptures, installations, prints on fabrics and paper, videos, and soundscapes, the works of the two artists transform AC Institute’s space into a mysterious environment that is both delicate and raw. Visitors are encouraged to explore the work and their surroundings and question their roles in a space that oscillates between reality and fiction, between darkness and light.

“This Is Always This” includes a limited-edition publication that contains excerpts from the in-person and online conversations between Maraziotis and Chan, accompanied by photographs and still images of selected works. Its candid design and large-format size offers a glimpse of the playfulness inherent in the artists’ practices, and perhaps even a hint of intimacy and surprise.