At every moment, we are surrounded by signs, traces, and voids, that define our existence. Like the vibrant hues of a Matisse canvas or the palpable absence of certainty in Kafka’s prose, our quest leads us to unexpected places.

Presence reveals itself in a smile, a gesture, or a piece of wearable art, within the broader context of contemporary culture and its reflections: interpersonal relationships, identity, memory, space and time. Absence, by contrast, manifests in emptiness, silence, the space in between, or in the unsettling feelings that ”something is missing”, often linked to trauma and the past.

We invited Αrtists of all levels—from students to established professionals—to contribute wearable artworks that explore this duality, and perhaps express their interrelation through a dialogue between these contrasting elements.

In this exhibition at Uni.Versus Art Room – the Athens Edition – 17 artists from around the world, present their unique perspectives on the theme.

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Béatrice Carlson | France/New Zealand // Carmen López | Spain // Deimanté Kiesuté | Lithuania // Dimitra Papamerkouri | Greece // Elisabeth Drude | Germany // Fanni Nagy | Hungary // Gemma Canal Espuñes | Spain // Iro Kaskani | Cyprus // Isabelle Busnel | France // Karin Van Paassen | The Netherlands // Lily Preve | Greece // Maria Koutmani | Greece // Militsa Milenkova | Bulgaria/Greece // Szidonia Csiki | Romania // Yiota Vogli | Greece // Yuxiao Zhu | China // Zahra Sheikh | Iran

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Presence /// Absence marks the launch of an innovative and vibrant collaboration—SYNERGY—between three galleries:

• Galleria Carlo Lucidi in Rome,

• Tincal Lab Gallery in Porto, and

• Uni.Versus Gallery in Athens.

The term synergy derives from the Greek word συνεργία (synergia), meaning “working together” or “cooperation.” It explicitly conveys unity and collective action, where the outcome is greater than the sum of the individual contributions.

This first exhibition organized by SYNERGY is co-curated by the three gallerists and unfolds simultaneously across all three locations. Each gallery brings its own distinctive vision to the theme, creating a rich and interconnected exploration of Presence /// Absence.