The HeartbeatInk team visited the one off event – exhibition of the act entitled “This for me and this for you” organized by Didlo Tattoo Studio which was held at Romantso on Thursday the 21st of January, inspired by the “phallus” and aim to support the non-profit organization “Kentro Zois” (Center for life) for the HIV positive people.
The colorful exhibition included imaginative artworks of tattoo artists and other professional and amateur artists of different aesthetics and backgrounds who worked on plaster phallic symbols. All the artworks were offered for free by their creators and were also for sale, for the symbolic price of 50 euros each, to the public who wished to contribute to this cause. The evening ended with a party with well-known DJs.
By Eirini Katsara.
Photos: Ino Mei.
"This for me & This for you" action
The conception of "This for me and this for you" action was born in response to the logo and trademark of Dildo Tattoo Studio - being focused on the human body from ancient times until today, as a tool and as both a communication media and a reference point.
The creators of the act called any creative and free spirit to buy a plaster phallus, paying the nominal price of 10 euros and build on it using him as a canvas without limits.
At the exhibition we came across artworks created by various tattoo artists, such as Tolis Tsiamis (Tolle’ Tsi), Vasso Polymenakou (Vasso Lowbrow), Marios Triantafyllou, Sofia Argyrou (Sophia) and Sotiria Zorba (Sotiria) from Eightball Tattoo. Tassos Sgardelis (Tassos), Sotiria Karotseri (Sotja) and Betty Chrysovitsanou (Betty) from Ηοnest Tattoo. Antonis Avgeris and Aris Birtakas from Inkey Tattoo and Tzenio Pirigents, Alfredo Pirigents, Angelianna Koroniou, Alex Tzemtzem and Dynoz ''on the road'' from Dildo Tattoo.
Part of the money gathered from the act will be donated to “Kentro Zois” (Center for life)”, while the aim of the organizers was to overcome the social puritanism, hypocrisy and taboos associated with the idea of the phallic form and to express freely through it. People of various backgrounds were free to create beyond conformism and prejudices using that same medium.
Phallus as a symbol
The phallus has a long history as a symbol, since one of its first representations (28,000 years old) was found in a cave in southwestern Germany. In primitive societies, people used to paint, decorate and mark the human body with permanent paintings, while the human phallus held special significance during their religious rites.
In Japan, India, and Africa, the phallus is worshiped as a symbol of fertility and creation. The ancient Egyptians connected the phallolatria with the god Osiris, since according to legend; his dead body was devoured by a bear and was divided into 14 pieces, which were scattered by Seth throughout Egypt. All pieces were found except for the phallus, which was swallowed by a fish. The phallus symbolized fertility and reproduction, while the form of the god of vegetation (Min) appears in the presentations to be ithyphallic (with upstanding phallus).
Similarly, in ancient Greece, the phallus with its symbolic meaning was operating as protective from the evil eye, since it was thought to drive the evil away while it also was a symbol of fertility and power and was associated with the god Dionysus, and his ceremonies. For this reason, the phallic symbols were used to decorate temples and ancient public buildings, as well as homes (in order to protect them, they were something like “lucky charms” for the owners).
Phallic representations can also be found even in everyday objects, while many of them have also a phallic shape (we can all bring in mind the familiar... phallus shaped bottle openers sold widely as “souvenirs” in the touristic interest areas).
The title of the exhibition
In Delos island one encounters the known phallus shaped poles dedicated to god Dionysus as well as a marble plaque with two winged phallus and the words "This is for me and This for you" engraved on it. This is the owner’s way of welcoming guests in his house, but now it is kept in the Archaeological museum of the island. This is where the title of the exhibition "This for me & This for you " is influenced from.
Production & curating: Voula Sofras.
