I had the chance to present my presentation to classmates and our tutor Andy. The link is:
http://www.voutounos.com/videos/MyFinalPresentation1.wmv
My classmates bombarded me with questions (they are really good) and tried to answer in a period of ten minutes. I try here to answer with some more clarified additions.
Jessica stated that she had goosebumps watching the video in my presentation. The liturgical purpose of Byzantine art is to help people approach God using their sence of sight. I think the event in the movie of the litania – priests carrying the Icons of Saint Raphael and the icon of the Resurrection of Christ is a video serving the same purpose. Iconographers are considered priests. They “write”an icon and when signing, they sign, δια χειρός …… - by hand of….. Some iconographers may not sign an Icon. Iconographers are “servants of the image that becomes a window through which, both ways the human and divine are operative”.
Lucy asked:Hi Anthos, Forgive me for my ignorance but I don’t understand the festival you are celebrating in the video…. How does this relate to your project?How will non-christians understand the significance?”
The “festival” is the day that the Saints are celebrated. They are celebrated on the day that they martyred, the day that bodily died. In Orthodox church every day is devoted to a Saint and many proskinitaria, chapels, temples are built in their memory.
John Baugh asked: Anthos can people actualy communicate from the SL chapel
Paul Thompson asked: Anthos you have made both physical and virtual work in your project – have you found ways of getting people to cross the boundaries – eg can they ask prayers online?
The answer is yes. People can join SL and communicate from Second Life chapel. They can send also an online pray to the site: www.proskinitari.com
Sean Clark asked: Is your work more a theological study rather than a digital arts study.How does it related to contempory digital arts practice?
As i stated in the artist statement i try to visualize Byzantine art through a digital prism. I have shown my project to a Theologian – Priest and approved my project. I was very careful all this time to show the proper respect to the formalism of Byzantine art but the same time present a contemporary digital art project. Off course my project has a Theological extension but this was inevitable due to the structure of Byzantine Art.
Susan Wishart asked: Anthos, as this is a personal spiritual journey for you, do you feel as though you have reached a peace within by creating this piece?Do you feel as though you can now communicate your spirituality in your own way?
Tara Smith asked: Do you feel this journey has strengthened your faith and in which way?
It has strengthened my faith in a way that i researched and found out about Saints lives!This is of great importance for me, for people wanting to imitate Saints way of life and become also Saints. This is the purpose of Human Life. Iconography,the study of Bible and other religious texts and participation at the liturgy in Church were essential for the completion of this project and the improvement of my spiritual state.
Jessica D’ Avidgor asked: And I wondered how people will know about your “real little” chapel? John Baugh stated: I admire the fact that you have both an virtual and phyisical aspect to you work.It appeals to different generations.
The answer to Jessica, about how making known to people the construction of Proskinitari is the video that will be exposed at the show. The conception of the construction of Proskinitri works better in the physical space that is built. At the beginning i had the idea to make this physical Proskinitari interractive but after mature thought it was clear in my mind that it wouldn’t “work” in the environment of my country due to the fact of formalism in Byzantine art and Church, the so called “tipiko”. There is tipiko for everything, the liturgies, fast, etc. This tipiko is helpful in order to keep the bond of the pilgrim in Church. Many think that following the tipiko is not essential, eg going to the Church every Sunday or to observe the fast but actually all these differentiate the real Christian who follow his master Jesus Christ. As i state my final presentation the tipiko is like the shell of an egg that holds the yolk – spirituallity inside. I am glad of the final statement of John Baugh. This was one of my objectives, to make my project open to different generations, young and old, strong or tepid beleivers. I am not sure of the approach to agnostics or Atheists. I don’t want to offend the religion or dogma of any people.
