Goldsmiths - University of London

Nayia Yiakoumaki

My thesis entitled Curate the Archive, or Archive the Curator examines institutional archives and curatorial potential.  Specifically it investigates the Archive as a source for curatorial information which shapes or influences the preconceptions and practice of a curator.
For the grounding of the thesis  I find it necessary to refer to a case study. The case study is the Whitechapel’s archive. The particular archive is the most appropriate example as it houses material which have been produced by the Gallery and its collaborators for the last 104 years; it has not been set up according to stricted regulations decided by archivists. In fact the Whitechapel archive has been staffed with archivist only for a very limited time of one ot two years during its 100 years history. As a result, it has grown organically without restrictions providing for a curator, a very rich and diverse resource of material.

Academic qualifications

2002 – now PhD in Fine Art, Department of Art, Creative Curating, Goldsmiths College (London) Currently researching the curatorial potential of institutional visual art archives.
1999-2000 MA in Photography School of Media, London College of Printing & Distributive Trades (London), The London Institute. Thesis: Popular Conjuration, [a case study of 1970's postcards depicting domestic bliss]. BTEC in Fine Arts Management & Professional Practice, Kensington & Chelsea College (London)
1988-1991 BA in Photography, School of Media, London College of Printing & Distributive Trades (London), The London Institute. Thesis: An analysis on culture and subcultures , with a case study on Rembetiko.
1986-1988 Diploma in Photography, Focus School of AudioVisual Studies (Athens) Final projects: Compilation of portfolios in documentary, fashion and advertising photography

Teaching

2003 Mentor for The London Institute, participating in the Diversity Mentoring HE programme. Worked with Camberwell College for Interact scheme which aims at linking students with disabilities with employers. (London)
2000-2001 Art tutor for childrens’ art workshops, taking place in local libraries in Tower Hamlets. Workshops included collage, theme projects, costume & hat making and games. Part of the Arts and Entertainment pool of staff, based at the Brady Art Centre (London)
1996-1997 Tutor in Photography in XINI Group of Schools in Photojournalism, Graphic Design, Conservation Studies in A levels, BTEC and BA. (Athens)
1996-1999 Lecturer on Photography in the BA(hons) departments of Photography, Graphic Arts Technology and Interior Design at the TEI of Athens, University of Athens (Athens)
1994-1999 Lecturer on History of Photography at the BTEC in Photography organised by the Prefectural Board of Further Education (Athens)
1991-1999 Lecturer on History of Photography and Photography & Culture at Focus School of Audio-Visual Studies (Athens)

Presentations and exhibitions

2005 GAP, new work for the commission of GAP’s special issue on Biopolitics (Athens) Secrets, participation in Bound_less, a project by Jan Christensen, Stenersenmuseet (Oslo) Photosynkyria 2005, Wallpaper, Thessaloniki Museum of Photography (Thessalonika) catalogue
2004 Youth, a public installation of photographs during the Athens Olympic Games commissioned by Athens 2004 the organizer of the 2005 Olympics (Athens) Domestic Alien, Take Care of Your Garden Before it Dies (6 examples), Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Centre (Athens) Photosynkyria 2004, Objects Always Belong, Thessaloniki Museum of Photography (Thessalonika) catalogue
2003 A-TOPIA, Newspaper Project, Goethe Institute in Athens (Athens)
2002 Suburbia, Celebrations, Alpha Station (Athens) catalogue Sleep Matters, Bedroom, Cheap Art, (Athens)
2001 Rio Trajectorias, Secrets, Museu de Arte Moderna and Fundação Nacional de Arte, an intervention in the city, (Rio de Janeiro) catalogue Mediaterra 2001, Secrets, an intervention in the city, (Lavrion) catalogue Established, Untitled, Brighton Media Centre (Brighton) The world in focus, Bedroom, Chicago Athenaeum - Museum of Architecture and Design, (Chicago) B.B.C. Main Building at Portland Place, Art Exhibition, 3 artists, Untitled photographs (London) Photosynkyria 2001, Untitled photographs, Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art (Thessalonika) catalogue
2000 The Rest of the Story, Take care of your garden before it dies (6 examples), Chelsea College of Art, (London) Rumyantsev Mansion, Exaggerated portrait of my father, (St.Petersburg) catalogue Make Your Dream Come Through, Odysseus 2, participatory project on a sailing boat, (Piraeus, Aegina, Hydra) Pseudonym Works, Untitled, Courtauld Institute, (London) Secrets, during the 1st London Biennale 2000, an intervention in the city (London) (X)HIBIT, Untitled , video installation, Davies Street Gallery (London) catalogue EXIT, Untitled , The Chisenhale Gallery, (London)
1999 Territories - Communities, Family LP, Galerie de Chateau d’ Eau, (Toulouse, Skopelos, Rethymnon) catalogue Brighton Media Centre, Watching someone being caught (Brighton). Do you want to see my room? Last Lust, Ileana Tounta Contemporary Art Centre, (Athens), catalogue. Nursery, Family LP, Monohoro gallery, (Athens)
1998 Artists Building, 7 artists curated by Art Apotek, The influence of love on clothes design, (Athens) limited edition catalogue
1997 Transformations of a post-industrial landscape, BIS Factory, Untitled (Athens) catalogue. Mona Lisa Is Delicious! Performance in the Louvre, (Paris) Image & Icon, Dolly-Dolly, Youth, Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, (Thessaloniki 1997, Bratislava1997, Rethymnon 1998, Bath 1998, Pilzen 2000, Brno 2000, Ottawa 2000, Montreal 2001, Toronto 2001) catalogue The House of Cyprus, retrospective of Focus 1987-1997 (Athens) catalogue. First Prizes from Greek Youth ’95 commission, Greek Youth, Athens Photography Centre, (Athens)

Grants & awards

1999 Full Scholarship for Doctoral studies from the Foundation of State Scholarships (Athens)
1995 First prize shared with another artist, for the project Greek Youth 1995 commissioned by the General Secretariat of Youth and the Photography Centre of Athens (Athens)
1995 First prize for the work produced for the European Union project on racism, All Different All Equal. The work represented Greece in the international exhibition in France (Strasbourg)

Television and video output

SKY Channel television, Triponto, March 1995 (interview & presentation of the project FAMILY L.P.
ERA 2 radio, Evdomi Sfragida, June 1995 (discussion about publicly funded educational programs in Photography)
ERA 2 radio, Pelli Kefala, September 1997 (interview & presentation of the EU funded photographic project in Scandinavia)
NET television, Sin & Plin, February 1999 (interview & presentation of the project STATHMOS PAIDIKOS)
NET television, 9 o’clock News, August 2000 (interview & presentation of the project MAKE YOUR DREAM COME THROUGH)

Professional development

2005-today Archive Research Curator at the Whitechapel Gallery, funded by The Paul Mellon Foundation. (London)
2005 Project Manager for an ACE funded project working with MA Curating students from Goldsmiths College. Hired by CHRRCT. (London)
2004-today Co-Editor of FeedBack publication, and co-founder of FeedBack Project. Concerned with curatorial issues and audiences’ engagement. (London, Athens)
2004 Project Manager for Young People’s Art Award at the Whitechapel, a pilot project designed by the Arts Council England. (London)
2003 –2005 Assistant Curator at the Constance Howard Resource & Research Centre in Textiles, Department of Art, Goldsmiths College. (London)
1992-1994 Interviewer and Columnist on a full time basis for Photografia and Photografia Pro magazines, Moresopoulos Editions (Athens)
1992-1993 Programme Co-ordinator and Assistant to the Director of Studies at European School of Photography (Athens)
1991-1998 Manager of public relations at the Focus School of Audiovisual Studies.
1991-1992 Studio photographer practising in fashion, advertising, editorials, based at Nikos Mavrogenis Studio Kolonaki (Athens)
1989-1991 Freelance Reviewer and London Correspondent for Photografos magazine, Photografos Editions (Athens)

Selected publications

2003-today FeedBack Project & Publications
2003-today Co-editor of FeedBack publication, issues 0-1 and 4 • Author of chapter in an edited book
2005 Article Injection Room in Athens in the book ‘Curating’ Ideas around curatorial activity, Unrealised Projects,
Author of a review article Various articles from January 1989 – June 1991 in Photografia magazine, contributing to all the monthly issues. (Athens)