ZOIS GEROS: DISPOSABLE

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Zois Geros’ exhibition Disposable isa profound and haunting exploration of the human condition in a world where ephemerality and disposability define not only material existence but the very essence of personal identity. At the heart of Geros’ work lies his poignant declaration, "I feel disposable in a disposable world." Through this lens, he interrogates the commodification of fundamental human experiences—love, beauty, time, and sex—urging viewers to question whether this sense of dehumanisation is a tendency of contemporary life or an inherent aspect of human existence. Stripped from sterile moralisations, Geros presents a world permeated with emotional disconnection and existential disassociation, where fleeting vitality inevitably give way to a numbing inertia. 

At the core of the exhibition is the dynamic tension between the ephemeral and the eternal, the real and the imaginary, emblematised in Geros' dehumanised figures and symbol-objects. The figures, stripped of individuality and human form, become expressions of primal human instincts that emerge in moments of corporeal exertion. This is particularly evident in works such as Darkroom (2024), where distorted, convulsive bodies engage in a grotesque phantasmagoria of excess, in an attempt to reconnect with a more primitive, animalistic nature. At the threshold between being and non-being, ephemerality and eternity, when these impulses intensify, the body itself becomes the ultimate medium for their release, channeling these drives through violent, physical expressions that harken back to a more primordial state of being. This dehumanisation embodies the very concept of disposability, which functions as an instrument of harrowing cries, fleeting emotions, and single-use pleasures. Following this line of thought, the contorted bodies externalise the primitive drives of human nature, which are potentially released through at least two different channels, either through the brain or the mouth. However, once these impulses become violent, the individual is compelled to resort to the more beastly method of releasing them—through the mouth. This transformation reveals the tension between societal repression and the untamed, instinctual forces that persist beneath the surface, capturing the essence of Geros' exploration of the human condition.

In Syngrou Fix (2024), the artist delves into the theme of dehumanisation through performativity and the pursuit of artificial, plastic beauty. The painting juxtaposes the "realness" of seemingly opulent appearances, represented by the sleek and polished surfaces of bourgeois fantasies, with the raw, base materiality of sex work, which operates in the shadow of this facade. The bodies in the composition, rendered in a cold, almost plasticised form, embody the hollow performance of beauty and desire, where human identity is subsumed by the transactional nature of sex. Through this, Geros elaborates on the commodification of the body, its disposable nature, revealing the underlying emptiness in a world that values fast consumption.

In a similar line, the business suit, another recurring motif in Geros' exploration of performative identity, encapsulates the notion of disposability within the context of modern economic systems. A symbol of professionalism and status, the suit functions as a uniform that conceals individuality, reducing the wearer to a replaceable component in the capitalist machine. Through the performative act of donning the suit, personal identity becomes subordinate to the demands of economic survival, highlighting the disposable nature of roles and personas in corporate environments. The suit as a metaphor for the loss of individuality underscores the broader theme of disposability, where even one's sense of self becomes a consumable and replaceable commodity.

Artist’s visual language is rich with symbolism, and among the most poignant symbols in Disposable are his dove paintings. Traditionally associated with peace and purity, the doves in his work are stripped of these idealised meanings and recontextualised as embodiments of fragility and transience. Suspended in moments of dissolution, these delicate creatures reflect the broader human condition in a world where even the most sacred and eternal symbols are rendered disposable, consumed and discarded. Under this line, they become metaphors for the fleeting nature of human emotions and connections, emphasizing the inevitability of decay that permeates modern life. In this way, Geros powerfully critiques the ephemerality that characterizes not only objects but also human relationships and aspirations in a disposable world.

In conclusion, drawing from Zois Geros' engagement with a wide array of archetypal symbols and contemporary narratives, the exhibition serves as a bridge between ancient and modern worlds. However, it does not confine the artist’s work to an obsolete narrative but also provides a framework for exploring the complex themes of contemporary life. By integrating primordial symbols with the subcultures and mystical currents of Athens, Geros underscores the significance of symbols in today’s fragmented realities, where the boundaries between the real and the imaginary increasingly blur, disrupting the distinction between the disposable and the indelible. The works presented navigate the delicate balance between vitality and emptiness, between momentary transcendence and inevitable decay, ultimately offering a poignant reflection on the transience of life in a disposable world.