Atopos

Atopos means unusual, strange, or out of the ordinary in Greek. It is derived from the words "A" (negation) and "topos" (place), literally meaning "nowhere" or "without a place. "Atopos creates a dialogue between the fabrication of religious artifacts and their role in the dissemination of myths across the Mediterranean, juxtaposed with the current movement restrictions imposed on these territories.The project takes the form of a limestone sculpture, also known as Meleke or Jerusalem stone. The artifact symbolizes a poetic bridge between two lands connected by the story of a miraculous icon. This religious figure, faceless and silent, is said to have traveled from Jericho in Palestine to Amorgos in Greece to escape iconoclasm in the 8th century.The sculpture, fractured and composed of two detachable pieces, echoes the two landscapes separated by the sea. Designed as a prototype of an aeolian harp, it takes the form of a body in motion. When touched by the wind, it emits a sound through its cavities, connecting Jericho and Amorgos through the air and acting as the distant song of the Marian icon, giving a voice to the silent figure.The sculpture was conceived by Sofia during her residency at the Wonder Cabinet in Bethlehem. Sofia first modeled the sculpture in 3D based on a performance by Palestinian dancer Aseel Qupty. It was then crafted by stone carver Akram Anastas, a maker of artifacts and relics for various nearby religious clients, such as monasteries, churches, and cemeteries, since 1998.Unable to be brought back to Europe by Sofia due to movement restrictions imposed on Palestinian territories by the Israeli occupation, the sculpture can only be presented through its absence. Molds, chips, debris, 3D scans, and photographs come together to narrate the sculpture from "there" in its absence "here."