Penny Siopis: For Dear Life. A Retrospective

The National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens is celebrating women's art this season with a series of group and solo exhibitions honouring pioneering female artists.

EMST inaugurates the first major museum retrospective in Europe dedicated to Penny Siopis, a pivotal artist of her generation. The exhibition For Dear Life. A Retrospective, which is part of the series What If Women Ruled the World?, highlights Siopis' extraordinary journey and the profound impact she has had on the art world. Born to Greek parents in South Africa in 1953, Siopis made her mark in the 80s and 90s with powerful critiques of colonialism, apartheid and sexism. Exploring memory, truth and the complex relationships between personal and collective histories, her work has evolved to include installations and films. Her experimental films combine found footage with personal archives offering a haunting and thought-provoking commentary on socio-political change in South Africa and beyond. This retrospective, curated by EMST artistic director Katerina Gregos, is not only a celebration of Siopis' 50-year career, but also highlights her role in addressing the politics of the body, grief and shame.