Research Presentation | Orestis Mavroudis

Malmö Art Academy and IAC are pleased to announce the research presentation by Orestis Mavroudis, graduating student from the Master of Fine Arts in Artistic Research (MFAAR) programme at Malmö Art Academy.

Opening: Friday, 23 May 2025, 17:00–20:00
Opening hours: 24–31 May 2025, 12:00–16:00
Location: Black Room

Encyclopedias have played a central role in shaping how knowledge is organized, studied, and accessed – informing historical and political narratives as well as our collective understanding of the world. Once indispensable household items, their printed editions have largely become obsolete, unable to keep pace with the digital era’s demand for continuously updated content. What were once everyday tools are now relics of a past era – along with certain ideas preserved in their pages.

Nationalencyklopedin, the Swedish national encyclopedia, is a comprehensive reference work initiated in 1980 with a government loan. The project was commissioned for publication in 1985, with the first edition released in 1989 – two years before the end of the Cold War. Grounded in scientific principles, Nationalencyklopedin adopted an interdisciplinary approach to subjects ranging from environmental and existential challenges to issues of human coexistence, including gender-related topics.

This research project examines the content of Nationalencyklopedin from a visual perspective. It focuses on the photographic representation of people in its pages, interrogating how knowledge is mediated through images – particularly in relation to human identity and social narratives.

Orestis Mavroudis is a visual artist and doctoral student at Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture. His artistic practice and academic research explore the meanings and implications of an economy of means framework in the visual arts. He is the founder of the artist-run space CLOSING SOON and co-founder of CURRENT Athens, an online platform dedicated to the non-hierarchical promotion of contemporary art in Athens.

Visit Orestis Mavroudis' artist page - orestismavroudis.com