Dimitrios Skyllas

Dimitrios Skyllas (b. 1987) is based in London, and he is considered to be as one of the most spirited and outstanding artists of his generation. After his debut at Westminster Abbey in 2016, he appeared at the V&A Museum, the Royal Albert Hall and the British Ceramics Biennale. In Greece, the Onassis Foundation invited him to perform his piano piece, “Abyss”, at the first public presentation of Maria Callas’ precious piano.

In 2018 he composed the original score for the tragedy Electra, a production by the National Theatre of Greece presented at the Epidaurus Festival. He often appears as a soloist of his piano music, while many of his pieces are performed internationally by world-class performers. “Kyrie Eleison” was co-commissioned to him by BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Onassis Foundation.

Matt Smith

UK-born Matt Smith is well known for his site-specific work in museums, galleries and historic houses. Using clay, textiles and their associated references, he explores how cultural organisations operate using techniques of institutional critique and artist intervention. He is interested in how history is a constantly selected and refined narrative that presents itself as a fixed and accurate account of the past and how, through taking objects and repurposing them in new situations, this can be brought to light. Of particular interest to him is how museums can be reframed into alternative perspectives.

While Artist in residence at the V&A, Matt visited the former Spode factory site in Stoke on Trent. He brought 31 production moulds that had been left at the now closed factory site. Using black parian clay and porcelain, casts were taken from the moulds and reassembled into new objects, each a portrait of the closed factory and loss of livelihoods.

When grouped together, a visual rhythm started to form. Similar to the black notes on a white score; a visual melody in response to the now silent factory site. The new works inspired composer Dimitrios Skyllas to compose Abyss for piano – an aural response to a visual response to silence. The work has been shown and performed at the V&A as part of London Design Festival and at the British Ceramics Biennial.

Matt Smith’s solo shows include Queering the Museum at Birmingham Museum, Flux: Parian Unpacked at the Fitzwilliam Museum and Losing Venus at the Pitt Rivers Museum. He has won numerous awards including the Young Masters Ceramics Prize, Object of the Fair at Collect and the Brookfield Properties Prize. His work is held in numerous museum collections, including the V&A and the Walker Art Gallery. He is Professor of Ceramics at Konstfack University of the Arts, Stockholm.