Sound of silence: Death gets a makeover - The Best from Greece

There’s something very special going on over at the AMP, starting with the building itself. Gutted and renovated to the hilt, this clandestine gallery is hidden behind two heavy doors that seem to be guarding a well-kept secret.


On the inside, the atmosphere is equally hushed, as the AMP is currently housing an elaborate solo show/ installation entitled the Sound of Silence by Christopher Garrett. As though made from beyond the grave, the works on display - each a stand-alone item that still makes up part of a very impressive whole - reference the artist’s meditation on his personal archaeology.


Assembling pieces of himself, the American-born Garrett believes that dying many small deaths is sometimes not just inevitable but even necessary, and restructuring yourself is the greatest gift of them all.


That’s probably what the little skeleton holding a present is meant to convey, carefully placed under a miniature tree in the middle of a temporary room within a room. Is it just me or are the pristine white walls and Garrett’s self-imposed silence giving off a distinct mausoleum vibe? Still, there’s a quiet optimism to his first ever European solo show, a fine arts performance of a man who’s finally at peace with his fractured past.

Christopher Garrett, born in Georgia in 1972 and currently based in Los Angeles, is no stranger to Athens. Last summer he curated a group show at the same gallery entitled Ashes To Ashes, where he assembled Greek artefacts from nearby antique store Martinos (www.martinosart.gr) and placed them side by side with works by contemporary artists, juxtaposing the old with the new.

The Sound of Silence has been showing since May 26 but will continue its summer run, through to July 28, by appointment only. You may contact the AMP Gallery (26 Epikourou and 4 Korinis sts) by phone (tel 210-321-8814) or email (info@a-m-p.gr) to arrange the details

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