NEON presents the exhibition Heart of Darkness, curated by Dimitris Paleocrassas at Peiraios 260, Building A. A dialogue between South African artist Kendell Geers and Maro Michalakakos of Greek origin.

Kendell Geers’ installation Akropolis Now (2004) is constructed of barbed razor wire of the sort used in prisons or concentration camps and is inspired from various sources. The work’s title is a direct reference to Francis Ford Coppola Apocalypse Now which, as Geers’ work also does, draws from Joseph Conrad’s book, Heart of Darkness, the epic river trip in the heart of the jungle. All three artworks are an allegorical journey of inner exploration to the heart of darkness of the inner psyche.

Maro Michalakakos’s installation Red Carpet (2011) is a burgundy coloured strip of velvet whose shaved parts reveal the sharp gnawing claws of some sort of otherwordly creature. It unfolds in many meters of space thereby creating an agonizingly palpable intensity. The work relates to issues of power, domination and the dialectical irreconciliation of life and death. On an existential level, the viewer witnesses the agony and mania of a sentient being fighting for its survival, grabbing at the last vestiges of hope.

The title of the exhibition is a reference to Joseph Conrad’s book, Heart of Darkness.