NANI, NANI

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of five female* artists, including myself, formed the F.R.I.E.S. collective—an open feminist circle in cyberspace, where members could create a safe space for discussion and collaboration.

One of our core practices was to collectively choose a subject that emerged during our meetings and explore it through various creative mediums, either as individuals or in groups.

One key topic we focused on was self-care, viewed through the lenses of feminism, ritualism, individualism, the overselling of personal responsibility during the pandemic, mental health awareness, and, most importantly, the role of community.

After thoughtful consideration, I chose the lullaby as my creative medium to approach this topic. A lullaby is a song one sings to another, paired with repetitive, gentle movements that often lead to sleep, symbolizing care and comfort.
For my piece, I collected lyrics from lullabies that were familiar to me—some rooted in my Greek cultural heritage, and others personally significant, such as those my grandmother used to sing to me during my childhood.

For the final lullaby, I rewrote and added lyrics in a way that merged the roles of singer and recipient into one: myself.

Some accompanying photos are stills from a collective reading performed during a Performance for the Camera, which was filmed as part of the production of the documentary F.R.I.E.S., a film about the creation and practices of our collective. Some are from the documentary.