Host Country Studies Trip to the Goethe-Institut Gallery for “Visions” an Art Exhibition by Ms. Hanne Voucalis

For Hanne Voukalis artistic process starts with paper. First, she takes shredded old school tests and turns them into beautifully textured hand-made recycled paper. Then, she lets fall driblets of colours on her papers and magically “Visions” are created of mythical creatures, reflections of her anxieties, hopes, and fears that look at us critically, and humorously. Our students instantly responded to Ms Hanne’s art. They were eager to play along with her the game of identifying her “Visions” but they were equally interested to see their own “Visions” in her work.

Her new work was a bit more complex but equally intriguing for our Middle School students. The robe of an Ottoman dervish in an Istanbul Museum inspired her to work, once more, with paper, and introduce for the first time in her work, the use of artificial “Light.” Ms Hanne Voucalis, a former Pinewood Visual Arts teacher, seems never to have forgotten her educational training, since the Elements of Light, and Texture play such an important role in her new work. Her innovative “canvases” are intriguingly made of small pieces of skilfully textured hand-made paper glued together. The viewer can read on them mystical notes written in ancient scripts like hieroglyphics. Finally, “Light,” On or Off, puts emphasis on all of Ms Hanne’s secret messages, letting us wonder ….

Hanne Voucalis was born in Saarland, Germany. She studied design in Saarbrücken and tapestry near Hilla Seelig in Berlin. She presents her work in solo exhibitions both in Greece and Gemany, and participated in more than 50 group exhibitions all over Europe. Ms Hanne was Pinewood’s much respected Visual Arts teacher for many years.

Amalia Spiliakou
Host Country Studies Coordinator