Alex Vellis
‘The Boards of Theseus’
21st September–5th October 2024

The installation ‘The Boards of Theseus’ invites you to take part in the creation and presentation of poetry. It is designed to be an ever-changing work that encourages metamorphosis through the eyes of the viewer. It challenges people to engage with the work by replacing lines with their contributions, fostering a spirit of transformation and co-creation.

The work is a provocation against traditional ideas of authorship and aims to create a collective spiritual experience, connecting the poem with its participants.

Vellis’s exploration of poetry is driven by a study of connections between transitional and queer spaces, deep-sea environments, and non-linear forms of literature.

The constructed lines within the installation are intended to speak to a broad spectrum of individuals, aiming to provide something meaningful and resonant for everyone who engages with the work.

https://www.instagram.com/alexvellispoet/

Alex Vellis (they/them) is a Greek-British artist specialising in poetry and installation. They hold an MA in Creative Writing and are Open School East alum.

Vellis’ work questions liminality, ergodic literature, the benthic, identity, and place. Their latest book I Saw a Bird Once follows the lives of three people as they explore futilism in a working-class world.

Alex has performed nationally and internationally as a poet, on stages in cities such as Paris, London, Oxford, and Valetta. Their work as an artist both individually and as part of a collective has been displayed in Dunkirk, Canterbury, Margate, and Cambridge.

In addition to performance and installation work, Vellis delivers lectures at universities and festivals on events production, being a working-class artist, and poetry in the larger sphere.Their next book Where the Flowers Grow is set to be released in 2025 through Rebel Satori Press.

Alex works full-time as an artist, producer, and editor.

EVENTS

Sat 21st Sept: Opening event with artist Alex Vellis