Since joining the art scene in the 1970s, Maria Klonaris and Katerina Thomadaki have developed a deeply personal, feminist body of work, exploring gender and intersexuality, while inventing new forms that push back the boundaries of film, performance and installation. This work is accompanied by a deep theoretical reflection that developed and disseminated through manifestos and critical texts.

Since 2008, they have entrusted their audiovisual archives to the Sound, Video and Multimedia BnF Department, which has preserved them and made them available for consultation by researchers in Room P. Soundtracks, videos, photographs and texts document the performances and installations of the two artists. The collection also includes publications by and about Klonaris/Thomadaki (essays, catalogues, books and magazine articles), together with a large amount of printed documentation on their screenings and exhibitions.

This collection has evolved over time thanks to new donations from Katerina Thomadaki, ephemeral publications that reflect an oeuvre still in progress, as well as the extent of the international recognition it has received. For Klonaris/Thomadaki, these are materials to be reinvested and revived for the creation of new artworks.

The aim of this archive presentation is to bring this collection to the attention of the researchers who frequent Room P, by focusing on works or decisive stages in the work of Klonaris/Thomadaki.

This selection resonates with the Klonaris/Thomadaki exhibition, “I encounter the Angel in your ecstasy” at Bétonsalon (from 27 September to 14 December 2024) which features a new installation in the Angel Cycle, designed by Katerina Thomadaki and dedicated to Maria Klonaris, curated by Maud Jacquin and Émilie Renard.

The Klonaris/Thomadaki archive is described in BnF – Archives et Manuscrits. Researchers can prepare their working session by sending an email to audiovisuel@bnf.fr. Published documents, books and DVDs can also be consulted in room P, by making a reservation via the general catalogue.