Fall of 2023 at TANK Space in Sawyer Yards in Houston, TX, a slow, slippery installation seeps into the consciousness of guests to the space. The undulating wave patterns and resulting reflections in the aquarium-like space are courtesy of artist Pavlina Vagioni, whose installation – “Proteus Within” – marks the artist’s first solo showing with the art center. An artist whose studio is part of the Spring Street Studios building itself, the Houston and Athens-based artist reflects on subconscious thought, transformation, and slippages of identity markers as represented by the deity Proteus. A water god in ancient Greek mythology, and son of Poseidon, Proteus particularly became associated with the permutations and shape shifting occuring within or in association with water – flooding and tidal shifts are two phenomena that can indicate this transformational quality exhibited by water. Visible at TANK Space through November 17, 2023, Vagioni’s “Proteus Within” provides a meditative and multi-sensory artistic presentation for visitors to the building.

Embracing the concept of the Proteus Effect – which posits that our real-world selves mimic the avatars we create for ourselves in video gaming and VR/AR worlds – Vagioni’s “Proteus Within” presents an imitation sea spanning on as far as the viewer can see. The waves pulse, light reflecting upward seemingly onto a cave ceiling. A sound installation of breathing and notes notes related to the notion of ‘sea’ sung by an invisible chanteuse seemingly hearkens back to the notion of Sirens singing sailors on to their doom. This multitude of worlds is contained within this 3-D installation onsite at Sawyer Yards, with a contained sea a stark contrast to the sharp right angles surrounding visitors to the building itself. Containing ‘Proteus Within’ to the inside of TANK Space for visitors to encounter, the sea suddenly doesn’t seem entirely limitless, allowing us to reconsider what we think about the ocean, distance, and worlds known and unknown.

Mining the artist’s own in-depth knowledge of Greek mythology, as well as her ongoing inquiry into the role of the subconscious, “Proteus Within” offers viewers a peek into Vagioni’s ideals for artist exploration through installation and sound media. By offering a chance for guests to reflect on what meaning they ascribe to a slice of sea, the artist offers multitudinous meanings to emerge – as powerful and varied as the iterations of the ocean itself.

More about the artist’s “Proteus Within” installation, as well as her Proteus series (2023) at her website, here.