RADIO FREE EUROPE PARIS AS STAGE, HISTORY AS SIGNAL – KOSMAS NIKOLAOU

Radio Free Europe presents a selection of works by artist Kosmas Nikolaou, developed during the summer of 2025 as part of his residency. His practice can be seen as a form of artistic archaeology, unearthing myths and hidden stories to construct narratives that are at once intimate and geopolitical.

The title Radio Free Europe evokes both the radio station founded in 1949 at the onset of the Cold War, based in Munich, and the 1981 R.E.M. song, underscoring the interplay between politics and pop culture. The exhibition unfolds as a prelude, with each element appearing like a fragment from a film in the making.

Beginning with the battle for cultural influence during the Cold War, the works trace how Western ideology was transmitted through media and art, and how these strategies shaped both institutions and personal memory. Through pieces that echo archival materials—sound works, photographs, maps, letters—a layered narrative emerges, where individual stories contribute to a collective voice.The backdrop is the city of Paris: its architecture, public spaces, and history. Paris functions both as setting and silent protagonist, conjuring its many appearances in cinema and pop culture, such as in Jean-Jacques Beineix’s film Diva (1981). In this way, the ‘archives’ and the city merge with personal memory, transforming the space into a stage where historical fragments resonate with contemporary questions of politics, public space, and culture.

Kosmas Nikolaou (Greece) is currently in residence through the EMΣT | National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens × Cité internationale des arts programme.

From 27 August to 25 October 2025

Opening Wednesday, 27 August, from 4 pm to 7 pm
On view, in the presence of the artist, on Wednesdays, from 4 pm to 7 pm, or by appointment

➜ Petite galerie
Marais site | Cité internationale des arts