Coming soon!

Zu sehen bis Ende Jänner Auslage Frisiersalon, Pfarrgasse 15, Linz

Aimilia Liontou

In-Situ installation curtains, wooden construction, faux fur 2020

Aimilia Liontou about her work: When I first saw the Frisiersalon, it brought me back memories. Coming from Greece, I was familiar with the sight of stores closing down one after the other. Most of them were small family-run businesses, which now are standing with their shopfronts closed and only the old sign is there as a silent reminder of the previous era. However, all these unique architectural and design elements of the building (like the lettering or the store windows) are not under cultural heritage protection, so when a new owner comes and renovate it, usually removes all the traces of the past. Coming soon comments on this transition that many local stores are faced with after closing, and the ever-changing aesthetic character of the city.
Frisiersalon was sold by the Linz municipality and soon it will be repurposed. By covering the store windows with long shiny pink curtains, I create an anticipation for what is coming next. Unable to see that is happening inside, passers-by are waiting for something that it is about to be revealed soon. Additionally, a black cat in the shop-window deepens the mystery: is the little intruder trapped? Does she belong to the new owner or is it a playful symbolism of the building’s future? Passers-by are free to give their own interpretations.        

blog.salzamt-linz.at/2020/12/16/aimilia-liontou-coming-soon