Getting to know Zela Papageorgiou
When and why did you start making art?
I always loved being creative as a kid which I believe came from my parents. My mum taught art and craft at a primary school and my dad is an engineer who’s just really good with DIY stuff and creative solutions, so they would always collaborate at home on projects like building props for the school concert or fete. I think this is why I’m just generally drawn to the idea of making things.
I started learning music to be in the school wind band program for fun - I don’t think I was planning on making a career out of it at the time, I just followed the path all the way to uni without really thinking about it. So it took a while but finally started to make sense for me a bit later on, once I was introduced to the work of Speak Percussion and discovered the limitless creative possibilities of collaborating on projects with others and developing new works. This approach to music and art making felt natural and exciting to me, all thanks to observing that creative energy from my folks!
What was your favorite Forest Collective project?
I absolutely loved our 2021 performance of Diimpa’s compositions at Heide Museum of Modern Art - it was a really special day in such a beautiful outdoor location.
What is a fun fact about you people may not know?
The house that I grew up in was owned by Australian artist Albert Tucker (speaking of Heide Museum!). I have fond memories of visiting him with my parents a few times to pay our rent. I was around 5 years old and had no idea how important he was – I just loved exploring his house and playing hide and seek!
What is your favorite work of art?
Too difficult to choose! But I can confidently say that my favorite categories of art are immersive installations and experiences – especially when encountered unexpectedly or with no real prior knowledge of the work. Here are some absolute favorites that have remained unforgettable to me:
Matthias Schack-Arnott – Chrysalis
Marina Abramović – Counting The Rice
Jess Johnson and Simon Ward - TERMINUS
What is one of your favorite pieces of music to play/sing/dance to?
I was really lucky to be studying music at University at the same time as composer and electronic musician Carolyn Schofield, aka Fia Fiell. Carolyn created a beautiful duet for electronics and vibraphone titled Shallows that we premiered in both of our uni recitals and then performed again a few years later for a Melbourne Music Week show presented by Play On. I can honestly say that Carolyn is my favorite composer and performing this piece was a total dream come true, so I feel incredibly fortunate that I was able to have that experience.
