SKABOS – MR. STOOL

2015 – Entity, Advertisement

SKABOS removes interpretive authority from both artist and viewer, defining himself as an autonomous entity that generates and asserts his own meaning.

Originating from the Greek word “skabo,” meaning stool, the artwork gains a gendered identity, incorporating notions of individuality and sexual orientation. The suffix “-s” in Greek denotes masculinity, framing him as a “reproductive” aka self-pleasuring being. He lifts his leg as he transitions from a utilitarian object into an autonomous identity capable of self-expression.

The advertisement that follows him, functions as an introductory work presenting SKABOS to the public, in the same manner that commercial advertising frames function and utility in relation to human needs. However, in this case, it operates as a critical gesture, questioning human assumptions about existence. It confronts the viewer with the provocation: What kind of heartless thought would ever stop merely at the reason that something exists?

_{Petros Lales and Skabos in conversation, 2015}