Vivi Touloumidi is a contextual artist, researcher, and craftswoman. Her practice is embedded in artistic research at the intersections of art, cultural activism, and craft disciplines. A principal pursuit that investigates wearable and portable art as a medium of agency to carry sociopolitical messages, evoke discourse, and position a body in the public realm. Thus, the social significance of body-related objects and their potential in engaging with the current times, are core-research guidelines of Vivi’s making process. On this trajectory, in 2022 she obtained a PhD in the Arts in collaboration with the Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts (ARIA) in Belgium. Her research was published in the artist book, “Pharmakos, adornment as a social tool” and was shown at a solo exhibition at M HKA museum INBOX space.

These primary interests evolved into the curation of the artistic research seminar METHOD/ART, which she is co-organising since 2020. Currently, she teaches at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp (2018-the present) focusing on artistic research. She has been repeatedly an invited speaker on these topics at events, such as PARSE, the 4th Biennial Research Conference in Sweden, and has written articles on related subjects for FORUM+, Art Jewelry Forum and The Vessel magazine of Norwegian Crafts.

Since 2010, Vivi’s work has been published and shown in gallery and museum exhibitions worldwide. She was born and studied in Athens, Greece, before continuing her education in Germany and Canada. She holds an MFA in the Crafts from Konstfack University in Stockholm.

She lives and works in Berlin and Antwerp, while she always returns back home to Athens.

public collections

The Marzee Collection, NL (2019)
Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim, DE (2012, 2015, 2018, 2022)
Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum, GR (2016)
Cominelli Foundation Permanent Collection, IT (2015)
_private collections: USA, NL, DE, SE, KR, TH, CH, UK, BE

award nominations / shortlisted finalist

2023 • Friedrich Becker Preis, DE

2017 • SCHMUCK_Herbert Hofmann Prize, DE
2017 • Friedrich Becker Preis, DE
2017 • ITAMI Award, JP
2014 • Cominelli Foundation Award, IT
2011 • RRH Jewellery Award, C. Hafner, DE
2011 • TALENTE, DE
2011 • ITAMI Award, JP

2011 • Friedrich Becker Preis, DE

2010 • New Traditional Jewellery Award, “True Colors”, NL

grants / scholarships / fellowships

2022-18 • Doctoral fellowship, ARIA (Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts),
Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp & University of Antwerp, BE
2013 • Konstfack grant, Jubel-Fond, Karl-Alex Rosenqvists, SE
2012 • Ulla Fröberg-Cramérs scholarhip, SE
2008 • Baden-Württemberg scholarship, DE

education

2022-18 • PhD in the Arts,
ARIA (Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts),
Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp & University of Antwerp, BE
2013 • MFA in the Crafts,
Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm, SE
2010 • BFA in Jewellery and Everyday Objects,
University of Applied Arts Pforzheim, DE
2009 • Exchange studies in jewellery & ceramics,
NSCAD University, Halifax, NS, CA
2004 • Certificate in Goldsmithing,
Prof. Institute of Gold- and Silversmiths, Athens, GR
2002 • Diploma in Financial Management and Banking,
Piraeus University, Athens, GR

research & teaching faculty member
Since 2018, teaching at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, BE

Currently, she is a Docent focusing on artistic research.

seminars / curation
since 2020 • co-curator, METHOD/ART, artistic research seminar ARIA, BE
with Dr. Adilia Yip & Umut Eldem,

METHOD/ART#5 - Cumulus Antwerp 2023
METHOD/ART#4 (2022)
METHOD/ART#3 (2021)
METHOD/ART#2 (2020)

lectures
2023 • ADMA _ Sint Lucas School of Arts, Antwerp, BE
2023 • PXL-MAD School of Arts Hasselt, BE
2021 • PARSE, 4th Biennial Research Conference, SE
2021 • ANAMMA LECTURE SERIES, Athens, GR
2021 • OPEN LABORATORY WEEKS, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, BE

2021 • ZADAN LECTURE SERIES, HDK-Valand--Academy of Art and Design, SE
2017 • Research Lab CRAFT! , Konstfack University of Arts, Crafts and Design, Stockholm, SE

jury member (educational/field-based)
2024 • DIVA museum atelier residency program, Antwerp, BE
2023 • MA final exam opponent, HDK-Valand--Academy of Art and Design, SE
2021 • BA final exam opponent, HDK-Valand--Academy of Art and Design, SE

guest tutor / workshops

2024 • “Jewellery as a social tool”, ANAMMA Art Jewelry School, Athens, GR
2020 • guest tutor, HDK-Valand--Academy of Art and Design, SE
2019 • MA workshop “Shame”, with Mashid Mohadjerin, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, BE
2019 • guest tutor, Academy of Design and Crafts, University of Gothenburg, SE
2018 • instructor, Hephaistos Summer School, Ilias Lalaounis Museum, Athens, GR
2018 • guest tutor, BA workshop, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, BE
2018 • guest tutor, Academy of Design and Crafts, University of Gothenburg, SE 2015 • co-teacher, Summer Academy Salzburg, AU

parallel roles

In 2012 she assisted the curation of “The State of Things” at Pinakothek der Moderne in Munich.
From 2017-2018, she co-curated the program at Barklund & Co in Stockholm, together with Rut-Malin Barklund, Hanna Hedman, and Hannes Rydell.

During her first years of residence in Berlin, 2016-2017, she freelanced at the sculpture studio of Skulpturengiesserei Knaak, working on large-scale projects for the international art scene.

As her first studies were on financial management, she served several positions on such tasks until 2005 in Athens, GR, before flipping her course of flight towards a new educational trajectory and vocation.