Vivi Touloumidi is an artist-researcher, writer and craftswoman. Her practice is rooted in artistic research at the intersections of cultural activism and craft disciplines. She investigates wearable and portable art as a medium of agency to carry sociopolitical messages, evoke discourse, and situate the body in the public realm.
As a maker, she embraces a post-disciplinary approach that navigates fluidly between craft-led and theory-driven modes of thinking through the hands. By experimenting across materials and techniques she creates installations, adornments and sculptural works that explore the response-ability and social significance of body-related objects, as well as their performative potential in engaging with an increasingly complex and interconnected world.
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. The doctoral project focused on how social oppression and conflict are materialised through the language of body adornments, drawing on both archival research and fieldwork. Through critical engagement with the poetics and semiotics of socio-political dissent, she created subversive statement pieces and installations that spoke of resilience, emancipation and self-determination.
Her research practice actively nurtures her evolving contributions to public discourse. She has been repeatedly an invited speaker on these topics at events, such as PARSE, the 4th Biennial Research Conference in Sweden, and Lisbon Jewellery Biennal, Portugal. As an author she has written articles on related subjects for FORUM+ (BE), Art Jewelry Forum (USA), The Vessel magazine of Norwegian Crafts (NO) and texturen series, Logos Verlag (DE).
These primary interests evolved into the curation of the artistic research seminar METHOD/ART, which she is co-organising since 2020. Currently, she is a Senior Lecturer / Docent at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp (2018-the present) focusing on artistic research.
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 and an Advanced Master of Research in Art and Design from Sint Lucas School of Arts, Antwerp.
She lives and works in Berlin and Antwerp, while she always returns back home to Athens.
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. The doctoral project focused on how social oppression and conflict are materialised through the language of body adornments, drawing on both archival research and fieldwork. Through critical engagement with the poetics and semiotics of socio-political dissent, she created subversive statement pieces and installations that spoke of resilience, emancipation and self-determination.
Her research practice actively nurtures her evolving contributions to public discourse. She has been repeatedly an invited speaker on these topics at events, such as PARSE, the 4th Biennial Research Conference in Sweden, and Lisbon Jewellery Biennal, Portugal. As an author she has written articles on related subjects for FORUM+ (BE), Art Jewelry Forum (USA), The Vessel magazine of Norwegian Crafts (NO) and texturen series, Logos Verlag (DE).
These primary interests evolved into the curation of the artistic research seminar METHOD/ART, which she is co-organising since 2020. Currently, she is a Senior Lecturer / Docent at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp (2018-the present) focusing on artistic research.
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 and an Advanced Master of Research in Art and Design from Sint Lucas School of Arts, Antwerp.
She lives and works in Berlin and Antwerp, while she always returns back home to Athens.
prize
2025 • 11th Hanau City Goldsmith
award nominations / shortlisted finalist
2023 • Friedrich Becker Preis, DE
2017 • SCHMUCK_Herbert Hofmann Prize, DE2017 • 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
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
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
residency
Zeichenakademie Hanau, September 2025 , DEeducation
2022-18 • PhD in the Arts,ARIA (Antwerp Research Institute for the Arts),
Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp & University of Antwerp, BE
2025 • Advanced Master of Research in Art and Design,
Sint Lucas School of Arts, 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 Senior Lecturer / Docent focusing on artistic research.
seminars / curation
since 2020 • co-curator, METHOD/ART, annual artistic research seminar ARIA, BE
with Dr. Adilia Yip & Dr. Umut Eldem.
METHOD/ART#7 (2025) METHOD/ART#6 (2024)
METHOD/ART#5 - (Cumulus Antwerp _ 2023)
METHOD/ART#4 (2022)
METHOD/ART#3 (2021)
METHOD/ART#2 (2020)
Moderation of the pilot event “PhD DAY”
2025, gallery Handwerk, Munich, DE
lectures
2025 • Zeichenakademie Hanau, DE
2024 • “Applying the self”, Madrugada Colloquium, Lisbon Jewellery Biennial, PT
2024 • “Wearing Space : Body & Site” during Schmuck 24’ _ MJW Social Club, Munich, DE
2024 • Sint Lucas School of Arts, Antwerp, BE
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)
2025 • PhD-defence jury member, PXL-MAD Hasselt University, BE
2024 • selection committee, 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
2026 • tutor, Hephaistos Summer School, Ilias Lalaounis Museum, Athens, GR2025 • workshop, Zeichenakademie Hanau, DE
2025 • tutor, Hephaistos Summer School, Ilias Lalaounis Museum, Athens, GR
2024 • MA workshop, Alchimia Jewellery School, Florence, IT
2024 • workshop, “Jewellery as a social tool”, ANAMMA Art Jewelry School, Athens, GR
2024 • tutor, Hephaistos Summer School, Ilias Lalaounis Museum, Athens, GR
2020 • guest tutor, HDK-Valand--Academy of Art and Design, SE
2019 • MA workshop with Mashid Mohadjerin, “Shame”, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, BE
2019 • guest tutor, HDK-Valand--Academy of Art and Design, SE
2018 • tutor, Hephaistos Summer School, Ilias Lalaounis Museum, Athens, GR
2018 • guest tutor, BA workshop, Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, BE
2018 • guest tutor, HDK-Valand--Academy of Art and Design, 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.
Having initially studied finance and banking management, she held several positions in that sector until 2005 in Athens (GR), before flipping her course of flight towards a new educational trajectory and vocation.