Heist, 2026
Parrhasius, Athens
16 May – 31 May, 2026

The word heist originally referred not to theft but to the act of lifting or raising something. It derives from an older verb related to hoist, a term still commonly used in nautical contexts to describe the raising of sails, flags, and signals. While today the word is primarily associated with robbery, its earlier meaning survives in the physical act of elevating an object from one position to another.

This connection is echoed throughout Heist. The exhibition’s borrowed objects originate from a seaside holiday caravan and include nautical motifs, coastal imagery, and maritime expressions of comfort and belonging. As a condition of the rental agreement, the works were removed from the caravan and hung in the gallery for the duration of the hire period before being returned to their original setting.

Heist refers not only to their unauthorised removal but also to their relocation: a temporary hoisting of decorative objects from one setting into another.