A Spatialized Visual Translation of Sound, Memory, and Resistance
|’n Art| gallery is honoured to present and promote Ecos del Eternauta, a profound collaboration between Greek visual artist Yannis Papayannis and Franco-Argentine composer Andrea Cohen, following its world premiere at the Festival Internacional Cervantes Electroacústico (Teatro Nacional Cervantes, Buenos Aires, August 2026).
The project finds its genesis in Andrea Cohen’s ten-minute electroacoustic masterwork of the same name, composed in 2025. Drawing inspiration from Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano López’s monumental 1957–1959 graphic novel El Eternauta -a foundational work of Latin American culture and an eternal reflection on anonymous authoritarianism- Andrea Cohen’s composition translates the psychological landscape of survival into an atmospheric sonic journey.
In parallel with the music’s world premiere, Yannis Papayannis has realised a monumental visual counterpart: a continuous large-scale painting executed on a roll of paper measuring 75cm x 640cm.
At |’n Art| gallery, we take considerable pride in our long-standing collaboration with Yannis Papayannis and our steadfast commitment to championing projects of exceptional conceptual depth and artistic singularity. Ecos del Eternauta stands as a testament to the distinguished character and uniqueness of the visionary undertakings the artist brings to life.
The Architecture of the Work: Time Made Tangible
The dimensions of Yannis Papayannis’ canvas are governed by a rigorous structural principle: each centimetre corresponds precisely to one second of Andrea Cohen’s electroacoustic score. Rather than merely illustrating the musical score, Yannis Papayannis enacts a rigorous physical translation across the canvas where the painting and the composition function as equivalent objects perceived through different sensory modalities.
The composition is structured as a dual-layered dialogue:
- The Narrative Layer: A figurative drawing derived entirely from Oesterheld’s literary narrative of El Eternauta, conceived independently of Solano López’s original illustrations through the artist’s own perspective.
- The Sonic Layer: An expressive chromatic orchestration applied directly over the drawing using colour, mark, and gesture. Through this physical intervention, Yannis Papayannis visually embodies every category and category shift of sound within Andrea Cohen’s score -from the sweeping vertical ribbons of the opening movement to the chilling desolation and swirling chromatic marks of the urban landscape.
The Anatomy of the Works: Structural Breakdown Across Four Movements
Curatorial Analysis: Nelly Fili
(This critical analysis and curation of the works was based on the primary conceptual rationale and notes of the artist Yannis Papayannis.)
Following the exact architectural arc of the musical composition, the 640cm roll unfolds across twelve distinct narrative moments distributed through four major sections:
Reflecting the formal arc of the musical composition, the 640cm scroll unfolds across twelve narrative moments divided into four sections:
The Overture (0:00–2:15, 135cm): Spanning the initial 135 centimetres of the scroll, this opening movement establishes an immediate, pervasive atmosphere of tension and impending disruption. Through Yannis Papayannis’ striking dual composition, the panel captures The Ordinary Night on the left -depicting four figures gathered around a card table beneath a glowing domestic lamp in a warm interior, wholly unaware of the external shift in reality. On the right, The Snow Begins manifests as a dense, dark expanse punctuated by rhythmic white dots and sweeping vertical marks, capturing the silent, lethal descent of the extraterrestrial snowfall that claims its first victim. Throughout this panel, Yannis Papayannis weaves the chromatic layers of Andrea Cohen’s opening sonic menace across the surface, accompanied by the earliest, subtle emergence of the gold bandoneon motif.
The Ghost City (2:15–5:40, 245cm): As the most extensive section of the scroll, this movement maps the vast, eerie desolation of a transformed urban landscape under a relentless, patterned blanket of white snowfall. Across this 245-centimetre expanse, Yannis Papayannis constructs a chilling visual sequence: The Sealed House, depicted through looming, grey-toned architectural facades that alter the domestic sphere; The First Expedition, portraying figures in protective suits venturing cautiously into dead, snow-dusted streets; Buenos Aires Emptied Under Snow, where Juan Salvo stands alone as a solitary silhouette, his exhaled breath marking the sole proof of life amidst the gloom; and The Resistance Forms, signaled by dynamic, swirling chromatic ribbon marks that cut across the desolation to evoke the tentative regrouping of survivors.
The Monsters (5:40–6:34, 54cm): Compressed into a concentrated, high-intensity minute, this section visually encapsulates the hierarchical terror of the extraterrestrial invasion across a 54-centimetre panel. Yannis Papayannis maps three distinct, densely layered tiers of menace into this space: The Gurbos, depicted as massive, horned and spiked colossal entities dominating the upper vertical expanse as an oppressive background; The Cascarudos, rendered as swarming armoured beetles clustered along the lower base; and The Manos, acting as humanoid intermediaries positioned between them amidst vibrant green vertical strokes and striking chromatic accents that embody the direct instruments of control.
The Return and the Dream (6:34–10:00, 216cm): The concluding movement draws the narrative toward an introspective and haunting resolution across a 216-centimetre panel. Yannis Papayannis maps this final journey through three striking episodes: The Return, where the domestic sphere is transfigured with an empty green card table beneath a glowing, vortex-like hanging lamp and vacant chairs; The Temporal Fracture, employing formal Cubist-inspired planes that shatter the green surface across the middle to represent simultaneous temporalities; and Los Ellos — The Faceless Power, presenting an institutional table with empty seating, a lone hand holding a telephone receiver, a bare bulb, and a door slightly ajar. The scroll resolves into forty-five centimetres of neutral grey at the far right: the residual, silent space where someone was.
Throughout the entire expanse of the work, the bandoneon -interpreted by the artist as the inner voice of Juan Salvo- is rendered in lustrous gold, maintaining a continuous presence from the initial centimetre to the final expanse.
Central to this achievement stands the quiet grandeur of Franco-Argentine composer Andrea Cohen: a master of electroacoustic art whose profound sonic architecture transforms monumental cultural memory into an immersive auditory landscape.
By bridging Yannis Papayannis’ visual interpretation and Andrea Cohen’s formidable musical vision, Ecos del Eternauta transcends traditional sensory distinctions. It achieves a synthesis of sound and space rarely encountered in contemporary culture.
Our gallery is particularly drawn to artistic undertakings of a singular, uncompromising nature -works that push the boundaries of contemporary curatorial practice, dissolve disciplinary borders, and engage with enduring historical and cultural narratives. Ecos del Eternauta exemplifies the |’n Art| gallery’s cultural mission and visionary scope to present and promote works that permanently reshape how we encounter history, art, and collective memory.
About the Artists
- Yannis Papayannis is a visual artist based in Athens, Greece, whose artistic practice centres upon the ambitious translation of contemporary classical and electroacoustic music into large-scale, structurally unified paintings. His work is showcased internationally through |’n Art| gallery.
- Andrea Cohen is a Franco-Argentine composer and pianist born in Buenos Aires. A trained classical pianist, she arrived in Paris in 1974, where she obtained degrees in piano and chamber music from the École Normale de Musique de Paris. She subsequently studied composition with Michel Philippot and electroacoustic composition at the Conservatoires of Pantin and Vitry-sur-Seine, while also studying theatre at the École Jacques Lecoq. Her encounter with the Atelier de Creation Radiophonique on France Culture directed her toward radio art, a field in which she has worked extensively with Radio France, producing experimental sound works and documentary creations. She holds a doctorate in music and musicology from Paris IV (2005) and is the author of Les compositeurs et l’art radiophonique (INA–L’Harmattan, 2015). Her notable compositions include L’idée du voyage (2010), Le son de Luc (2014), Mille Hertz (2020), Piano Hörspiel (2023), and Ecos del Eternauta (2025).
Archaeologist – Art Historian | Museologist | Curator nellyfili@n-art.org
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