PAINTING Archives - Greek News Agenda

From Pigments to Pixels: The digital reconstuction of the Aigai Hunt Frieze, classical world’s most significant painting

Ioulia Livaditi — Thu, 15 May 2025 08:34:49 +0000

The hunting fresco, which adorns the frieze on the façade of the royal tomb of Philip II at Aigai, is the most significant and largest known painting of the classical world to have been revealed to date.

The recently completed interdisciplinary ReVis project, led by archeologist Hariclia Brecoulaki, constitutes the first comprehensive and scientifically documented study of this fresco from Aigai. It employed pioneering, non-invasive diagnostic and imaging techniques based on digital technology. The monumental fresco, which nearly entirely covered the long frieze of the so-called Macedonian tomb — 5.56 meters long and 1.16 meters high — consists of six open-air hunting scenes.

New data regarding the ancient pigments, painting style, and iconography of this emblematic fresco, and more broadly, on the monumental Greek painting of the 4th century BCE, emerged through this innovative study, a collaboration between the National Hellenic Research Foundation, the National Centre For Scientific Research "Demokritos" and the Hemathia Ephorate of Antiquities.

Visual composition with details from the 9th form of the mural from the left. Diagnostic techniques and digital restoration. © Marianna Poga, Christos Simatos

The ultimate goal of the research project was to gain a more accurate understanding of the fresco’s technique and iconography, as well as to propose a new digital restoration at its original scale, based on archaeometric data, combining AI tools (Christos Simatos, visual artist) and contemporary artistic creation (Emmanouil Bitsakis, painter).

Ancient Greek painting is a little-known facet of Greek art: few people realize that life in antiquity was full of paintings, from public buildings to private homes, made with delicate materials that haven’t survived — mostly painted on wood, hence their absence from museum collections.

The great painters of the 4th century BCE, the golden age of Greek painting, were highly sought-after, producing sophisticated works with advanced techniques that laid the foundation for painting in subsequent centuries.

Facade of the Tomb of Philip II. The fresco with the hunt. Digital restoration of the fresco based on the results of the ReVis project © Hariclia Brecoulaci, Christos Simatos / Ministry of Culture

Dr Hariclia Brecoulaki, who has devoted her career to studying ancient Greek painting and color, is a senior researcher at the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Research Foundation, and the scientific lead for the digital restoration of the fresco. In her interview with Lifo, she stated:

"The striking composition of the royal hunt, created by a gifted 4th-century BCE painter on the façade of the imposing royal tomb before it was covered by the earthen mound, is internationally renowned and represents the most significant and largest-scale painting of the classical world discovered to date.

"Comprising six hunting scenes in an open landscape with perspectival elements, the composition includes three mounted and seven on-foot hunters wearing distinct clothing and accessories, and nine dogs attacking and injuring various types of game, primarily a boar and a lion. The setting blends natural and man-made elements, such as a rectangular column topped with statuettes. Despite the action, all animals are shown mortally wounded, with the hunters in full control — symbolizing dominance.

Thus, the hunt may serve as a metaphor for the battlefield, a display of power by the Macedonian kings, still resonating from their major victory at Chaeronea, in which Alexander played a crucial role. Many studies have focused on the frieze, proposing theories about the hunt’s meaning, its setting, the symbolism of multiple prey, the social roles of the hunters, and whether the figures correspond to historical Macedonian court members.

Digital restoration of the mural, based on the results of the ReVis project. Alexander on horseback. © Hariklia Brecoulaci, Christos Simatos / Ministry of Culture

However, due to poor preservation and limited access, it remains difficult for viewers to appreciate its artistic value or decipher its iconography clearly. The belief that Greek painters practiced "tetrachromy" (painting using only four pigments: white, black, yellow, and red) influenced artistic and scholarly interpretations of Greek painting since the Renaissance.

In my research at the National Hellenic Research Foundation, I began in 2013 — with colleagues Andreas Karydas, Christos Simatos, and Giovanni Verri — a pilot diagnostic study of the hunting fresco from Philip’s tomb at Aigai. At that time, the Ephor of Antiquities in Imathia, Angeliki Kotaridi, supported us by granting permission and installing scaffolding on the tomb’s façade, enabling us to take sample color readings, photograph the scene, and apply imaging techniques that revealed colors and shapes invisible to the naked eye.

Archaeological site of Aigai. Facade of the Tomb of Philip II. Scanning of the surface of the fresco with X-ray fluorescence (MAXRF) by the XRAYlab laboratory team, ISPC/CNR of Catania, March 2023 © Christos Simatos

This initial study made it clear that the ancient painter used a wider range of pigments than previously believed, applied over large surfaces, and that the technique was extraordinarily complex for its time. Further analysis of color composition and painting technique was warranted. Additionally, through visible-induced luminescence and fluorescence photography, previously unseen drawing details emerged.

Ten years later, in March 2023, with funding from the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI), we organized — with a team of colleagues — the continuation and completion of the 2013 project as ReVis, an interdisciplinary endeavor combining archaeological expertise, archaeometric research, AI tools, and artistic interpretations.

The goal remains a better understanding of the fresco’s technique and imagery and a new digital restoration at life-size, based on the latest scientific findings — enabling a more accurate reconstruction of the original polychromy and offering modern audiences a clearer view of this unique masterpiece.

Today, the polychromy of ancient sculpture and architecture is more widely recognized thanks to various exhibitions and studies both in Greece (e.g., the Acropolis Museum, the Αcropolis Restoration Service-YSMA) and abroad (e.g., "Gods in Color"). However, monumental painting remains largely unseen. We felt this ambitious effort was worth undertaking.

We aimed to create a more faithful recreation of the original composition — to "revive" this masterpiece so it can be better studied by experts and appreciated by the general public."

Emmanuel Bitsakis. Acrylic on wood. Painting of Philip on horseback, 2025. © Emmanuel Bitsakis

According to the Portal for the Greek Language, regarding the historical figures possibly depicted:

It’s difficult to determine whether the hunting scene in the Vergina fresco is a historical event — even loosely interpreted — or a symbolic, fictional composition. In either case, some of the mounted hunters are likely historical figures. Yet, identifying them and determining the exact date of the fresco — and of the tomb — remains challenging. If the tomb was built in the 340s–330s BCE, the bearded rider may be Philip II (d. 336 BCE) and the youthful, wreath-wearing rider Alexander the Great. If, instead, the tomb dates to the late 4th century BCE, the deceased could be Philip III Arrhidaeus, Alexander’s half-brother (d. 316 BCE). In any case, the fresco places us within the royal Macedonian milieu before the end of the 4th century BCE.

On April 5, 2025, an international conference titled "The Aigai Hunt Frieze Revealed: An Interdisciplinary Investigation and Digital Reconstruction" presented the outcomes of the ReVis project. From April 9 to 12, a life-size digital print of the fresco’s restoration was exhibited, along with original artworks by Emmanouil Bitsakis, used in the reconstruction, at 16 Fokionos Negri Street.

Archaeological site of Aigai. Facade of the Tomb of Philip II. Pilot examination of the fresco, February 2013. Giovanni Verri, Chariklia Brekoulaki. © Christos Simatos / Ministry of Culture

ReVis was funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI) under the "2nd Call for HFRI Research Projects to Support Faculty Members and Researchers" (Project No. 4366). Scientific supervisor is Dr. Haricleia Brecoulaci, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Historical Research of the National Hellenic Reasearch Foundation. The project is implemented in collaboration with the National Centre For Scientific Research "Demokritos," led by Dr. Andreas Karydas, and the Hemathia Ephorate of Antiquities, with Dr. Anastasia Georgiadou as on-site scientific lead.

ReVis also benefited from access to the advanced facilities of the European IPERION-HS/MOLAB consortium.

I.L., with information from the Greek Ministry of Culture, Lifo, Ta Nea and Portal for the Greek Language.

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 6/6

iandrianopoulos — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 10:18:28 +0000

Modernism in Greek visual arts has been a dynamic and evolving field throughout the 20^th century, shaped by the country’s rich cultural heritage, political changes, global influences and the advent of new media and technology. It is characterized by the exploration of abstraction, experimental techniques, and the use of modern materials, offering a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of Greek identity, history, tradition and modernity. Through a series of articles, Greek News Agenda presents a brief panorama of the Greek visual art scene in the second half of the 20^th century. The articles are based on the catalogue of the landmark exhibition at the National Gallery “Metamorphoses of the Modern – the Greek Experience”, curated by Dr. Anna Kafetsi (14.5-13.9.1992). The exhibition aimed to address the complex question: "Does a Greek modernism, in fact, exist? And if so, what is its character?" More than 100 Greek artists—both from the Greek metropolis and the Diaspora—were featured in the exhibition and selected for their “autonomous plastic language”. About 50 artists, key figures of the post-war Greek visual art scene, are explored in greater depth in the series.

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s - Part 6/6: “Towards a new spatial art”

(Source: Dr Anna Kafetsi, Catalogue of the exhibition “Metamorphoses of the Modern – the Greek Experience”, National Gallery, Athens, 1992, p.245-6)

“With the evolution of sculpture – which had already broken down the strict barriers which divided it from painting – into an art of autonomous objects, the space which traditional painting had represented by means of illusion had been conquered. […] space and the particular place are now generative components in the structure of the work, and on a unified scale the work itself is metamorphosed into an architecturally-designed environment which we can visit. The lager constructions, which are part of space and impose their presence in their movement, their line, their intensity and their perpendicularity […] tend to take on an architectural dimension […] In a similar manner, other works whose construction contains an innate element of structural dismantling and re-assembly can be adapted to whatever site they are erected on, where they could be said to be re-created […] The dialectics of sculpture and architecture has continued in other directions and is tending to unify the two arts, metamorphosing constructional sculpture into constructed space […] All that was left now was for artists to turn towards the natural environment itself […] where qualities and features, products and characters from each specific location were utilized to make that location into a work of art”.

FEATURED ARTISTS (PART 6): GAITIS, COULENTIANOS, LOUKOPOULOS, PHILOLAOS, MOLFESSIS, LAPPAS, ZAFOS XAGORARIS, SPILIOPOULOS, CHARALAMBOUS

Yannis Gaitis, Black Stable Heads, aluminium, iron, 279x142 cm, Athens National Gallery (top left), Mass Transport or General Transport, 1984, iron and paint, 550 x460x200 cm, Athens National Gallery (top right), Interior view of the Gaitis-Simossi Museum, photo by Dimitris Foutris (lower)

YANNIS GAITIS (Athens, 1923 – Athens, 1984) studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts. In 1949, he participated in the founding of the group The Extremists. In 1954, he moved to Paris, where he studied at the School of Fine Arts and the Grande Chaumière Academy. In 1959, in Rome, he joined the Gruppo Sigma alongside other Greek artists. In the mid-1960s, Gaitis began creating his well-known figure of the little man. Initially, this figure was repeated around a central motif, but later evolved into a schematic and standardized form, becoming both a symbol and an ironic critique of society. His repeated little men, representing middle-class propriety and alienation, dominated his work in various forms, often as wooden constructions. These figures have been placed at the Athens metro station Stathmos Larissis. Gaitis participated in numerous exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including the São Paolo Biennales (1952, 1967) and the Brussels Europalia (1982). In 2024, the Gaitis-Simossi Museum opened its doors on the Cycladic island of Ios. (Source: Athens National Gallery, Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

The Gaitis-Simossi Museum on Ios Island

Costas Coulentianos, Abstract, 1974, iron, 187x155x172 cm, Athens National Gallery (top left), New Generation IX, 1998, iron, Ethniki Amyna station of the Athens metro (top right), View of the exhibition The last of the Modern Acrobats, the Βenaki Museum, 27.9.2012-5.1.2023 (lower)

COSTAS COULENTIANOS (Athens, 1918 – Arles, 1995) studied sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts. He fought as a volunteer on the Albanian front and later participated in the Greek Resistance. In 1945, le boarded the celebrated Mataroa ship, traveling to Paris with other Greek artists and intellectuals on a French government scholarship. In 1946, he attended courses at the École des Beaux Arts and shortly after at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. His collaboration with Henri Laurens had a decisive impact on his career. In the 1950s, he began exploring abstract forms, with metal becoming his primary material. In the 1970s, his “screw” sculptures became his trademark. These works, made of curved or flat surfaces of white- or black-painted iron joined by iron blades, resulted in dynamic compositions that interact with space and light. He created more than 50 outdoor sculptures. His work New Generation IX has been placed at the Ethniki Amyna station of the Athens metro. Coulentianos presented his work in numerous exhibitions in Athens, London, Paris and other cities across Europe and America. He also participated in group exhibitions, including the São Paulo Biennale (1955) and the Venice Biennale (1964, 1982). (Source: Athens National Gallery, Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Klearchos Loukopoulos, Superimposition, 1977, Bronze, 63x53x42 cm, Athens National Gallery (left), Acrocorinth, 1965, Bronze, 97,5x51x38,5 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

KLEARCHOS LOUKOPOULOS (Thermo, Aitolia, 1906 – Athens, 1995) studied studied law at the University of Athens and sculpture at the Académie Colarossi in Paris (1934-36). Initially creating realistic, anthropocentric works, he later transitioned to abstraction During this period, he abandoned marble and stone in favor of metal, creating works featuring polyhedral forged metal forms that evoke Mycenaean stone wall masonry. His work, based on various combinations of geometric shapes arranged in vertical or horizontal patterns in space, developed constructivist traits after the 1970s. In a broader context of creative activity, Loukopoulos collaborated with the architect, Aris Konstantinidis to create a series of monumental compositions for the Xenia hotels of the Hellenic Tourism Organization (EOT), located in several Greek cities. An artist with broad intellectual interests, Loukopoulos published and translated many articles on art. His work has been presented in solo exhibitions and group events, including the Salon des Indépendants in Paris, the Venice Biennale (1956, 1966), the São Paulo and Alexandria Biennales (1959), and Europalia (1982). In 2000, his work Stili (Column) was placed at the Ethniki Amyna station of the Athens metro. (Source: Athens National Gallery, Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Philolaos (Tloupas), The Prow, 1964, stainless steel, 80 x 60 x 90 cm, Athens National Gallery (top left), The Water Towers of Valance, 1969-71, aqueduct, stainless steel and cement, 52 and 57 m, included in the UNESCO list of cultural heritage projects (photo from the current exhibition at the Katsigras Museum in Larissa), L'oiseau mécanique, metallic sculpture, La Défense, Paris, 1972 (photo from the current exhibition at the Katsigras Museum in Larissa)

PHILOLAOS (TLOUPAS) (Larissa, 1923 – Paris, 2010) studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts. After graduating in 1950, he moved to for Paris and soon settled in Chevreuse, where he became first a student and later a professor at the Faculty of Ceramics. An artist who never ceased to seek to experiment, he developed his own original technique in the late 1970s, producing a great number of works made from cement, stainless steel and washed concrete (béton lavé). Particularly interested in the cultural role of sculpture and its integration into architectural setting, Philolaos extensively collaborated with architects. The result of these collaborations was monumental sculptural constructions for public spaces. At the same time, he created small-scale sculptures with a poetic and intensely surrealist quality. Philolaos held his first solo exhibitions in 1964 in Nantes, Paris, and Athens. He also participated in major group exhibitions, including the Salon du Mai in Paris and the São Paulo Biennale (1965). In 2005, the French government, in 2005, honored Philolaos for his contributions to art by declaring him an Officer of the Order of Letters and Arts, and the French Academy of Architecture awarded him the Medal of Plastic Arts. (Source: Athens National Gallery)

Jason Molfessis, MXXD 3010 I-II-III, 1994, steel, 1,50Χ1,50Χ1,50m, 0,80Χ052m, 1.00Χ0,15m, European Cultural Center of Delphi (top left), The Eye of the Ox, 1988, polyester, diameter 19.5 cm, Florina Museum of Contemporary Art (top right), Iron Corridor, 1990, polyester, iron, iron plates, Athens National Gallery (lower)

JASON MOLFESSIS (Athens, 1925 – Athens, 2009) studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1941-46), while also attending the Athens Law School. In 1950, he left for Paris where he attended fresco and painting workshops (1951-52). He settled permanently in Paris and became part of the avant-garde of his time, maintaining contacts in Greece. In 1968, he turned to sculpture, initially creating relief compositions from hammered lead, and later large sculptural installations made of cement and iron in Paris and other cities, which he called "Agora", "Labyrinth", "Sarcophagus", "Temple", "Fossil". Molfessis developed a unique artistic language, showing a keen interest in the technological achievements of his times, especially in computing, and used binary code to create his own abstract artistic universe. In 1988, he was elected professor at the School of Fine Arts in Thessaloniki, where he taught until 1990. His exhibition history includes solo shows as well as participation in group and international exhibitions, including the São Paulo Biennale (1963), the Venice Biennale (1972), Europalia (1982), and the Paris Salons. (Source: Kalfayan Galleries, Athens National Gallery)

George Lappas, Le film eternal, luminous installation, aluminum, metals, plastic and light, 300x200x200cm, Athens National Gallery (top left), New Burghers, 1993, metal, plaster, polyurethane, red cloth, Figure A: 228x120x90cm, Figure C:228x100x130cm, Base:200x221x194cm, EMST (top right), Mappemonde, 1987, metal, neon and Plexiglas, 31 sculptures, 135x150x100 cm, EMST (lower)

GEORGE LAPPAS (Cairo, 1950 – Athens, 2016) studied psychology at Reed College, Portland (U.S.A.). In 1975, he studied architecture in London and then sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1977-82). He continued his art studies at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris (1984-85). His work includes sculptures, constructions, and installations, often large that explore the relationship between sculpture and space, as well as the viewer-artwork communication. In the 1990s he created his most popular works, dominated by the human figure and the use of bright red colour. The life-size figures, known as The Bourgeois, whether single or in groups, are often fragmentary or made from assembled parts, allowing for constant reshaping. Those constructions, which evoke both statues and mechanical devices, challenge the static nature of sculpture by offering extensive potential for transformation. Lappas taught sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA) from 1992 onward. He presented solo exhibitions in Greece and abroad and participated in several group exhibitions, including the Young Artists Biennale in Paris (1982), the Europalia (Belgium), São Paulo Biennale (1987), and the Venice Biennale (Aperto 1988, Greek Pavilion 1990). His work was also featured at the Kassel Dokumenta (2017). (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Zafos Xagoraris, Boxed bells, 2003, Bell, sound proof materials, programmable bell Ringer, 220x170x170cm, 8 drawings with pencil 25 x 33 cm, EMST, Sound installation, Petrofani, 2004, Amp, mechanism comprising of two speakers, an amplifier, a battery and a microphone, installed in the center of abandoned villages due to the Turkish invasion in 1974, Cyprus (top right), “The Performance”, outdoor installation, ΝΕΟΝ city project 2016, parking lot next to the Athinaion Theater, Athens, 2016 (photo by Natalia Tsoukala) (lower)

ZAFOS XAGORARIS (Athens, 1963) studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with an Onassis Foundation scholarship. His Ph.D. was about the construction of miracles by Hero of Alexandria (Department of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens). He has presented several personal exhibitions, while his work consists of drawings, obstructing devices of visual or other signals, and public installations of sound amplification mechanisms. He is currently teaching at the Athens School of Fine Arts and has taught at the University of Patras and the University of Sassari. Xagoraris has participated in major exhibitions, including the 58th Venice Biennale, Greek Pavilion, “Mr Stigl” (2019), the Kassel Documenta (2017), and the São Paulo Biennale (2006). He was also one of the curators of the Greek Pavilion at the 9th Venice Architecture Biennale (2004) and the 2nd Athens Bienniale (2009). In addition, he has presented several outdoor installations. (Source: http://zafosxagoraris.net/, EMST)

Marios Spiliopoulos, Apiculture Arrangement, 1997, wood, wax, blue marker drawing on transparent paper, lamp, wire, 50,5 x 25 x 41,5 cm, EMST (top right), Hagia Sophia, Constantinople, 1992, mixed media, Athens National Gallery (top right), Christodentro (The Tree of Christ), 1995, mixed media on panel, 39,5x33,5cm, Athens National Gallery (lower left), The Landscape of Being, 1997, wooden table (80x 100x70cm) with hand written text from the Landscape of Being, by N.G. Pentzikis, 10 branches, 12 little black crosses, electric lamp, steel, water, glass, straw chair, 3 glasses, steel cross filled with olive oil, square glass, electric lamp, illuminated box (50 x 42 x 25 cm), variable dimensions, EMST (lower right)

MARIOS SPILIOPOULOS (Polygyros, Chalkidiki, 1957) studied at the School of Engineering and Technology in Thessaloniki and painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1983-88). His first solo exhibition, an artistic intervention in the environment, was presented in his birthplace in 1987. This exhibition revealed the artistic position of his later work, which includes environments, constructions and spatial interventions, often of a ritualistic nature and alluding to the identity and characteristics of Greece and its people. He typically uses natural, unrefined materials in his constructions (such as soil, water, wood, and wax) which are connected to primordial memories and allude to mythical or religious symbols. The ritualistic atmosphere, distinctive in his installations, is further enhanced by the use of light, often emanating from lit candles or vigil lamps. Spiliopoulos Xagoraris is teaching at the Athens School of Fine Arts (ASFA) since 1991. He has presented his work in several solo exhibitions in Greece and abroad and has participated in many group exhibitions and international art events, including those in Glasgow (1990), Madrid (1992), and Copenhagen (1996). He won first prize at the 18th Alexandria Biennale in 1994. (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Panos Charalambous, Concerning Fishing, Fishermen, 1990-91, panoscharalambous.com (top left), Tobacco area, mixed media, 1986, panoscharalambous.com (top right), An Eagle was Standing, 2019, Mr. Stigl, Pavilion of Greece at the 58th International Art Exhibition, La Biennale di Venezia, panoscharalambous.com (lower)

PANOS CHARALAMBOUS (Akarnania, 1956) studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts. He has worked with various materials, often drawn from the context of Greek provincial life, and has experimented with many forms of visual and performance art. From 1986 to 1990, he created wall-mounted works and environments focused on the theme of tobacco cultivation, a reference to his rural upbringing and home region. In 1990, he began a new cycle of works centered on fishing, creating in situ interventions in Lake Amvrakia. His artistic expression constitutes a conceptual articulation that takes historical and social experience into account. He is a professor emeritus of the Athens School of Fine Arts. Charalambous has participated in international exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale (2019), the Kassel Documenta (2017), the White House Biennial, Varna (2016), Besançon (2014), Break-Through exhibition, Madrid (2004), the Cultural Capital of Europe, Copenhagen (1996), and Kunst-Europa, Berlin (1991). In 2015, he was awarded by the Association of Art Critics - AICA Hellas for the exhibition Aquis Submersus. (Source: https://panoscharalambous.com/, Athens National Gallery)

I.A.

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 5/6

iandrianopoulos — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 10:42:25 +0000

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s - Part 5/6: “From rhetoric to cultural representation”

(Source: Dr Anna Kafetsi, Catalogue of the exhibition “Metamorphoses of the Modern – the Greek Experience”, National Gallery, Athens, 1992, p.223-4)

“Parallel to the trend which led to the predominance of the gesture, the process and ultimately the idea as opposed to the object, another group of artists reintroduced the problem of representation – though this time on new critical, rhetorical and cultural terms. The canvas continued to provide them with suitable – even fertile – ground for analytical research, while their unusual sculptures turned in the direction of realistic (and frequently anthropomorphic) imagism […] “Pure” painting did not hesitate to return to the real, especially in its political and social dimension […] Realistic depictions based on photographs were the medium enlisted by many painters either to denounce the brutality and cynicism of political reality or to contrast it with the process of art, which metamorphoses without beautifying. Black-and-white surfaces, inspired primarily to imitate photographs, dominated production in the visual arts for a long period after the mid-Sixties, and were far from unrelated to overall political conditions on the local and international levels (the Vietnam war, national liberation and social uprisings, dictatorships) […] The new figuration, when it was not an extrapolation of the fragmentary and self-absorbed rhetoric, introduced a number of new features. The basic function of representation relied not on the mental powers of perception but on cognition of the real by perceptual means […]

FEATURED ARTISTS (PART 5): MYTARAS, KOKKINIDIS, PSYCHOPEDIS, SOROGAS, ZOUNI, THEOFYLAKTOPOULOS, BOTSOGLOU, PAPACONSTANTINOU, VAROTSOS

Dimitris Mytaras, Leather Gloves, 1975, oil on canvas, 200 x 134 cm, Athens National Gallery (left), Studio, 1993, oil on canvas, 220 x 180 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

DIMITRIS MYTARAS (Chalkida, 1934 – Athens, 2017) studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1953-57). In 1961-64, he continued his studies in Paris at the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs. In 1975, he was elected professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts. His early work, during the period of the Greek military junta (1967-74), is characterized by a shift towards critical realism. This phase featured the use of photographic documentation, a limited color palette, and political narratives. Following this, expressionistic elements and vivid colors dominated his anthropocentric style, often focusing on portraits. Throughout his artistic career, Mytaras was highly active in the exhibition field, participating in notable events such as the Biennale of Alexandria (1958, 1966), the São Paolo Biennale (1966) and the Venice Biennale (1972). In addition to his painting, Mytaras was extensively involved in set design, illustrations, and applied arts. His work Dexileos was placed at the ‘Dafni’ Athens metro station. Mytaras also published writings that include essays and studies on art, as well as articles and poetry. (Source: Athens National Gallery, Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Dimosthenis Kokkinidis, March 1968 (left), March 1968 (middle) and July 1967 (right), 1968, From the series: And regarding the remembrance of evils … 1967-1997, acrylic on conservation cardboard stuck on sea-water resistant plywood, 117 x 60.6 cm, EMST

DIMOSTHENIS KOKKINIDIS (Piraeus, 1929 – Athens, 2020) studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1952-58). In the ‘60s, he turned to more politically charged themes that reflected the turbulent atmosphere of the era. The works of that period reveal a critical commentary achieved through violent chromatic tensions and expressionistic distortions, rather than through the coldness of realism (War-Violence, the remembrance of evils, Identities, Protests). In the '80's his art focused to personal experiences revolving around nature and human communication. His commitment to painting distinguishes him from his peers of the 60's generation, whose art evolved outside of Greece. His works are characterized by color values, an elliptical morphoplastic vocabulary, and a sense of fragmentation. In 1976 he was elected full professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts. Kokkinidis presented his works in solo and group exhibitions, including the 'Art & Dictatorship' section of Europalia (Belgium, 1982), the Kassel Documenta (2017), and also published several studies on art. (Source: Athens National Gallery, Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Yannis Psychopedis, Neo-Hellenic Space, 1978, coloured pencils (collage) on paper, 118,5 x 43,5 cm, Athens National Gallery (top), The Undelivered Letter, 1982, mixed materials, 40.1 x 52 cm, EMST (lower left), Seminar, 1980, mixed materials, 64.4 x 88.9 cm, EMST (lower right)

YANNIS PSYCHOPEDIS (Athens, 1945) studied printmaking at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1963-68) and participated in student association activities and youth rallies. He continued his studies at the Academie der Bildenden Kunste, in Munich (1970-76) on a DAAD scholarship. He was later invited by the Public Artistic Program of West Berlin, where he settled until 1986. In 1971, he co-founded the art group ‘Young Greek Realists’ (1971-1973), which presented figurative paintings with socially critical content and also served as a form of anti-dictatorial protest. In 1986, he moved to Brussels and returned to Greece in 1993. In 1994, he was elected professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts. His work is characterized by a realistic criticism of social, political and cultural phenomena of modern times, with references to history, the ancient Greek world, European art, and autobiographical memories. He organized numerous solo exhibitions worldwide, including a major touring exhibition of his works in German museums (1980–81). He also participated in several art events, including the Kassel Documenta (2017). In 2004 he created a large installation for the ‘Eirini’ station of the Athens Metro. (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Sotiris Sorogas, Stone, before 1977, powdered pigment and acrylic medium on canvas, 200 x 180 cm, Athens National Gallery (top left), Landscape with rocks, 1967, charcoal on paper, 35 x 50 cm, EMST (top right), Old Machine Part, before 2002, acrylic and coal, 80 x 140 cm, Athens National Gallery (lower)

SOTIRIS SOROGAS (Athens, 1936) studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1955-1961). In 1972, on a grant from the Ford Foundation, he travelled to New York, Chicago, London and Milan to familiarize himself with modern art. His early works show affinities with the politicized photorealistic tendencies that emerged during the Greek military junta (the use of black-and-white photos, spots of red, e.t.c.). However, his later work shifted toward a more poetic exploration of decay and time. His painting is characterized by precise drawing in often monochromatic and fragmentary compositions, where he develops lyrical, narrative elements through a dialogue between space and objects. Sorongas has presented his work in solo and group exhibitions both in Greece and internationally, including the São Paolo Biennale (1981), the Brussels Europalia (1982). Also interested in art on a theoretical level, he has published articles in newspapers and magazines. In 2010, six of his large compositions were placed at the ‘Stathmos Larissis’ station of the Athens Metro. (Source: Athens National Gallery, Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Sotiris Sorogas’ Poetic Approach to Time and Memory

Opy Zouni, One -Level Space. Allussion to De Chirico, 1978, wood panel and plastic, 150 x 225 cm, Athens National Gallery (top left), Temple, 1981, lithograph, 62,3 x 60 cm, Athens National Gallery (top right), Reflections, 1982, acrylic on wood, pebbles, water, 274 x 476 x 72 cm, Athens National Gallery (lower)

OPY ZOUNI (Cairo, 1941 – Athens, 2008) studied painting, pottery, and photography in Cairo. In 1963, she moved to Athens, where she continued her studies at the School of Fine Arts. The main theme that preoccupied her work was the transition from two dimensions to three, as well as the passage from a closed space to an open one. Through geometric shapes, bold colours, and a lyrical mood, she captured light, shadow, motion, and perspective, making the vast space feels even more immense due to the absence of human figures. The distinctive atmosphere of her work springs partly from the coexistence of linear strictness and the freedom of emotive interventions. Her visual creations also included series of prints and multiples, experimentations with technological media, photographic interventions, video, and more. Zouni presented several solo exhibitions in Greece and abroad and participated in international conferences and hundreds of group exhibitions. She regularly attended the international Printmaking Biennials and Triennials. In 1971, she was awarded the State Prize at the Festival International de la Peinture of UNESCO (Cagnes-sur-mer). One of her works has been placed at the ‘Egaleo’ station of the Athens Metro. (Source: Athens National Gallery, Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Makis Theofylaktopoulos, Composition, 1966, oil on canvas, 78 x 86 cm, Athens National Gallery (left), Untitled, 2010, oil on canvas, 120 × 110 cm, EMST (right)

MAKIS THEOFYLAKTOPOULOS (Athens, 1939 – Athens, 2023) studied at the School of Fine Arts, graduating in 1965. From 1969 to 1974 he lived and worked in Lausanne, Paris and then New York on a grant from the Ford Foundation. In 1988, he was elected professor at the School of Fine Arts at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, where he remained until 2005. His work was immediately associated with the sociopolitical tensions of the era and his own explosive temperament as a painter. Influenced by social issues, he focused on human beings, the central motif in all his painting, while the motorcyclist became the main symbolic figure of his entire oeuvre. Gradually distancing himself from realistic depiction, he experimented with avant garde techniques for a time but ultimately opted for a style based on expressionism. Theofylaktopoulos presented his work in solo and group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including the Alexandria Biennale (1977), the Brussels Europalia (1982), and the Traveling Exhibition of Greek Art in Toulouse (1986). (Source: Athens National Gallery, Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Chronis Botsoglou, Face I, 2003, aquatint, sugar – ink, dry point, 71 x 50 cm, Edition 5/25 EMST (top left), Work accident, before 1976, tempera on paper, 100 x 176 cm, Athens National Gallery (right), Frieze, 1972, 18 panels, tempera and acrylic, 65 x 900 cm, EMST (lower)

CHRONIS BOTSOGLOU (Thessaloniki, 1941 – Athens, 2022) studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1960-65) and continued his studies at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris (1969-1972). He was involved in the creation of the art group Young Greek Realists and participated in its exhibitions (1971-73), presenting works with critical content during the period of the dictatorship in Greece. His realistic period, beyond its clear ideological background, was also a time of exploration in the design and colour formation of the human form within painting space, and his interest in this area continued in the following years. His work is characterized by existential references, an exhaustive processing of form, and the physicality of the painting material. In 1989, he was elected professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts, where and taught until 2008. Botsoglou presented several solo exhibitions and participated in many group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including the São Paulo Biennale (1969) and the Kassel Documenta (2017). He also illustrated poetry collections and collaborated with writers and theorists, regularly publishing his own texts. (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Leda Papaconstantinou, Deaf and Dumb, 1971, performance. Maidstone College of Art, Maidstone, and public sites, London, UK. Courtesy of the artist. Photo: Roy Tunniclife (top left), Photograph from the performance in the framework of the solo exhibition The Box, 1981 (Gallery 3, Athens), Performers: Leda Papaconstantinou, Lesley Walton (alias Sally Smith), Photo by Erricos Karrer (top right), Installation view of the exhibition Time in my Hands. Leda Papaconstantinou. A Retrospective, 14.12.2023-21.04.2024, EMST (lower)

LEDA PAPACONSTANTINOU Papaconstantinou Leda (Ambelonas, Larissa, 1945) studied graphic arts at the Doxiadis School in Athens (1962-65). Afterward, she moved to Great Britain, where she studied Fine Arts in London (1967-68) and Kent (1968-71), staying there until 1974. She had already abandoned traditional art media by 1969 and began exhibiting spatial and action artworks in the spirit of the avant-garde trends of the ‘60s. She was one of the first artists that introduced such art forms in the Greek visual arts scene during the ‘70s, such as environments, happenings and performances. Her work is characterised by a consistent investigation into female identity, with a particular focus on the body. Through her multifaceted artistic practice, she reexamined issues related to desire, sexuality, and both collective and personal memory, using art as a tool for social, political, and ecological reflection. Papaconstantinou has held several solo exhibitions in Greece and abroad, and participated in numerous group exhibitions, most notably the Europalia (Antwerp, 1982) and the São Paulo Biennale (1989). In 2010, she created a large composition entitled “Time in my hands” for the ‘Monastiraki’ metro station in Athens. (Source: EMST, Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Costas Varotsos, Spiral, 1991, glass, iron, 185 x 182 x 90 cm, Athens National Gallery (top left), Untitled, 2004, Installation, mixed media, variable dimensions, EMST (top right), The Runner II, iron, glass, 8m, Vassilissis Sofias avenue, Athens, photo varotsos.com (lower)

COSTAS VAROTSOS (Athens, 1955) studied painting at the Academia di Belle Arti in Rome (1973-76) and architecture in Pescara (1976-81), where he began his career with exhibitions and performances. In 1999, he was elected professor in the Architectural School at the Polytechnic University of Thessaloniki. In his sculpture, Varotsos seeks to create an interaction between his projects and their surroundings. He often creates works in situ, as artistic interventions in urban spaces or in natural landscape. Certain themes (Horizons Labyrinths, Bridges), occasionally reappear in his work. Some projects specifically built for public spaces have been created in consultation with the residents, fostering a dialogue between art and the public. In addition to Greece and Italy, Varotsos has presented his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions worldwide. He has also participated in the Europalia (1982), the Venice Biennale (1993, 1995, 1999), the São Paulo Biennale (1997) and the Kassel Documenta (2017). His work has also been installed at the ‘Doukissis Plakentias’ Athens Metro station. (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET, https://costasvarotsos.com/)

I.A.

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 2/6: “From Painting to the Object”

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s - Part 3/6: “From Sculpture to Energy”

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s - Part 4/6: “From the work to the process”

Military Dictatorship (1967-1974) in retrospect: The Greek visual arts scene

“Democracy” exhibition at the National Gallery | Interview with Syrago Tsiara

The post Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 5/6 appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 4/6

iandrianopoulos — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 11:18:49 +0000

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s - Part 4/6: “From the work to the process”

(Source: Dr Anna Kafetsi, Catalogue of the exhibition “Metamorphoses of the Modern – the Greek Experience”, National Gallery, Athens, 1992, p.191-2)

“After the blurring or even the elimination of the features which differentiate painting and sculpture in the name of a uniform concept of the artistic phenomenon, the sole distinction left was that between two- and three-dimensional works, whether in a pure or a mixed sense […] The center of gravity in the artistic act has shifted from the ultimate aesthetic product to the process by which it is produced. This shift can be studied in terms how, what and why: in other words, of the manner, the result produced and the purpose intended […] The first degree of this shift can be recognized in works based on ready-made material, the search for and exploitation of which is a process requiring resourcefulness […] In other cases, the process is determined not by the use of a tangible and visible material but by the selection and processing of mathematical concepts and systems […] The final result sometimes appears in the form of an object selected out of an infinite variety of other objects, as a predetermined mental form which is discretely underscored, as a piece of sculpture produced using contemporary materials, as a relief which, after preliminary printing using photocopying and photographic media, then has its material damaged and corroded in a number of ways, or as an image which is articulated out of dots, lines and other signs arranged in mathematical order […] One special case is that in which the objects are replaced by images of them […] which exist as natural presences only for as long as they are projected on to special surfaces […]”

FEATURED ARTISTS (PART 4): CHRYSSA ROMANOS, PAPASPYROU, DAVOU, THEODOROS, LOGOTHETIS, TZIVELOS, PASTRA, LAZONGAS, ALITHINOS

Chryssa Romanos, Luna Park International, 1965, collage on canvas, 200 x 200 cm, EMST (top left), Serigraphy from the folio Some Pages from a Diary, 1973, 65 x 50 cm, EMST (top right), Installation view of the exhibition: Chryssa Romanos. The Search for Happiness for as Many as Possible, Photo by Paris Tavitian, EMST (lower)

CHRYSSA ROMANOS (Athens, 1931 – Athens, 2006), studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts and, in 1961, moved to Paris. The two decades she spent in France (1961–1981) proved crucial in shaping her artistic identity. She became part of the circle of the influential critic Pierre Restany and the Nouveau Réalistes, emerging as one of the key female figures in the Paris art scene of the 1960s. Her work is characterized by open-ended narrative structures, mechanical reproduction, randomness, transparency, and the concept of play. From her earliest works, themes such as the labyrinth, critique of consumerism, political engagement with social inequalities and injustice, the democratisation of art, the osmosis of art and everyday life, and the interest in travel recur as central motifs. These ideas evolve as the artist matures and as the social and political landscape around her changes. Romanos showcased her work in solo exhibitions in Greece and abroad, and participated in numerous international art events, including the São Paulo Biennale (1965, 1994), the Venice Biennale (1976), the Istanbul Biennale (1997), various Paris Salons, and Europalia (1982). (Source: EMST, Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Rena Papaspyrou, Images in matter, 1995, Ink on wood, metal and mosaic tiles, 140 x 320 cm, EMST (top) Episodes in matter, 1980, Anodized aluminium, 93 x 95 cm, EMST (lower left), Magic Rooms, 1985, detached wall surface, cloth, oil pastel, 200 x 370 x 25 cm, EMST (lower right)

RENA PAPASPYROU (Athens, 1938) studied painting and mosaic at the Athens School of Fine Arts before continuing her studies at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris (1961-67). From the outset of her career, she favored working with unconventional surfaces rather than traditional canvas, including planks, metal sheets, pieces of paper, as well as segments of walls and mosaics from old houses and industrial spaces. In her work, she seeks to emphasize the conceptual nature of art by highlighting the existing forms and shapes of these surfaces, intervening with various materials such as papier-mâché, pencil, light bulbs, and more. Through these interventions, she reexamines both surface and space, affirming their artistic materiality. Since the 1990s Papaspyrou has created numerous large-scale installations and environments. She has presented many solo exhibitions in Greece and abroad, and participated in significant international art events, including Avanguardia e Sperimentazione (Venice, Italy, 1978), Europalia (Brussels, 1982), the São Paulo Bien (1983), and the Kassel Documenta (2017). (Source: EMST, Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Bia Davou, Sails, 1981 - 1982, Installation with embroidered fabric, variable dimensions, EMST (top), Pillars and clouds, Hypothetical intervention in the Pillars of Olympic Zeus, 1983, photocopy, collage, watercolour, 21 x 29 cm, EMST (lower left), Serial Structures, 1978, ink on graph paper, 17.4 x 24.1 cm, EMST (lower right)

BIA DAVOU (Athens, 1932 – Athens, 1996) studied painting at Costas Iliadis’s studio in Athens. In the mid-1970s, influenced by new computer technology and her belief in the social and communicative nature of art, she conceived and adopted a serial methodology as the organising principle of her practice. Davou then moved on to create three-dimensional compositions using plexiglass and introduced concepts of rhythm, mathematical logic, and the use of computers, which she employed to give form to abstract ideas. By incorporating both material and technological means, and using the Fibonacci system as the basis of her work, she created serial compositions. In the later stages of her work, she returned to gestural, expressionistic forms, while also organizing installations in space. The poetic dimension of her work was further enriched by references to the Odyssey and ancient myths. Davou was a founding member of the group Processes-Systems andpresented her work in solo and group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including the Alexandria Biennale (1967), the São São Paolo Biennale (1989), and her work was featured at the Kassel Documenta (2017). (Source EMST : Bia Davou – A retrospective, Athens National Gallery)

Theodoros (Papadimitriou), Anti-spectacular theater: Two sculptural one-acts – Elegy for Homo Faber, 1976, poster, blackboard, 4 metal cubes, variable dimensions, EMST (top left), Manipulation ΙΙΙ – Α. The stele-inscription of the Rosetta Stone and Β. The Ballad of Homo Faber, 1977, vinyl record, LP 12 in., paper cover 31 x 31 cm, EMST (top right), Manipulations – Antispectacular, 1974, sculptural installation in 5 parts, tulle, wood, charcoal, colour, mirror, variable dimensions, EMST (lower)

THEODOROS (PAPADIMITRIOU) (Agrinio, 1931 – Athens, 2018) studied sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts and continued his studies at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris. He travelled to many European countries, Japan, and the USA, and in 1974, he settled permanently in Greece. Theodoros constitutes a unique case of an artist, who employed conventional sculpting mediums in parallel with the emerging mass media and communication. His earliest compositions, made of steel or bronze, were experiments exploring equilibrium. Over time, he incorporated additional materials such as stone, marble, glass, plexiglass, wood, rope, cloth, and rubber. His work evolved into a more immediate and free form of expression, incorporating various kinds of performances with a particular focus on audience participation. He also published numerous texts in newspapers and periodicals and authored several books. Theodoros exhibited his works repeatedly at Salons in Paris and held numerous solo exhibitions in Greece and abroad. He participated in major events, including the São Paulo Biennale and the Alexandria Biennale (1963), the Brussels Europalia (1982), and the Kassel Documenta (2017). (Source Athens National Gallery, EMST)

Stathis Logothetis, Torso, 1981, wood, string, canvas, 121 × 45 × 9 cm, EMST (left), E273, 1980, mixed media, 200 × 100 × 210 cm, - In Ε273, the artist’s body was temporarily enveloped within the work itself, Alpha Bank collection, EMST, installation view, ANTIDORON, Friedericianum, Kassel, photo Mathias Voeltzke (right)

STATHIS LOGOTHETIS (Pyrgos, Eastern Romylia - present-day Burgas, 1925 – Athens, 1997) moved with his family to Thessaloniki in 1934. He initially began studying Medicine, but soon switched to music. During this time, he also became involved with painting. Until the late 1970s, he travelled and painted in various European countries, including Western and Eastern Germany, Italy, and the former Yugoslavia. In 1973, he settled in Athens. During his mature work period, Logothetis abandoned the conventional use of canvas and suggested a subversive function of art, reflecting the international avant-garde trends of the time, particularly in a neo-Dadaist spirit. His artistic constructions, often made of cheap, worn materials - especially fabrics and strings - highlighted the ravages of time and the role of chance in art. The creation process frequently required the active participation of the viewer or the physical presence of the artist. Logothetis exhibited his work in solo, group and international exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including Avantgarde Griechenland (Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, 1967-1969), the São Paulo Biennale (1975), Avanguardia e Sperimentazione (Modena and Venice, 1978), Europalia (Brussels, 1982), and his work was featured at the Kassel Documenta (2017). (Source: Athens National Gallery, Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Christos Tzivelos, Exhibition Modelling Phenomena at the Benaki Museum (2017-18): Dynamo, 1991-1993, installation, light, aluminium, electric generator, 550 cm (top), X-Ray, 1984, lamp, mixed media, 35 cm (lower left), Iron Pyrimacha, 1985, installation, light, wax, (lower right), Benaki Museum - NEON Foundation

CHRISTOS TZIVELOS (Athens, 1949 - 1995) graduated from the Athens Technological institute and, in 1972, moved permanently to Paris, where he continued his studies at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts (1972-1976) and the École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture (1976-1990). He worked as an assistant to Costas Tsoclis (1976-1981) and the sculptor Takis after 1982, participating in the construction of the Signals in the La Défense, Paris. Early in his career, Tzivelos created in-situ conceptual installations focused on the rhetoric of the image. In the exhibition To Pierre and Marie (1982-84), he first introduced the element of light in luminous devices and glass globes containing enclosed objects. From that point onward, light became the materia prima of his sculptures. Alchemy, Greek mythology, philosophy and cosmology were intertwined in his characteristic symbolic installations of iron, light and wax (or resin), emerging in the space like “magic signals”. Since 1986, Tzivelos worked on series of insect projections onto walls using a simple flashlight. His works were inspired by the Heraclitian idea of coinciding opposites: light-darkness, presence-absence, and beginning-end. Tzivelos presented his work in numerous exhibitions in Greece and France. In 2017-18 a retrospective exhibition titled Mοdelling Phenomena took place at the Benaki Museum in collaboration with the NEON Foundation. (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Nausika Pastra, Connection VII (from the series “Proportions III”), 1982–1984, aluminum and paint, 300 cm, Athens National Gallery (top left), Synectron – square – circle, 1968-1976, duraluminium, 19.5 x 81 x 81 cm, EMST (top right), Analogiques, 1976, 21 framed lithographic prints, 24 x 24 cm (EMST) (lower)

NAUSIKA PASTRA (Kalamata, 1921 – Athens, 2011) began studying sculpture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna (1957-1962) and later studied Sociology in Paris (1967-1973). Since 1968, interested in the poetic potential of mathematical systems, she developed a personal artistic language in which mathematical relations and experimentation with geometric forms played a central role. This culminated in Synectron, a dynamic new two-dimensional shape formed by the combination of a circle and a square, part of her Analogic series, for which the French State awarded her a patent in 1971. Eventually, it incorporated the third dimension in sculptures based on semicircle and right-angle patterns, which in the 1990s became more dynamically assertive in three-dimensional space. Her work evolved into a representation of the material aspect of things in both space and time. In 1963, she held her first solo exhibition at the Wurthle Gallery in Vienna, followed by solo exhibitions in Greece (from 1971) and abroad. She also participated in several group exhibitions, including the Contemporary Art in Dusseldorf (1973), Europalia in Belgium (1982), the Alexandria Biennale (1982), and her work was featured at the Kassel Documenta (2017). (Source: Athens National Gallery)

Yorgos Lazongas, Palimpsest, 1977, mixed media, 70 x 100.2 cm, EMST, Blind Painting – Alekton 1 [What is not spoken], 1988, spray paint on bedsheet (acrylic), 260 x 230 cm, EMST, Elements, 1970 – 1979, mixed media construction, 71 x 171 cm, Athens National Gallery

YORGOS LAZONGAS (Larissa, 1945 – Athens, 2022) studied architecture at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1963-1970), but eventually devoted himself to painting. In 1976 he studied painting in Paris. He initially focused on imprinting on the painting surface, while also seeking to penetrate space. By overlapping or erasing successive layers of forms, often on transparent surfaces, he highlighted the variable and fleeting traces of the image, much like palimpsests. From the 1980s onward, his work extended further into space, often taking the form of visual installations, and incorporated various media (prints, photography, video, drawing, painting, etc) depending on his expressive needs. The traces-imprints of human bodies on large textile surfaces became a new figurative and conceptual reference point of his works. His allusions to ancient artworks suggested that his concerns were timeless. Lazongas’ solo exhibitions have been mainly in Greece, while he also participated in numerous group exhibitions, including the Europalia (1982), the São Paulo Biennale (1983), and the Kassel Documenta (2017). In 2008 he created a permanent installation for ‘Eleonas’ Athens metro station. (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Dimitris Alithinos, Αnthroposophies–Theosophies, 2002, video, sound, light, 4 concrete mixers, bed, soil, ash and water, variable dimensions, EMST (top), A Happening, 1973, plaster, wood, tape recorder, lamp, 140 x 153 x 100 cm, EMST (lower left), Seventy-Second Concealment, Greek Pavilion, 1997, Biennale di Venezia (lower right)

DIMITRIS ALITHINOS (Athens, 1945) studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts and continued his studies in Rome, at the Accademia di Belle Arti (1970-1974) and at the École Spéciale d'Architecture in Paris (1976-1980). His first solo exhibitions in Greece (1972-73), which involved constructions and artistic actions, were organized in the context of the political unrest of the dictatorship and the avant-garde (and often provocative) art events of the era. Around the same time, he began his interventions in public spaces in various European cities (Plastic Actions in space). His work incorporates references to cultural and mythical symbols from various eras, emphasising the multiple dimensions of the artistic action over time. In the 1980s, he began his Concealments series - ritual actions carried out in public or private spaces (e.g., galleries, museums) worldwide, where his works (usually large installations) were placed underground, thus making a comment on the meaning of time and memory. To date, more than 170 Concealments have been completed globally. He participated in several international events, such as the São Paolo Biennale (1983), the Istanbul Biennale (1989), the Venice Biennale (1997), and the Kassel Documenta (2017). (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

I.A.

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 2/6: “From Painting to the Object”

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 3/6: “From Sculpture to Energy”

The post Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 4/6 appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 3/6

iandrianopoulos — Thu, 12 Dec 2024 10:30:00 +0000

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s - Part 3/6: “From Sculpture to Energy”

(Source: Dr Anna Kafetsi, Catalogue of the exhibition “Metamorphoses of the Modern – the Greek Experience”, National Gallery, Athens, 1992, p. 179-180)

“If painting transcended its fundamental constraints, the two-dimensional bearing surface, by opening out into space, then sculpture was also successful in overcoming the fundamental condition in which it owed its particular nature – that is, the factors of immobility and mass. Greek artists living and creating in Paris and New York and working in major research centers such as the MIT oriented their artistic inquiries towards the relationship between technology, science and art. The movement away from the static and the use of energy (electricity, magnetism, water power) instead of the compact mass of material introduced in certain works was intended to serve a variety of different artistic purposes […] In some three-dimensional works, electric power was used as an additional element against the background of a broader investigation of space and light […] A true metamorphosis in sculpture in terms of the use of energy in its various forms (magnetism, electricity, etc.) came about with the work of Takis, one of the last visionaries and cosmic poets […] Complete insubstantiality of the forms produced in space using pure colour was achieved by works incorporating laser beam devices. Iannis Xenakis was one of the first artists to study – and utilize in multimedia spectacles – the capacity of lasers to produce plastic transformation, with a thread of uniform light/energy responding to the influence of music and other media [...] The use of new lighting materials such as neon encouraged fresh formal experimentation and experience and led to a new script in both two- and three-dimensional space [...]”

FEATURED ARTISTS (PART 3): Takis, Iannis Xenakis, Chryssa, C. Xenakis, P. Xagoraris, Bouteas, Antonakos

Takis (Panayiotis Vassilakis), TELELUMIERE (Telelight), 1964, photo Takis Foundation (top left), Aeolian Signal, 1984, Iron, 750 cm, Athens National Gallery (top right), Le Bassin de Takis, 1988, 49 multicoloured lights (3.50 - 9 m), La Defense, Paris, photo Takis Foundation (lower)

TAKIS (PANAYIOTIS VASSILAKIS) (Athens, 1925 – Athens, 2019) was a renowned self-taught artist and inventor. In 1954, he moved to Paris, where he began his “Signals” series – kinetic sculptures that produce musical sounds. In 1959, he presented his first “Tele-Magnetic Sculptures”, which utilized electromagnetic fields to bring the invisible energy ever-present in the universe into tangible form. Light and motion in every manifestation – mechanical, electromechanical, thermal, magnetic, hydrodynamic – were at the core of his work. In 1968-69, during a fellowship at MIT, he created his first “Hydro-magnetic Sculptures”. In the early 1990s, Takis settled in Greece and, in 1993, established the Takis Foundation, Research Centre for the Arts and Sciences in Gerovouno, Attica. He held numerous solo exhibitions, including retrospectives at the Centre National d’Art Contemporain (1972), the Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume (1993) and the Palais de Tokyo (2015). Takis also participated in major group exhibitions, such as the Kassel Documenta (1977) and represented Greece at the Venice Biennale (1995). His works are to be found in contemporary art museums and private collections worldwide. (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Iannis Xenakis, Polytope de Mycènes, September 2-5, 1978, Mycenae, duration 1h30min, choirs, chorus of women, orchestra, ensemble of 14 instrumentalists and 6 percussionists, several vocal and instrumental works, illuminations, large anti-aircraft projectors, fireworks, slide projections © Xenakis Family (top) Polytope de Cluny, 1971, Roman baths of the Cluny Museum, Paris, scaffolding, 600 electronic flashes, 3 laser beams (red, blue, green), pivoting mirrors, music of a duration of 24 minutes in Fortran 4 language © Xenakis Family (lower left), Diatope (Polytope de Beaubourg), 1978, Georges Pompidou Center, Paris, autonomous pavilion inspired by the Philips Pavilion, 20 ms high, 3 hyperbolic paraboloids maintained by a network of steel cables, translucent red canvas, floor made of glass tiles, 6 columns inside, 4 laser beams, 400 reflecting and rotating mirrors, 1600 electronic flashes, music of La Légende d’Eer (7 tracks, 46 minutes), © Xenakis Family (lower right)

IANNIS XENAKIS (Braila, Romania, 1922 – Paris, 2001) was a Greek-French architect, mathematician, and one of the most influential European composers of the 20th century. In 1937, he left Romania for Greece and participated in the Greek resistance during World War II. After graduating from the Athens Institute of Technology in 1947, he was exiled from Greece due to his political activities. He then moved to Paris, where he worked for 12 years with the renowned architect Le Corbusier. In his 30s, Xenakis shifted his focus to music composition. He was a pioneer in applying mathematical concepts to music, including set theory, stochastic processes, and game theory. Xenakis also played a key role in the development of electronic and computer music. His work often bridged music and architecture, designing compositions for existing spaces and creating architectural designs tailored to specific musical works and performances. Xenakis referred to a series of shows that combined music, light, and architecture as "polytopes”, offering a total sensory experience. These shows, produced between 1967 and 1978, took various forms depending on the venue and equipment used, but all shared a common vision that synthesized the artistic universe of their creator. (Source: Iannis Xenakis official w ebsite)

Xenakis exhibition at EMST in collaboration with the Athens Conservatoire Centre for Research and Documentation

Chryssa (Vardea), Neon box, before 1980, Neon and plexiglas, 48 x 38 cm, Athens National Gallery (top left), Times Square, 1970 – 1973, Mixed media and Plexiglas, 275 x 245 x 22 cm, Athens National Gallery (top right), Cityscape Times Square #2, 1988, Cell-form aluminium, metallic colour and neon, 223.52 x 314.96 x 73.66 cm, EMST (lower left), Mott Street, 1983, influenced by Chinatown in Manhattan, aluminium and neon, 358 x 226 x 135 cm, since 2004 at Evangelismos metro station, Athens (lower right)

CHRYSSA (VARDEA) (Athens, 1933 – Athens, 2013) studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris (1953-54) and the San Francisco School of Fine Arts (1954-55). In 1955, she settled in New York. A distinctive feature of her work was her exploration of writing and its visual possibilities, disregarding the content. Starting in 1962, she began working with neon lights, combining the material with technology and incorporating impressions inspired by New York. Her experiences, drawn from the metropolitan landscape and technology, fueled her inexhaustible inspiration. Chryssa’s first solo exhibition in 1961 at the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York was followed by many exhibitions in Greece and internationally, including at the Moma, the Guggenheim Museum, the Whitney Museum, the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Musée d'Art Moderne in Paris. She also participated in major events, such as the São Paulo Biennale (1963, 1969) and the Venice Biennale (1972). (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Constantinos Xenakis, Commands H H B, 1991, Acrylic on canvas, 100 x 81 cm, Athens National Gallery (top left), Code de la route, 1994, Box, mixed media, 42 x 58 x 10,5 cm, Athens National Gallery (top right), Exhibition space at the Contemporary Art Museum ‘‘Constantin Xenakis’’ (lower)

CONSTANTINOS XENAKIS (Cairo, 1931 – Athens, 2020) moved to Paris in 1955, where he studied architecture and interior decoration at the École Supérieure d’ Art Moderne (1955-57) and painting at the Académies de la Grande Chaumière and Notre Dame des Champs (1957-63). In 1970, he went to Berlin on a D.A.A.D. scholarship. After 1995, he divided his time between Paris and Athens. Xenakis began his artistic journey with abstract expressionism before moving on to photokinetic art, environments, and happenings. His work is characterized by his acquaintance with the Egyptian, Arabic and Greek cultures, from which he borrowed elements of writing and symbols. He often combined these with road signs, creating a personal and distinctive art based on signs. Xenakis participated in several Parisian Salons and group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, the Paris Biennale (1963) and the Brussels Europalia (1982). In May 2022 the Contemporary Art Museum ‘‘Constantin Xenakis’’ was inaugurated in Serres, Northern Greece. (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Pantelis Xagoraris, Kinetic Sculpture, 1963-1970, Plexiglas, iron, motor and plastic base, 37 x 15 x 15 cm, EMST (top left), Projection in Space (Irregular red nematoid construction), 1966, Thread, aluminum, bronze, 35 x 65 x 34 cm, EMST (top right), Computer drawing in ink, 1973, Ink on paper, 31 x 27 cm, EMST (lower left), Luminous Quadrangle-Computer Image, Screenprint, 64 x 192 cm, Athens National Gallery (lower right)

PANTELIS XAGORARIS (Piraeus, 1929 – Athens, 2000) studied painting at the School of Fine Arts (1948-50) and mathematics at the University of Athens. In 1973-74, on a grant from the Ford Foundation, he worked at the Center for Advanced Visual Studies at MIT, exploring the relationship between art and mathematical concepts. In 1981, he wrote his doctoral dissertation on “Geometric Transformations and Form”, and in 1995, he became a professor in the Architecture Department at the Technical University of Athens. Initially adopting expressionist models, Xagoraris later moved on to abstract compositions based on geometric shapes. In 1963, he created the first mobiles in Greece, and later introduced computers into his work, publiing related articles and studies. A founding members of the group Processes-Systems, Xagoraris presented his work in numerous solo exhibitions and participated in group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including Europalia in Brussels (1982) and the Kassel Documenta (2017). (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Yannis Bouteas, Transformation #4, 1974, silver print on paper (20x21), The American College of Greece (top left), Plan in 4 Elements, 1991, Sheet metal, pencil, string, 18 x 336 x 8 cm, Athens National Gallery (top right), Untitled, 1974-1980, String, neon, iron sheets, Variable dimensions, EMST (lower)

YANNIS BOUTEAS (Kalamata, 1941) studied printmaking at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1959-64) and continued his studies at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris (1966-70), where he lived for ten years. His work includes constructions and installations, with light - wether natural or artificial – serving as his primary expressive medium, often in the form of neon tubes. The poor materials he selects (ropes, strings, stones, iron sheets, playdough, rubber, asphalt, and later mirrors), retain their autonomous expressive and conceptual power while becoming part of a larger artistic gesture. His compositions are typically spread across the floor or walls. Bouteas participated in the art group Processes-Systems (1976) and has presented his work in numerous solo exhibitions. He represented Greece at the São Paulo Biennale (1981), the Venice Biennale (1990), and the Kassel Documenta (2017). In 2007, he created the work Layerings-Energy Images XVI for the Kerameikos station of the Athens Metro. (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Stephen Antonakos, Red Neon from Wall to Floor, 1967, Neon, steel holds, 300 x 360 x 420 cm, EMST (top left),Four Incomplete Red Neon Circles on a Pink Wall, 1977, Neon, paint, wall, 275 x 183 cm, EMST (top right), White Cube with Blue and Red Neon, 1982, White Varathane paint on wood, neon, 94 x 91.5 x 91.5 cm, EMST (lower left), Procession, 2000, Ampelokipoi Metro station of Athens (lower right)

STEPHEN ANTONAKOS (Agios Nikolaos, 1926 – New York, 2013) moved to New York with his family in 1930. In the late 1940s, after returning from the US Army, he established his first studio in New York’s fur district. From the early 1960s onward, he worked in studios in Soho. His work with neon introduced new perceptual and formal meanings to the medium. Using spare, complete, and incomplete geometric neon forms, his work ranged from direct 3-D indoor installations to painted canvases, walls, back-lit panels with painted or gold surfaces, as well as rooms and chapels. Beginning in the 1970s, he installed over 55 architecturally scaled, permanent public works in the USA, Europe, Israel, and Japan. Throughout, he conceived each work in relation to its site—its scale, proportions, and character— as well as to the space it shares with the viewer. Antonakos’s work has been featured in hundreds of solo and group exhibitions in New York, across the USA, Europe, and Japan. His large-scale neon installations were exhibited at the Kassel Documenta (1977, 2017), the São Paulo Biennale (1987), and the Venice Biennale (1997). His work is held in the collections of major museums worldwide. (Source: https://stephenantonakos.com/)

I.A.

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 2/6: “From Painting to the Object”

The post Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 3/6 appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 2/6

iandrianopoulos — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 10:21:52 +0000

Modernism in Greek visual arts has been a dynamic and evolving field throughout the 20^th century, shaped by the country’s rich cultural heritage, political changes, global influences and the advent of new media and technology. It is characterized by the exploration of abstraction, experimental techniques, and the use of modern materials, offering a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of Greek identity, history, tradition and modernity. Through a series of articles, Greek News Agenda presents a brief panorama of the Greek visual art scene in the second half of the 20^th century. The articles are based on the catalogue of the landmark exhibition at the National Gallery “Metamorphoses of the Modern – the Greek Experience”, curated by Dr. Anna Kafetsi (14.5-13.9.1992). The exhibition aimed to address the complex question: "Does a Greek modernism, in fact, exist? And if so, what is its character?" More than 100 Greek artists—both from the Greek metropolis and the Diaspora—were featured in the exhibition and selected for their “autonomous plastic language”. About 50 artists, key figures of the post-war Greek visual art scene, are explored in greater depth in the series.

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s - Part 2/6: “From Painting to the Object”

(Source: Dr Anna Kafetsi, Catalogue of the exhibition “Metamorphoses of the Modern – the Greek Experience”, National Gallery, Athens, 1992, p. 155-6)

“Until 1960, the painted work was confined within a frame […] Numerous artists attempted in a variety of ways to transcend the fixed outline determined with exactness by the frame as the boundaries of the area in which the artist could intervene and to bring paining out into free space […] The “stretched canvas” of conventional picture is treated as if it were itself the living body of painting. This creates a new, direct and physical relationship between the artist and his materials […] What is of interest is not the outcome but the act which leads to it. The creative process is an act of self-confirmation, and the result produced is suitable for use as a sign and as a reminder of a “poetic” gesture which is as free as it is ephemeral. The work of art has become an object whose form depends on random movements obedient to more profound impulses and body-rhythms [...] Artists no longer hesitated to use discarded and worthless objects, which, despite their initially negative references, were transformed into aesthetic products – yet only within the bounds permitted by the institutional areas in which they were shown and consumed […]”

FEATURED ARTISTS (PART 2): Caniaris, Daniel, Kontos, Kessanlis, Samaras, Tsoklis, Akrithakis, Pavlos, Kounellis

Vlassis Caniaris, Hopscotsch, 1974, Installation including six human figures, metal bird cage and chalk tarpaper, Friedericanum, Kassel Documenta 14, 2017, photo Mathias Voeltzke, EMST (top), Space within Space, 1960, Plastered pieces of paper on metallic net, placed on metallic frame, metallic rods and black cloth, 111 x 189 x 4 cm, EMST (lower left), Aspects of racism II, 1970, Sculpture/ 3D object, Plaster, 15 x 125 x 30 cm, EMST (lower right)

VLASSIS CANIARIS (Athens, 1928 – Athens, 2011) studied at the Medical School for five years before turning to the School of Fine Arts (1950-1955). He lived in Rome (1956-60) and Paris (1960-67). After returning to Greece, political circumstances forced him to return to Paris in 1969. His work on Emigrants, a milestone in his career, led him to Berlin on a scholarship from D.A.A.D. (1973-1975). In 1976 he settled permanently in Greece. Drawing inspiration from social and political conditions, and abandoning traditional painting on canvas, embraced the doctrines of New Realism, Arte Povera and the art of the object. He created environments and constructions from real materials, setting up “spaces” with puppets and objects. His works featuring amputated dummies and plaster body parts symbolized the societal constraints faced by Greeks after the 1967 military coup, and became symbols of resistance against political oppression. His Immigrants series (1971–1976), developed in Paris and Berlin, focused on the stories and conditions of guest workers, exploring themes of displacement, social exclusion, national identity, and contested citizenship. His work has been presented in numerous exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including the Kassel Documenta (1977 and 2017), Europalia in Brussels (1982), and the Venice Biennale (1988). (Source: National Gallery of Athens, EMST)

Military Dictatorship (1967-1974) in retrospect: The Greek visual arts scene

Daniel (Panagopoulos), Box, 1965, Cardboard boxes, wrapping paper, industrial paint, 144 x 60 x 28 cm, Athens National Gallery, (left), Homage to Goya, 1965, Acrylic on cardboard, 109 x 138 x 34 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

DANIEL (PANAGOPOULOS) (Pyrgos, Ileia 1924 - Rio, Achaea 2008) initially studied medicine (1943-1944) but abandoned it to pursue the School of Fine Arts (1944-1947). He received a scholarship to Paris (1954-57), where he was introduced to abstract art and developed a close relationship with Pierre Restany, a proponent of Nouveau Réalisme. During this period, he created his first series of boxes using cheap, everyday materials, which he painted in ordinary colors, and punctured, tore and crumpled. Later, he created compositions influenced by hard-edge painting, optical, and kinetic art, before returning to flat surfaces. Daniel held his first solo show at the Galerie J in Paris in 1964, followed by numerous solo exhibitions in France, Greece and other countries. He also participated in group exhibitions, such as “Three Proposals for a New Greek Sculpture” at the Teatro le Fenice in Venice (1964), in the framework of the Biennale, the São Paolo Biennale (1965) and Europalia (1982). (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Dimitris Kontos, Cubes, 1965, 27 wooden cubes painted with ink, 10x10cm each, CAN Christina Androulidaki Gallery (left), Feet from the Devotional Series, 1975, Aluminum, copper and bronze, 121 x 75 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

DIMITRIS KONTOS (Tripoli, 1931 – Thessaloniki, 1996) studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1950-1955). In 1958, he moved to Rome, where, along with other Greek artists, he founded the avant-garde Gruppo Sigma (1959). After a brief stay in Paris (1961-1964), he returned to Greece. Kontos employed a unique gestural style, often in a spiral pattern, with pencils or watercolours on paper. His creation of plastic space through gesture and material alluded to both natural phenomena and the energy produced by the human body. In 1975, he exhibited Latreftika, inspired by the offerings made by believers to churches. He participated in exhibitions of the so-called ‘60s Generation of Greek Diaspora artists and solo exhibitions. A retrospective was held at MOMus in Thessaloniki in 2007. (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Nikos Kessanlis, Crumpled Cloth, 1961, Mixed media, 65 x 54 cm, EMST, EMST (top left) Figure, 1965, Photograph on processed cloth, 100 x 90 cm, EMST (top right), Gesture, 1961, Plaster, 18 x 48 x 40 cm, EMST (lower left), Erotic, 1976, Photographic reformation on processed cloth, 126.5 x 192 cm, EMST, (lower right)

NIKOS KESSANLIS (Thessaloniki, 1930 – Athens, 2004) studied painting at the School of Fine Arts (1950-1955), and continued his studies in Rome, where he created the Gruppo Sigma. In 1958, Kessanlis exhibited his first informal work at the Venice Biennale. In 1959, he decided to settle in Paris, where he developed a cordial relationship with Pierre Restany. In 1981, he was elected professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts and settled permanently in Athens. A restless artist who never stopped experimenting with techniques and methods, Kessanlis transcended traditional painting materials and remained at the forefront of the avant-garde throughout his career, moving from informal art to mec art, and later creating photomechanical works on sensitized cloth or cement. He participated in several international exhibitions, including the São Paolo Biennale (1961), the Mercato d’Arte in Florence !964), the Venice Biennale (1988), and the Olympiad of Art in Seoul (1988). (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Lucas Samaras, Book 4, 1962, Book with pins, table knife, scissors, razor blade, metal foil, piece of glass and plastic rod, 14 x 22.5 x 29.2 cm, © 2024 Lucas Samaras, MoMA (top left), Auto Polaroid, 1969-71, Five color and four black and white instant prints (Polacolor and Polapan), each 9.5 × 7.4 cm, overall 37.2 × 30.5 cm, MoMA (top right), Hebraic Embrace, 1991-2005, Installation, Wood, mirror, iron, 525 x 525 x 275 cm, EMST (lower)

LUCAS SAMARAS (Kastoria, 1936 – New York, 2024) was a major contemporary artist known for his innovative approach to a variety of media, including photography, sculpture, drawing, and installation. He moved to the United States in 1952 and eventually settled in New York, where he became an influential figure in the art world. A consistent theme in his work is transformation—whether through his manipulation of the self-portrait, his shifting of spaces with mirrors, or his morphing of materials. Samaras developed his "photo-transformations" in the 1960s, a series of manipulated photographs of himself. He is also well-known for his mirrored room installations, and his "box" sculptures, which are filled with a variety of materials meant to symbolize a world of contained experiences. Samaras represented Greece at the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009 with the multi-installation "PARAXENA". His works have been shown in major museums and galleries worldwide. (Source: MoMA)

Costas Tsoclis, Sky, 1970, Sculptural Installation, Water taps, wood, barrel, rubber pipes and oil- paint on Plexiglas, Variable dimensions, EMST (left), Medea, 1989, Colour video projection with sound on three three-dimensional paintings 500 x 375 cm each, 3 projectors, synchronisation mechanism, Duration 45΄, EMST (right)

COSTAS TSOCLIS (Athens 1930) studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1948-1954), and in Rome (1957-60). From 1960 to 1970, he worked in Paris. At the invitation of D.A.A.D., he went to Berlin (1971-72). Until 1983 he divided his time between Athens and Paris, settling permanently in Athens in 1984. An artist fond of experimenting, Tsoclis has created works that illustrate different directions and trends, combining painting with elements from outside the medium, reality with optical illusions, art with technology, and video. Ηis work has been featured in more than eighty solo exhibitions and in numerous group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, primarily in European cities, including the Venice Biennale (1986). In 2010, the Costas Tsoklis Museum was established on the island of Tinos. (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Alexis Akrithakis, Untitled, 1972 – 1982, Mixed media, 101 x 104 cm, Athens National Gallery (left), Silence of Metal, ca. 1976 – 1977, Wood and metal, 79 x 113 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

ALEXIS AKRITHAKIS (Athens 1939 - Athens 1994) never took formal lessons. His acquaintance with the philosopher Giorgos Makris led him to a systematic involvement with art. From 1958 to 1960, he lived in Paris, and in 1968, he went to Berlin on a scholarship from D.A.A.D., remaining there until 1984. A restless and rebellious figure, Akrithakis rejected all forms of compromise and made art out of life itself. His early works included linear compositions in black-and-white, known as “tsiki-tsiki”. Later, he began to use specific expressive symbols, such as the sun, fire, eye, bird, heart, helicopter, airplane, row-boat, and arrow. There was also the suitcase, a repeated symbol of eternal escape. His work was exhibited in various European galleries, including that of Alexandros Iolas, and he participated in numerous group exhibitions in Greece and abroad. Akrithakis was also involved in book illustrations and theater costumes. (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Pavlos (Dionyssopoulos), Wings, 1970, Poster paper and plexiglass, 74 x 74 x 209 cm, MOMus (left), Coat and hat, ca. 1979, Affiches massicotees (poster clippings), 125 x 32 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

PAVLOS (DIONYSSOPOULOS) (Filiatra, 1930 – Athens, 2019) studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1949-1953). In 1958, he moved to Paris, where he settled. His work was largely influenced by the New Realists and Pierre Restany. He chose printed paper (mostly by posters) as his primary material and cut it into fine strips using a machine (affiches massicotés). The layout of the strips formed undulating surfaces, where colours and material united to create figurative images or objects in three dimensions, often to the point of visual illusion, as well as spatial installations (curtains, columns, forest, flags, etc.). His first solo exhibition was held in Paris at Galerie J in 1964, and he later exhibited in major European galleries. He participated in significant events abroad, such as the Avantgarde Griechenland (Berlin, 1968), the Venice Biennale (1980), and Europalia in Brussels, 1982). His project Football Players is located at the ‘Omonia’ station of the Athens Metro. (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

Jannis Kounellis, Untitled, 2000, Sculpture/ 3D object, Iron plates, iron shelves, burlap sacks, coal, coats, shoes, steel, ropes, 200 × 362 × 50 cm, EMST (top left), Installation view of the exhibition at the Museum of Cycladic Art, 2012, photo Manolis Barboussis (top right), Untitled, 2004, Installation, Iron, coal, wooden boards, tripods and burlap sacks, Variable dimensions, EMST (lower)

JANNIS KOUNELLIS (Piraeus, 1936 – Rome, 2017) settled in Rome in 1956, where he studied at the Academia di Belle Arti. Since 1967, after participating in the exhibition “Arte povera e Im Spazio” at the Galleria La Bertesca in Genoa, he became associated with Arte Povera and was named one of its key representatives. Even in the early period of his art, Kounellis used objets trouvés and ‘humble’ materials (soil, coal, hessian sacks, wool, iron, stone, etc.), but also live animals, fire, gold, and more. Gradually, he developed a new artistic language that combined various expressive media with constructional, theatrical and ritualistic elements, organized in large multifaceted installations. He presented numerous solo exhibitions in Europe and the U.S.A., held at major art galleries and museums. He also participated in group exhibitions and international events, such as the Paris Biennale (1967, 1971, 1969), the Kassel Documenta (1972, 1977, 1982), and the Venice Biennale (1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1993). (Source: Contemporary Greek Art Institute, ISET)

I.A.

The post Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 2/6 appeared first on Greek News Agenda.

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s – Part 1/6

iandrianopoulos — Thu, 28 Nov 2024 11:07:02 +0000

Modernism in Greek visual arts has been a dynamic and evolving field throughout the 20^th century, shaped by the country’s rich cultural heritage, political changes, global influences and the advent of new media and technology. It is characterized by the exploration of abstraction, experimental techniques, and the use of modern materials, offering a fascinating glimpse into the complexities of Greek identity, history, tradition and modernity. Through a series of articles, Greek News Agenda presents a brief panorama of the Greek visual art scene in the second half of the 20^th century. The articles are based on the catalogue of the landmark exhibition at the National Gallery “Metamorphoses of the Modern – the Greek Experience”, curated by Dr. Anna Kafetsi (14.5-13.9.1992). The exhibition aimed to address the complex question: "Does a Greek modernism, in fact, exist? And if so, what is its character?" More than 100 Greek artists—both from the Greek metropolis and the Diaspora—were selected for their “autonomous plastic language” and featured in the exhibition . About 50 artists, key figures of the post-war Greek visual art scene, are explored in greater depth in the series.

Visual Arts in Greece: 1950s–1990s - Part 1/6: “From self-referentiality to the gesture”

(Source: Dr Anna Kafetsi, Catalogue of the exhibition “Metamorphoses of the Modern – the Greek Experience”, National Gallery, Athens, 1992, p. 99-100)

“In the more perfected works of the so-called “Generation of the 30s”, the representational function often went as far as to eliminate the real relationship of external things and its redefinition on the basis of the internal logic of the visual structure. Transformation of the real went still further in the new series of works (produced by a variety of abstractive practices) and, in a stage of transition which cannot be strictly redefined chronologically, tended to head to the direction of self-referentiality, in which the theme of painting is painting itself and its language […] In colour abstraction, where the colour rather than the line has priority, space is completely autonomous of any representational reduction and is produced out of the relationships between the various colour planes [...] The emancipation of sculpture arrived along a number of paths and by means of a variety of techniques, new and old, and simultaneously experimentation with a range of materials […] Sculpture embarked on a fruitful dialogue with painting […] The generous contribution made by sculpture to Modernism began with the group of Greek artists who, after the 1950s, lived and worked permanently or for long periods in Paris and continued, thereafter, gaining in strength. At the same time, a fresh generation of painters moved on to the French capital after some of them had spent some time in Rome. Although they persisted in using the traditional frame, these painters pushed painting as a gesture in the direction of still greater autonomy […] The gesture […] shifted the entire significance of the work from the painting to the visual act […]”.

FEATURED ARTISTS (PART 1) : Spyropoulos, Zongolopoulos, Bouzianis, Kontopoulos, Kapralos, Sklavos, Aperghis, Stamos, Mylona, Christophorou

Yannis Spyropoulos, Phaos C, 1966, Mixed media on canvas, 128 x 96,5 cm, Athens National Gallery (left), All That Remained, 1973, Oil on canvas, 65 x 54 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

YANNIS SPYROPOULOS (Pylos, 1912 – Athens, 1990) was a major representative of non-figurative art in Greece. He studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1933-38) and in Paris at the School of Fine Arts and at private schools (1938-40). “A Classicist of Abstraction”, Spyropoulos advanced his morphoplastic explorations, evolving from figurative to abstract art, and ultimately to pure abstraction. His gestural interventions and evocative use of colour create a personal style marked by an an intensely dramatic nature. Spyropoulos presented his works in solo, group and international exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including the Alexandria Biennale (1955), the São Paulo Biennale (1957), and Documenta in Kassel (1964, 1975).In 1960 he won the UNESCO Prize at the 30th Venice Biennale. In 1961 he won the Gold Medal of the City of Ostende in Belgium, in 1966 the Order of the Phoenix in Athens and in 1978 the Gottfried von Herder Prize in Vienna. In November 1990, the Jannis and Zoe Spyropoulos Foundation was formed. (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Giorgos Zongolopoulos , Cor-ten, 1966, 17m, Cor-ten steel, Sculpture at the entrance of the Thessaloniki International Fair (left), Umbrellas, 1997, New Waterfront of Thessaloniki – the work featured at the entrance to the 45^th Venice Biennale in 1995 (right)

GIORGOS ZONGOLOPOULOS (Athens, 1903 – Athens, 2004) studied sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1924-1930). In 1949, he spent a year in Paris and later lived in Italy from 1953 to 1954. Since 1960, he shifted to abstraction, creating constructivist metal works. His materials progressively expanded to include combinations of nickel, glass, plexiglas, stainless metal, lenses, springs, nails, pipes, umbrellas, and beams. His art makes use of light and movement, and explores the relationship between positive and negative space, shapes and sounds, in an ongoing dialogue with space. His interest in integrating sculpture with the environment led to frequent collaborations with architects and awards for public site works. Zongolopoulos presented his works in many exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale (1940, 1956, 1964, 1993, 1995), the São Paulo Biennale (1957), and the Paris Salons. (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Giorgos Bouzianis, Actress, 1954, Oil on canvas, 105 x 75 cm, Athens National Gallery (left), Figure, ca. 1950, Watercolour and pencil on pasteboard, 20,3 x 13,5 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

GIORGOS BOUZIANIS (Athens, 1885 – Athens, 1959) studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1897-1906) before moving to Germany, where he enrolled in the Munich Academy. The most important of the Greek expressionist painters, he developed his artistic style in Germany during the avant garde period. He was a member of the Neue Secession and Neue Gruppe. In 1935, he settled in Athens. Portraiture and the human figure were the central themes of his work, with color serving as a fundamental structural element and an autonomous value. His work becomes a vehicle for emotional states and foreshadows abstraction. Bouzianis participated in numerous exhibitions in Germany, and in the Venice Biennale (1950). In 1956, he won the Greek Prize in the international Guggenheim competition. (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Alekos Kontopoulos, Night is Coming, 1956, Oil on canvas, 106 x 80 cm, Athens National Gallery (left), Composition, 1963, Oil on burlap, 122 x 80 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

ALEKOS KONTOPOULOS (Lamia 1904 - Athens 1975) studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1923-29) and in Paris, where he became a member of the Paris-Montparnasse group in 1937. In 1939, he returned to Greece and was appointed to the National Archeological Museum. During the German occupation, he participated in the resistance, and in 1949 he founded, along with several colleagues, the group The Extremists. In the 50s, he turned to non-figurative art, becoming a pathfinder and contributing decisively to the spread of abstract art in Greece. He was also involved in book and magazine illustration, gave lectures, and published books. Kontopoulos presented his work in solo and group exhibitions in Greece and abroad, notably at the São Paulo Biennales (1953, 1955 winning the silver medal, and 1957), the Alexandria Biennale in 1959 and the Venice Biennale in 1960. (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Christos Kapralos, Seated Mother, 1960, Bronze, 89 x 57 x 62 cm, Athens National Gallery (left), Goat, 1961, Bronze, 50 x 110 x 45 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

CHRISTOS KAPRALOS (Panetolio, Agrinion, 1909 – Athens, 1993) studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1930-34) and sculpture in Paris. In 1940, with the outbreak of war, he returned to Greece. In 1946, he moved to Athens, and in 1962, he settled on the island of Aegina. His sculpture focused on the human figure, and in the early 1960s, he turned to abstract compositions, though not completely non-figurative. He was also interested in objects of everyday use and animal figures, and used wood to create compositions inspired by mythology, history and the Christian tradition. Kapralos presented his work in many exhibitions in Greece and abroad, including the Venice Biennale (1962, 1972) and the São Paulo Biennale (1975). Since 1995, his studio in Aegina functions as the Kapralos Museum (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Yerassimos Sklavos, Delphic light, Pentelic marble, Amalia Hotel, Delphi, 1965-66 (left), Lightning, 1965, marble, 60 x 39 x 25cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

YERASSIMOS SKLAVOS (Domata, Kefalonia, 1927 - Levallois Perret, Paris, 1967) studied sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts and later continued his studies at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. After initially working with a figurative approach, he adopted abstraction in 1959. Primarily working with hard materials – granite, quartzite, marble, and porphyry – he created works mainly within the realms of geometric abstraction and organic abstraction. In 1960, he invented “Telesculpture”, a patented technique that allowed him to carve his materials more easily using an oxyacetylene flame. Light plays a fundamental role in the effectiveness of his work, revealing recesses and apertures while highlighting the volumes, surfaces, the nature and colours of his materials. His first solo exhibition took place in 1961 at Yvonne Zervos’s gallery, Cahiers d’Art in Paris, followed by many solo and group exhibitions during his lifetime and posthumously. (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Achilleas Aperghis, Composition, 1963, Bronze, 99 x 20 x 19 cm, Athens National Gallery (left), Solitude, 1966, Bronze, 205 x 58 x 38 cm, National Glyptotheque (center), Ladders, [c. 1978], Bronze, 115,5 x 48 x 23,5 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

ACHILLEAS APERGHIS (Garitsa, Corfu, 1909 – Athens, 1986) studied sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1937-39). After 1950, he turned towards more abstract forms, eventually moving toward complete abstraction. Until 1960 he created compositions using welded iron rods, close to Constructivism and Expressionism. Shifting from iron to bronze, he created works that resembled objects corroded by time. After a period of deep reflection and inertia, he continued his artistic explorations through environments and installations in the 1980s. Aperghis participated in many important exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale (1956, 1968), the São Paolo Biennale (1957) and the Alexandria Biennale (1957), repeated appearances at the Salon de la Jeune Sculpture in Paris, and the Europalia in Brussels in 1982. (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Theodoros Stamos (1922 - 1997), Archaic Building, 1946 – 1947, From the series "Biomorphicals Paintings", 1945–1963, Oil on canvas, 50 x 60 cm, Athens National Gallery (left), Sun Box- Field, 1963 – 1964, From the series "The Sun - Boxes", 1963–1970, Oil on canvas, 112 x 152 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

THEODOROS STAMOS (New York, 1922 – Ioannina, 1997) was a leading figure in abstract expressionism internationally. A child of Greek immigrants, he took night lessons at the School of American Artists in New York (1936-1940). Throughout his life, he consistently moved ahead in the visual arts – from his biomorphic paintings (1945-1949) and abstract, calligraphic works (1949-1955) to the three large series he created from 1954 to 1993 – producing a spiritual work noted for its existential and ontological content. In 1966, he taught as a visiting professor at Columbia University. In 1970, Stamos began dividing his time between New York and his family's homeland, the island of Lefkada. In 1958-59, his works were included in the important exhibition Modern American Painting at MoMA. Over the years, major American museums and modern art centers have acquired his works. (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

Alex Mylona, Berioshka, 1957, Hammered iron, 235 x 200 x 30 cm, Athens National Gallery (left), King-Queen, 1961, Hammered bronze, 43 x 35 x 9 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

ALEX MYLONA (Athens, 1920 – Athens, 2016) studied sculpture at the Athens School of Fine Arts in 1945. Her move to Paris in the 1960s and her encounters with significant artists were transformative, shaping her artistic oeuvre. From her early anthropocentric compositions in the 1950s, she gradually moved towards abstraction, developping her own personal vocabulary. She created metal works distinguished by their expressionistic content and extreme angular appendages, highlighting the expressive possibilities of the material. Mylona was a founding member and vice chairman of the Association of Greek Women Artists. Her work has been presented in solo and major group exhibitions, including the Venice Biennale (1960), the São Paulo Biennale (1961), and the Montreal Biennale (1968). In 2014, the MOMus-Museum Alex Mylona was founded in Thissio, Athens. (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

John Christoforou, Woman in Black, 1949 – 1952, Oil on pressed board, 87 x 67 cm, Athens National Gallery (left), Homme blesse, 1994, Oil on canvas, 116 x 146 cm, Athens National Gallery (right)

JOHN CHRISTOFOROU (London, 1921 – Paris, 2014) was the child of Greek immigrants from Smyrna. In 1935, he studied for a brief period at the Athens School of Fine Arts, and in 1938, he returned to England. In 1956 he settled in Paris. A forerunner of “New Figurative Painting”, he began creating figurative, expressionistic works in the early 1960s, using vibrant color and strong, black outlines, with the human figure and the drama of human existence at the forefront. In 1962, he took part in the exhibition New Figurative Painting and in 1965, won the AICA prize in London. He presented his work in numerous group, solo and retrospective exhibitions, including in Randers (Denmark, 1974), Saint-Étienne (1979), Montbéliard, Dunkirk, and Saint-Quentin (1986). (Source: National Gallery of Athens)

I.A.

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Creative Greece | Sotiris Sorogas “Art is the breath of the lonesome”

nefeli mosaidi — Fri, 24 Nov 2023 08:14:21 +0000

Sotiris Sorogas is one of the most prominent figures in Greek painting. Throughout his long artistic trajectory, he has developed a unique visual language. His subject matter transcends not only its representation but also space and time. It ultimately becomes a symbol raising existential issues, alluding to life, death, decay, and the inevitable.

His art assumes a metaphysical, spiritual dimension encapsulating the very essence of things. Worn, rusty objects, old boats, wells and random pieces of wood invite the viewer to reflect on the ephemeral. Rugged subjects are depicted with lyricism leaving us wondering about loss, memory, and rebirth. Perishable objects are defined by a sublime aesthetic quality.

Sotiris Sorogas is a calm, gentle man deeply dedicated to his art. He has a poetic way of approaching things. His intellect and artistic honesty are expressed in a nostalgic manner through his art.

Rust on stones, 2015, acrylic and charcoal on canvas, private collection

He was born in Athens in 1936. He studied with a state scholarship at the Athens School of Fine Arts, where he graduated in 1961. In 1972 he received an annual personal grant from the Ford Foundation. He has had numerous solo and group exhibitions in Greece and at international events organized by the Ministry of Culture, the National Gallery, and private art galleries (Tokyo, Brussels, Dublin, Sao Paulo, New York, Paris, Rome, Basel, etc.).

He taught drawing at the School of Architecture of the National Technical University of Athens from 1964 to 2003. Today he is professor emeritus.

In 2004 he was awarded by the Academy of Athens for his entire artistic contribution and in 2019 the President of the Hellenic Republic awarded him the Order of the Commander of Honor.

Sotiris Sorogas spoke to Greek News Agenda * about art, time and poetry.

What does art mean to you? Is it an internal, solitary process or is it conceived in reference to the public?

Over the years, there has been an infinite number of answers regarding the definition of art. This is due to the wide range of its meanings. I would say that your question encapsulates what art means to me.

It is definitely an inner, solitary, process that seeks recipients. In fact, I believe that this is the intrinsic element of its existence.

As far as I am concerned, it also functions as a silent confession and therefore as a redemptive dialogue with the people to whom I am trying to convey the mysterious miracle that constitutes everything that surrounds us.

Icon painters were the first to teach us the sanctity of their work. The monk, icon painter, and author of Interpretation of Painting Art, Dionysius of Fourna in Agrafa, recommended that the monks, before attempting to depict the icon, should fast and pray to the Virgin Mary.

When did you realize that the art of painting is what you want to do, that it is what you love and want to serve?

I must have had an inclination for artistic activities from a very young age. I loved carving boats out of pine bark, drawing Christmas cards and playing the harmonica.

At the age of 12-13, because of a thyroid disease, I was already 2 meters tall. That was the time that my drawing ability became a refuge and, to a certain extent, a way of redemption from the surrounding brutality of the scorn and ridicule that I was subjected to by almost everyone, except for those close to me.

In the end, painting as well as constant reading would contribute to alleviating my misery at that time. By painting, I could depart to another world, of another quality and another ethos. I believe it was the gift of a Divine Providence that reached me from unknown paths and inscrutable starting points. It seems that art is indeed the breath of the lonesome and as Dimoula puts it in her unique way: art “was appointed competent to issue certificates of pending existence, because it has the gift of suffering".

Stones with cloth in black crevice, 1983, acrylic and charcoal on canvas, private collection

Which were your initial influences and how did they evolve along the way? Could you integrate your style into a particular artistic genre?

While I was studying influences did not exist. I had to learn the language of painting first. I was lucky to have as a teacher Yannis Moralis who was ideal. We were all convinced of its necessity and its valuable contribution to our efforts. We were learning in the midst of complete freedom, so each of us went our own way. Preferences and affinities came later. Van Gogh, however, was a saint for all of us. My work was classified by several critics as "in poetic realism" one of the many "Schools" of that time. If my painting is good, it can lay claim to something of "surrealism" where Engonopoulos classified all worthy art.

Neoclassical door, 2004, acrylic and charcoal on canvas, private collection

How do you choose your subject matter? Describe, as far as possible, the creative process you follow.

The choice of subjects depends on the orientation, particularities, and preferences of the painter. Many paint almost exclusively people and others implicitly indicate their presence. For example, a half-open door may indicate their passing. The variety of versions and themes is endless. My preference is for things that are about to disappear. Rusty sheet metal on stones, old stopped machinery in deserted quarries, old wood from demolished houses, dilapidated boats, old wells and dry stones of deserted fields. Sometimes I put a small flower at their roots to remind me of spring.

What was that moment in your career when you felt you made your mark in the art world?

I think only an arrogant person would think that they can make their mark in the art world. In any case, this would have to be affirmed by others and time.

Wrecked boat, 2015, acrylic and charcoal on canvas, private collection

How do works of art converse with time? Which are those that ultimately transcend it?

I think none of us know which artworks will transcend time. The constant changes in people's lives also modify aesthetic orientations and often take with them the works that were cherished in their time. Seferis, in his monumental text "Monologue on Poetry", claims that poets like Pindar can be ignored for centuries and even scorned. Every era, I believe, finds itself in its own art.

What is your own relationship with time, as a human being and as an artist?

I have come to the conclusion that my profound and lasting love for poets and poetry is because I find in them, among other things, my own obsession: Time. I quote what Κiki Dimoula, whom I’ve been rereading lately, read upon entering the Academy: "Time. Long.... If one thinks about it, life is a tireless enthusiastic applause to everything that saws it, to everything that wears it down”. Nikos Karouzos looking at a rose writes: “What a horror, the seconds eat it up."

Broken old wooden door parts, 1976, acrylic and charcoal on canvas, private collection

You have occasionally expressed your concern about the commercialization of art. How does the system of promoting the artistically insignificant, sometimes blatant, work of 'art' ultimately work?

Answering this question would require at least a PhD thesis. It is true that in the past, I have occasionally referred to the commercialization of art. It has now been assimilated by the dominant mechanism that has already incorporated everything into it. Man, nature and every aspect of our life. There are of course resistances and individual activities, but they are in vain. They are reminiscent of poor farmers, plowing their little fields by themselves. Today painting is absent in art museums. They are filled with objects invented by arbitrary signifiers and explanatory texts that inform the visitor of the significance of the object. They call them "Installations."

Is there a criterion that irrevocably defines which work is really of high artistic value? What are the characteristics it must have and who is the final judge?

None of the above is possible. It is impossible to have such a criterion that defines artistic merit for art.

Stones and poppy is a cherished painting. Tell us its history, the circumstance in which it was created and what does it mean to you?

During the period of the dictatorship, the feeling of absolute lack of freedom in the gloomy atmosphere of those days, I was concerned about how painting, through its inherent silence, could express a clear message, such as Delacroix's The Massacre at Chios.

Among my attempts, Horse with a Rope or Blood under the Statue, I painted a poppy near the stones as an announcement of a spring that would definitely come, since it is an inalienable law. It was printed in a lithograph of 75 copies. In ten days it was sold out.

Stones and poppy, 2010, acrylic and charcoal on canvas, Goulandris Foundation

Everyone loved it. I don't know if that was resistance. I don't believe in politicized painting, because even if it succeeds, the purpose of the message will be one-dimensional. I believe that good painting, in addition to its message, creates a feeling or rather an emotion that emerges from the depths of the subconscious, which is why it remains undefined. In an essay on Picasso, I wrote something about art that I still believe "Great art listens to the inarticulate word that vibrates the silence of the world."

*Interview by Dora Trogadi (Intro image: Left: Sotiris Sorogas; right: Horse with rope, acrylic and charcoal on canvas, 1985, private collection)

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Chronis Botsoglou: The uncompromising sincerity of empathy

Ioulia Livaditi — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 10:05:34 +0000

The Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation presents a retrospective exhibition dedicated to Chronis Botsoglou at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Andros, titled "The uncompromising sincerity of empathy". Chronis Botsolgou (1941-2022) was one of the most important figurative artists of contemporary Greek art, among the leading artists of the late modernism and its subsequent realizations in Greece. The exhibition at the Cycladic island of Andros features more than 100 oils, pencil drawings, pastels, watercolours, bronzes, brasses and plasters from 1953 to 2018, showcasing more than sixty-five years of an extremely productive artistic career.

A worthy successor to the masters of Vincent van Gogh, Alberto Giacometti and Francis Bacon, Botsoglou placed the human being at the center of his work. His works are in the image of his written texts: they were born out of asceticism, suffering and a genuine concern for honesty. This unrelenting honesty, which he often imposed on himself, was however always accompanied by empathy. As the curator of the exhibition Maria Koutsomallis said at the press conference presenting the exhibitions: The element of fragility, of vulnerability that emerges from his works, does not relate only to the person that is depicted. It also intimidates the viewer, who facing this unyielding honesty, recognizes himself in the material the artist has used”.

This love for the world of the living, entwined with tenderness completely free of any kind of condescension, is repeated in a series of themes that Botsoglou loved. These pictorial chapters, as the artist himself defined them in his written texts, especially in his collection ‘The Colour of Study’, are all present in the retrospective. Thanks to the generous participation of the family of the painter, who passed away last year, as well as many collectors, individuals and institutions, it has been possible to bring together both the artist's landmark works and as well as many other works that are being exhibited for the first time.

Botsoglou was born in 1941 in the northern Greek port city of Thessaloniki to a family of refugees from Asia Minor, and worked very hard in shaping his personal idiom. This journey of self-discovery is underscored in the show..He studied in Athens at the School of Fine Arts with Yiannis Moralis and continued his studies in Ecole Superieure des Beaux - Arts in Paris.

His studies at the School of Fine Arts in Athens, and then in Paris, provided him with the academic basis he needed to find his way and paint the first youthful works exhibited in the exhibition. In the landscapes of Lesvos he balances inorganic matter, sky and vegetation, managing to render the colours of the Mediterranean with exceptional fidelity. The 1970s are defined by the passage from neo-realism to existentialism. He joined many artistic groups, trying to integrate everyday life into art and approached the New Realism movement, which placed photography at the basis of artistic inspiration. An important theme of the exhibition is erotica. Eroticism is a central axis of Botsoglou’s art. In the 1980s, man becomes the centre of his art, especially at the time when he was working in an old lyotribe as an ascetic.

The exhibition also has many self-portraits from various periods. In 1993 Botsoglou began the Nekya series, which he completed in 2000, a polyptych consisting of 26 works. The source of inspiration is Rhapsody l of the Odyssey, in which Odysseus – who is desperately trying to summon the dead seer Tiresias from the underworld to find out whether he will return to Ithaca – is initiated by Circe into the ritual of necromancy, which consists of the temporary return of the dead from the realm of Hades.

In this way, Botsoglou paints his memories of persons who were dear to him, such as his parents, his uncle and aunt, the poet Nikos Kavvadias, the painters Nikos Paralis, Lefteris Kanakakis (as”Fisherman of Santorini”) and Asadur Baharian. In the first portrait of the series, The Necromancer, he gives his own characteristics. In 2003 Botsoglou began the series References, in which he pays tribute to his teachers by creating fictional portraits of them. Although among his influences he has already mentioned many names of every nationality and era, in this series he limits himself to representations of Giannoulis Chalepas, Giorgos Bouzianis, Vincent van Gogh, Chaïm Soutine, Alberto Giacometti and Francis Bacon.

The tone of the catalogue, as well as the exhibition itself, is set by “Brotherly Thoughts” an imaginary dialogue between Botsoglou and his teachers, which highlights the brotherhood between the artists in terms of their concerns and expectations, as well as the way they saw the world."I paint people because they are the most beautiful thing there is," Botsoglou used to say. Newspaper Kathimerini reports on the exhibition: "Botsoglou was equally uncompromising in his search for truth both in his form and in his body. His paintings do not embellish. They dig to the core of the models revealing the innermost thoughts, the weaknesses, the decay, the decay.

At least 15 works in the exhibition are portraits, which evolve from the portraits of youth and "Self-Portrait" (1967) to "Kneeling Man" (1983) and "Necromancer", the first work in the series "A Personal Virtue" ( 1993-2000) –a project consisting of 26 works, 13 of which are presented in the exhibition. In addition to himself, Botsoglou paints in this particular series his memories of people who were dear to him: his parents, his uncle and aunt, the painters Nikos Paralis, Lefteris Kanakakis (as "Fisherman of Santorini") and Asadour Baharian. The "Nekyia" series, inspired by rhapsody λ of the Odyssey, helped him to see again his whole relationship with memory. "In order to be able to do this "Nekyia" I have to stop remembering. When you remember, the dead rise, and that keeps them silent," he wrote. Botsoglu knew that memory is weaker than imagination, and that the latter complements the former by helping us understand people better and more lovingly. "When I finished Nekyia, after I also painted the shadow of Nikos Kavadias, and I left the studio, I started to cry, I cried uncontrollably, and convulsed non-stop for a long time without a specific reason […]. Then I felt the end of an era [...]", he wrote in "Color of study"".

The exhibition, running until October 1st. is accompanied by a bilingual catalogue, in Greek and English, featuring texts by the exhibition’s curator Marie Koutsomallis-Moreau, a detailed chronology, statements by Botsoglou and photographs, most of them unpublished, provided by the artist’s family.

Short Bio

The painter, engraver and sculptor Chronis Botsoglou was born in Thessaloniki in 1941. He studied on a scholarship at the Athens School of Fine Arts (1960-1965) under the artist Yannis Moralis. He was still a student when he held his first solo exhibition in Athens (1964, Center for Technological Applications), with works that revealed influences from Bouzianis. He continued his studies at the Έcole des Beaux Arts in Paris (1969-1972, on a state scholarship). He presents his work in consecutive thematic axis, its main features being existential references, the exhaustive processing of the form and the physicality of the painting material. Often his paintings coexist with sculptural works.

In 1989 he was elected professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts, where he served as Rector (2001-2005) and taught until 2008. He held more than twenty-five individual and dozens of group exhibitions in Greece and abroad. He participated in the Sao Paulo Biennale (1969) and the Engraving Biennale (Heidelberg, 1988). His retrospective exhibitions were presented at the Municipal Gallery of Rhodes (1986), the Vafopouleio Spiritual Center (Thessaloniki, 1991), the Cyclades Gallery (Ermoupolis, 2008) and the National Museum of Contemporary Art (Athens, 2010). He illustrated poetry collections and collaborated with writers and theorists, regularly publishing his writings. He has published three books and an album of computer-generated works (2007). In 2009, a monograph on his work was published.

I.L., with information from visitgreece.gr, goulandris.gr and Kathimerini.gr

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Creative Greece | Sotiris Sorogas “Art is the breath of the lonesome”

Chronis Botsoglou: The uncompromising sincerity of empathy

Short Bio