eternal optimist

"KAOS" BY GUY LIMONE IN ATHENS

Contemporary global societies are managed through graphs, numbers and scores. This is the conclusion that Guy Limone has come to, working the past 25 years with miniatures. In his third exhibition in Athens, entitled Kaos the French artist composed his new works by tiny plastic figures that do not exceed two centimeters and are adjusted into a wall or other surfaces such as ceramics, aluminum rods, fishing lines etc. These figures are directly derived from the ancient Greek art. "Ancient Greek sculptors were exacerbated the human form to a point that exceeded the natural range contary my figures are shrunk to the point of extinction" comments the artist.The exhibition is opening this Thursday at Rebecca Camhi Art Space.

23/2-28/4/2012

A CELEBRATION OF ABSURDITY

Artist Ioanna Pantazopoulou's first solo show entitled R.E.(Reconfigured Etiquette) is hosted in Ileana Tounta Gallery of Athens few months after her participation in Their Wonderlands group exhibition in Birmingham,UK. Using the basic necessities required for a seating dinner; tables, chairs, glasses, plates and cutlery the structure Ioanna created a large ephemeral sculptural installation suspended from the ceiling.

The dinner accoutrements become undomesticated whilst the chandelier does not offer merely a decorative purpose; it provides support for the structure, it is the armature keeping the sculpture in tact. The furniture is sliced almost as it is food; by dissecting, dividing and reconfiguring Ioanna transforms very practical objects into unworkable; which are reassembled from an imaginary combination. The disambiguation of commodities and objects is an attempt to examine, question and reflect upon the relationship between humanity and the current political state of material excess.

The exhibition will run until March 10th.

THE NEWSPAPER SHOW

Last night I attended the opening of "The Newspaper Show" at The Breeder gallery of Athens, a group exhibition hosting Greek and international artists who were asked to make works inspired by the newspaper.I chose to shoot the exhibits I appreciated the most. Impressive as always was the artwork of Elias Kafouros, the first exhibit to see as you get into the art space. I loved Konstantin Kakanias' works(below), I've been a huge fan of him and his art for years.

I also got to know the work of Alexandros Vasmoulakis (above), an artist whose work I wasn't aware of and I must say that I was left with a very good impression. 

16/2-10/3/2012

GROUP EXHIBITION IN RODEO GALLERY, ISTANBUL

Dimitri Presents attended the current group exhibition in Rodeo Gallery, Istanbul. "A beautifully grotesque street, an imposing facade, an insight into the workings of an artist's art. The welcoming was warm, bringing balance to the snow of before. Mind the dogs, they don't bite.. Simple and direct with just the right amount of disturbing".

photos and text by Dimitri Presents

"HUMAN RESOURCES" EXHIBITION - OPENING TONIGHT

"In the midst of a universe that continues to sink and in the middle of a treaty in which individual human existence continually shrinks in both global and local scale, the group art exhibition Human Resources attempts to look at the basic unit of the visual world; the human." according to art critic Iris Kritikou. Genesis gallery of Athens celebrates its two years of operation hosting the works of 24 diverse artists among which Michail Tsakountis (photo above) Giorgos Saltaferos and Dimitris Giannelos (below) whose work I really appreciate and respect. Opening tonight at 19.30 p.m.

photos courtesy of the artists

KOSTAS PANIARAS - ULTRA MARINE

Corrugated sheet metal, cold super-naturalism of the industrial equipment and no intervention of the designer give Kostas Paniaras' Ultra Marine installation at DESTE Foundation of Athens a disturbing silence and a muffled mercurial fluoresence mentioning stem questions. The installation will be exhibited in DESTE until February 29th. Don't miss it

DEAD MAN'S PATTERNS - MEMENTO MORI

The prestigious London and New York design agency Sheridan&Co will be hosting a series of creative shows in its London space this year. The first event scheduled to take place during London Fashion Week will show showcase the work of Hormazd Narielwalla. The exhibition entitled Dead Man's Patterns-Memento Mori features 7 three-dimensional sculls from a limited edition 50 accompanied by 7 two-dimensional artworks from the edition of 50, all exploring the remembrances of death.

I asked the artist to comment on his forthcoming show and he said "It is very exciting as my collages have moved into three-dimensional form and I have cut, stapled and pasted the dead men's patterns to create three-dimensional sculls. From this process of my imprint, I was left with remnants, rather precious to me. This prompted me to also create two-dimensional collages artworks where the awkward cut-out pattern pieces are pasted to create an outline of a scull."

As for the bespoke Savile Row patterns the artist says "They are divorced from the tailoring context. However they remain in the context of death".

20/2-3/10 2012 at Blandford Street studio

ROOMS 2012 - MORE PARTICIPANTS

ROOMS 2012 exhibition opened last night at St George Lycabettus hotel of Athens and I took some additional photos of the most interesting participants of the annual art event hosted by Kappatos gallery, starting with one beautiful installation by Nicoletta Antonakou, Virginia Mastroyannaki and Anastasis Stratakis.

Another interesting installation that cought my attention was the one by Nicky Tsachra and Agathi Tsoroni. (below)

I was very happy to see Efi Spyrou's new work of art as part of the exhibition. I always love what she does.

Last but not least, It felt weird in an interesting way to enter the room of Thanos Kyriakidis, curated by Alexios Papazacharias. The installation is entitled La Trophee de la Gloire.

YOU SEE IT FIRST - ROOMS 2012

Christina Kalli was invited at the press day at St George Lycabettus earlier today and gives us a sneak preview of some of the installations in the Rooms 2012 exhibition opening tomorrow.

A year of ritual repetition reached the limits of an almost sadomasochistic obsession but had as a result an astonishing artwork conceptualized by Ioanna Kasiki (photos above). A dress made by pins (weights almost 100kg) neutralizes individual elements and ends up exceeding and transmuting the material. A sculptural gown that symbolizes women's inner self, an icon of suffering, violence,unspeakable pain and unbearable loneliness hidden beneath.

"Sleep between my words, dream within my dreams.." Ianthi Aggelioglou is whispering her ineer thoughts, sharing her unspeakable truths with her installation. The bed linens of the hotel room function as the blank pages of a secret diary and visitors will be encouraged to write their own confessions on the transparent walls surrounding her bed.(above)

WAR PLAYS III was part of a project held in Rethimno couple of months ago. After being banned and excluded, artist Stella Drigiannaki installed it on the balcony of her private residence and hours later it was censored by the religious leader of the city. Religion comforts people, belief systems, world views, spiritual symbols, moral values and holy scriptures promise to save the world. But humanity still slaughters her babies, destroys vulgarly the future. The truth lies beneath.

text by Christina Kalli, co-editor of eternal optimist

DELIGHT AT SMCA

Last year the Greek State Museum of Contemporary Art invited 157+173 designers to participate in a workshop that took place at Moni Lazariston, in order to attend to a presentation of the Costakis collection and the multidimensional phenomenon of the Russian Avant-Garde. They were then asked to produce works inspired by the art of this period for an exhibition entitled "Composition-Construction-Production. The Russian Avant-Garde and Contemporary Art" which opened on January 20th 2012 at the SMCA. Among the participating artists are DElight fashion designers who sent me few exclusive images of their installation in Thessaloniki.

20/1-24/3/2012