NOW, it might sound a bit corny, or kind of ‘ethnic’, or ‘regionalist’ to some, to be inspired by the country you live in, but let’s face it, most artists draw inspiration from their surroundings in one way or another. And for me, ever since I moved to Greece in 1994, the nature, the light …
CONTEMPORARY FREEDOM of expression versus the castle of tradition, at FokiaNou Art, where the group show ‘The Castro’ will open to the public on July 6. This new group show, curated by Mary Cox and Panagiotis Voulgaris, for which participating artists responded to an open call, presents a multifaceted perspective on what freedom and restriction …
DUE TO the pandemic, many of us have been left dreaming of situations that we would have preferred to have been in, which cannot be realized. Many of our activities were put on hold, and we could only imagine them in our mind’s eye. For the artists among us, however, they often became subject-matter for …
IT’S ALWAYS interesting to see what exactly is coming out of the art schools these days, and the Athens School of Fine Arts (or ASFA), is no exception. I visited recently the first part of the ASFA graduates show, which ran June 16-19, to be pleasantly surprised yet again, with the great variety and quality …
The exhibition ‘Universal Flux (Meta-Corona Era) at the artzone42 gallery, has us thinking of what the world will be like, after the pandemic is over. Will the post-Corona era be a continuation of the world as it was before? Or will we be witnessing a new future? The pandemic has certainly made us think of …
What does a forensic scientist, an artist and an explorer of computational arts have in common? They are all one and the same person: Geeta Roopnarine, who has combined her many skills and knowledge, plus her diverse cultural backgrounds, to create intriguing art forms. A selection of them will be on show to the public, …
After the exhibition ‘my hEART’ at the Hellenic-French Association on Kolonaki Square, comes the exhibition ‘Small Surprises’, which presents the beauty of small works. Often, small works are more intimate, and intricate. And more affordable! Some lovely jewellery designs are also on show. Organised by Dimitris Lazarou in collaboration with Arthub Athens and Tonia Nisotaki. …
NOSTALGIA was one thing that grew in parallel to the pandemic, with people wistfully remembering things like, when they used to go to the movies, on family outings, holidays etc. ‘The Good Old Days’ is also the subject of Fokianou Art Space’s upcoming show which opens on Friday, May 13, and which is curated by …
Stella Sevastopoulos interviews Dimitris Lazarou, α person of many talents, who has organized many exhibitions both online and in real space, whilst also promoting the work of contemporary Greek artists. His online exhibition ‘Woman Evolution 200’, which comprises the work of 113 artists, recently premiered also as a video presentation of the works, accompanied by …
Stella Sevastopoulos of ‘Art Scene Athens’ catches up with artists and gallery owner Georgina Theou, at the opening of the show ‘Figura’, at artzone42 gallery. A brief moment of culture in Athens during the lockdown.
One of the effects of the pandemic on the art world is that it has turned all the more to the internet in order to present art and organise exhibitions. Here in Greece, exhibition organiser Dimitris Lazarou was quick to pick up on this new side to art presentation.
THE DIVIDE between artists who still use traditional artistic mediums and those in favour of a more conceptual art, has created two different camps in the art world of today, even in Greece. The former are considered more as craftsmen, criticized for being ‘stuckist’, and bogged down with capturing light effects, creating illusions of reality, …
DUTCH artist Sef Berkers escaped the Covid pandemic and the lockdown in New York just in time after his art exhibition took place in the Big Apple. His works however haven’t made it back yet. The experience of this city changed his life and his art in unexpected ways. Back in his studio in Venlo, …
ARTIST, writer, and artist’s model Sue Tilley has had a colourful life to say the least: from dividing her time between her day job as benefits supervisor and her night job at Leigh Bowery’s ‘Taboo’ night club, Tilley has also performed in music videos, modelled for artist Lucian Freud, taught art, and has had her …
Stella Sevastopoulos caught up with artist Marina Syntelis, who found herself creating some interesting commissions during the lockdown, for customers abroad. MARINA SYNTELIS has been hailed as one of the world’s finest hyper realistic seascape painters of today. Her powerful wave images have become especially popular over the past two years, and her rising recognition …
Stella Sevastopoulos catches up with Kate Horti, a sculptor with an ecological conscience who enjoys transforming the industrial form of the bicycle into animals and insects (among other subject-matter), giving it a new lease of life. THE BICYCLE was originally invented in 1839 by the Scottish blacksmith Kirkpatrick Macmillan. Since then it has become …
Stella Sevastopoulos talks to Panagiotis Voulgaris, an artist-traveller, whose special relationship with nature and the urban environment have inspired his ephemeral artistic interventions. He is also the co-director of FokiaNou art space together with artist Mary Cox. PANAGIOTIS Voulgaris creates monuments to nature that revere the natural environment to such an extent, that they …
Stella Sevastopoulos talks to artist Margarita Radeva about the pros and cons of following an art career today, her experience as an art education professional, and more… THERE are many who teach art, but not many who do it properly. In many schools, art is considered of no importance, hence an excuse for the art …
Marina Syntelis is an artist whose exploration of the power of the sea, has attracted the interest of many a collector over the past few years in particular. In the UK, she is represented by the Papillon Gallery. But the creative journey that got her there – to her awe-inspiring renditions of the structures …
According to Stavros Mihalarias, a prominent restorer and art dealer of Greece, the Greek artists are the bad boys of art, because they don’t play by the rules. To find out more, read my interview with him, where we also discuss his relationship with the recently deceased artist Takis, who’s show is on at …
Stella Sevastopoulos of ‘Art Scene Athens’ talks to Greek-Australian artist Chrys Roboras who has managed to spread her wings and exhibit around the world, with great success. CHRYS ROBORAS loves to place the human figure in vast, colourful semi-abstract landscapes. In some works her figures are depicted as an outline which has been filled in …
STELLA SEVASTOPOULOS interviews Rosalind Forster, an artist who has divided her time between England’s Derbyshire and Greece’s Spetses, creating unique watercolours and linocut prints in the process: EVERY now and then, you discover a new artist, and a whole new way of seeing the world through their work. I had such an experience recently, …
GOING to an art show, or even trying to practice art, isn’t really top on the list of ‘things to do’ for many people. And that’s a shame, because art has a lot to offer, for people of all ages and classes. In fact recent studies argue that the homo sapiens were more advanced than …
LIKE HIS beloved material of glass, which he has tirelessly transformed into monumental sculptural forms, Costas Varotsos is sharp, cool and transparent – in the sense that he is unafraid to speak his mind. There are not many contemporary Greek sculptors who are also international names, however Varotsos is one of them. With his public …
I RECENTLY interviewed one of Greece’s most well-known and definitely most contemporary of artists – Eleni Mylonas – for the Athens Insider Magazine . As is the case with interviews, a lot of material remains unpublished. I felt it was a shame to let this material get lost in time, and to never be shared, because …
THERE are so many elements that converge in Chryssa Verghi’s art. Among her painted odes to nature, you will spot references to certain crucial crossroads in the history of art and landscape painting, such as her painted encomium to Monet ‘s ‘ Water Lillies’, a touch of Romanticism’s passion for the sublime and mystical in …
IN THE trying times that we are living, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many have turned to the internet in order to be able to continue their lives and activities. From shopping to education, entertainment to information, it has definitely been a life-saver. For the art community however, it has also provided many artists … Continue reading
The southern suburbs of Athens aren’t known that much for their cultural interests or activities, however things are changing in that department. The Hypatia Cultural Society of Voula, has been aiming to enhance the cultural awareness and knowledge of the citizens of this region, with its events, exhibitions and publications, and will now be hosting … Continue reading
Stella Sevastopoulos reviews the exhibition at the alternative art space Phoenix Athens, entitled ‘Out of the Cube Into the Green’: IF YOU walk or drive up Asklipiou Street in central Athens, way up on the hill, you will eventually get to Phoenix Athens, an alternative art space which is providing artists both with a space … Continue reading
THIS SUMMER, the National Theatre of Northern Greece is flying high and very far… Around the globe in fact. Expat Greek artists from around the world have ‘spread their wings’ in order to return to the motherland, via their art and photographic work, which will become part of a parallel event accompanying the staging of … Continue reading
SYMBOLISM is a movement which has influenced the whole course of modern and contemporary art, while its roots go back to ancient times. The group of artists known as ARC (Art Revisited Collective), along with some guest artists, have gotten together to create the show ‘New Symbols’, at the Chili Art Gallery in Thissio. This … Continue reading
THE GROUP art exhibition ‘TAR & FEATHERS’ will be inaugurated on Monday, June 29, noon till 9pm at the Hellenic-French Association, and will run from June 29-July 11. Dimitris Lazarou is responsible for the concept, organization and communication of the exhibition and art historian Olga Latousaki for its curation. A total of 26 contemporary … Continue reading
FOUNDED by lawyer/collector Philippos Tsichritzis, the architectural beauty of the Tsichritzis Foundation for the Visual Arts has proven to be a haven for cultural creativity since 1999 when it first opened to the public. From June 25-July 25, it will also be overrun by cats, dogs, and all sorts of other animals, as depicted … Continue reading
‘FLANEUR: Walking unseen in the city’ is the title of the upcoming exhibition at the Arte Visione gallery in Athens. The exhibition is organised/curated by art historians Evangelia Kairaki and Maria-Moscha Karatzoglou. The French term ‘Flaneur’ (or ‘Flaneuse’) is hard to translate accurately, because it belongs to a certain place in history and literature. The … Continue reading
The Herod Atticus Odeon has seen some interesting art interventions around its premises, but never actually inside the ancient theatre. But this summer will change that, with the work of Dionisis Kavallieratos. NEON and the Athens & Epidaurus Festival are pleased to announce a newly commissioned site-specific installation by Greek artist Dionisis Kavallieratos at the … Continue reading
CULTURAL EVENTS are starting to rev up in Athens these days, and art exhibitions are back on the agenda. FokiaNou Art Space is therefore pleased to present “Interstitial Places”, a two-person exhibition by Jane Grover and Dimitra Maltabe. In order to allow for social distancing, the opening will take place over two evenings, the 11th … Continue reading
