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 creative exploration. The exhibition ‘Dream of’, comprising the work of 34 artists, focuses on the power of dreams, and the importance they have played, both in our present circumstances, in the past, but also in art. From abstract dreamscapes to dreamy, idyllic beaches, from the thoughts that shape our nightmares, to dreaming of certain relationships, people, events and situations, this show has it all. But above all, ‘Dream of’ invites the public to dream freely through the art of contemporary artists. The brainchild and organizer of the exhibition (which is taking place these days at the beautiful Tsichritzis Foundation for the Visual Arts), is Dimitris Lazarou, who also runs the cultural site art-profiles.net. The exhibition has been co-organised with ART HUB ATHENS/Art for social change (arthubathens.org), and curated by Tonia Nisiotaki.

Nisiotaki states that “The primary aim of artists is to free themselves, and by presenting their work, to offer that freedom to other people”. She goes on to say that “According to Sigmund Freud, dreams are the ‘guardians of sleep that alleviate its disruptions/disorders’. Dreams take information from recent experiences, ‘the residues of the day’, which are looking for an opportunity to express themselves. They then are transformed into their new  context. One could say that the artistic process is similar. Maybe the artistic work comprises the transformation of the artist’s experiences in a similar attempt of alleviation from the ‘disorders of life’, giving them form and substance and creating a dialogue with them. In the same way that the methods of processing dreams disclose facets of our subconscious which have escaped us, similarly a work of art can act in the same way, shedding light on meanings which at first glance might appear vague. Works which have been invested with such psychological energy cannot but move us deeply and appear to us as charmingly mysterious, expressions of deeper desires.”

Participating artists:

Antinea Boletsi, Antoni Dragan, Christina Savvatianou (Paraxeno Daimonio), Marialena Sarris, Nikolas Karathanasis, Stella Sevastopoulos, Yiota Angelopoulou, Ifigenia Apostolopoulou, Rena Vallianou, Matina Yiagka, Lambros Yiotis, Yiota Sotiriou Drettaki, Rudy Zacharia, Kostas Kapranos, Miranta Katsifa, Marina Korelli, Yiannis Korbos, Angelike Kostalou, Andriana Vereniki Lappa, Domna Betsiou, Evangelia Bolani, Konstantina Dziavou, Anastasios Nyfadopoulos, Olga Xythali, Haris Pamfilis, Theodosia Papadopoulou, Vicky Sarri, Stella Serefoglou, Katerina Tzara, Mary Triviza, Sophia Fountoulaki, Katerina Hatzi, Katerina Hortaria, George Houndalas.

• Runs till July 17. Open Tuesday-Friday 11-6, Saturday 11-5. Tsichritzis Foundation for the Visual Arts, 18 Kassaveti Street, Kifissia. Free entrance.