FROM ANCIENT times, the Greek god Eros has been shooting his arrows all over the place, inspiring many artists from around the world to focus on the winged deity, or the outcomes of his actions. But many Greek artists have also spoken of love in their art, in one way or another. Here is how … Continue reading
Category Archives: exhibitions
Five for February
Greek seascapes in focus The Greek sea has inspired many a Greek painter, and the Theocharakis Foundation’s new show, which will be inaugurated on February 15, pays homage to the many Greek artists who have created outstanding seascapes over the years. The exhibition comprises works from two most important collections – the National Gallery of … Continue reading
Varotsos: ‘Art is life and the transformation of life into art’
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 … Continue reading
Mylonas interview (part 2)
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 As is the case with interviews, a lot of material remains unpublished.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 … Continue reading
The ‘Abyss’ in Athens
NEON organisation’s contemporary art show ‘Flying Over the Abyss’, is another example of how Athens is both exceedingly ancient and totally avant-garde. Comprising 41 works, by 34 international and Greek artists, but also including the original manuscript of Nikos Kazantzakis’ ‘Ascesis: Saviours of the Gods’, the show presents the diversity of the contemporary art scene … Continue reading
DESTE’s 33 years of contemporaneity
CAN a movement be created by a collector? This is a question that arises after having read the colourful, heavy brick of a tome ‘DESTE 33 Years, 1983-2015’. Via its 868 pages, this book documents the activity of an art foundation that has rocked the senses of the Greek public (and beyond) since the Eighties. … Continue reading
Botsoglou’s mountain
CHRONIS Botsoglou’s room with a view on Lesvos, had visually intrigued him from the ’70s, when he first started to study the view of the mountain from his window. But it was only in the last eight years that he dared to actually paint it. The National Bank of Greece’s Educational Foundation (MIET, Eynard Mansion) … Continue reading
The state of art today in Greece
IT’S Freize Art Fair in London at the moment. Sales are going well, the jet-set art lovers have flocked like groupies from around the world to check out one of the most prestigious fairs of its kind. But Londoners too from all walks of life will pay a visit in order to get a ‘zing’ … Continue reading
EMST: Athens’ answer to Tate Modern, sets ball rolling with events, shows
LIFE without art, would be like Greece without sun. The crisis has however cast its shadow over the Greek art scene. Nevertheless, there are plenty of exhibitions and events going on, especially in Athens. This capital with a population of around 665,000 in the city centre (or 3.75 million in the metropolitan area), has about … Continue reading
From Brexit to a Greek metamorphosis
I WENT to bed on Thursday, June 23, thinking Bremain was more likely. Woke up to the chaos of Brexit. Depression sets in, the idea that Britain could become an isolated little island cut off from Europe. Sometimes, the blow comes from where you least expect it! In the meantime, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural … Continue reading