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WHAT DOES NEW AND INTERESTING MEAN?

26.11.08 - 24.01.09

Nikos Kessanlis, "Metastructure", 1971, mixed media on paper mounted on canvas, 50 X 64 cm

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On Wednesday the 26th of November the show "What does new and interesting mean?" will open at AD Gallery. "What does new and interesting mean?" will present major works by leading contemporary Greek artists together with works by younger but already acknowledged ones. Works by Nelly's (1953), Caniaris (1969, 1970), Kessanlis, (1957, 1971, 1986), Kounellis, (1965), Samaras (1971, 1982), Steve Gianakos, (1981, 2007), Akrithakis (1966, 1982) are juxtaposed with works by Markou, Christodoulides, Velonis, Sagri, Charisis, Theodoropoulos, Nikos Papadimitriou, Tsivopoulos. Every new generation of artists creates its own language within the social and cultural context of its era through dialogue with the national and international, semantic and notional endowment which is diffused through schools, important exhibitions, books, magazines and discussions. Therefore, we can recognize elective affinities between the artists in terms of language, methodological approach or poetics in their works. Assemblages by Christodoulides and Velonis dialogue openly with works by Caniaris with regards to their content and interpretations. A similar conversation occurs with Sagri's drawings and the works created by Kassanlis while in Rome or the self-referential world of Samaras and Theodoropoulos, again with the series of meta-structures by Kessanlis with the last works by Papadimitriou and so on. Maybe the most interesting affinities are the informal ones; those which are based on the convictions created by the juxtaposition of the works, against simplistic formal correlations. The fact that we do not have the possibility to see works by Greek artists together in museums makes it difficult to discern the historical continuity. Consequently, the works are presented as if they have been created parthenogeneticaly and the artists as if they were not intellectuals using the language of the visual arts but odd cases that cannot have any effect in the aloof society with their art. In the end, art is presented as a phenomenon in the margin of real life. Obviously, this show is not trying to solve such a difficult and chronic problem but to put it up for view and discussion.


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