PRESS RELEASE
Greek Printmaking Today
Art Exhibition
Joint organisation - joint production:
Union of Greek Engravers
Evangelos Averoff-Tosizza Foundation / E. Averoff Gallery, Metsovo
State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki
Artists taking part:
Odysseas Annitsakis, Rena Anousi-Ilia, Michalis Arfaras, Magda Vamvatira, Eva Vasdeki, Georgios Vlassopoulos, Christodoulos Galtemis, Giorgos Grekas, Yannis Gourzis, Rania Grimaldi-Koromila, Nikos Desekopoulos, Maria Ziaka, Christiana Iliopoulou, Lizzie Calligas, Eleni Kaprou, Yannis Kapsidakis, Giannis Kolios, Aria Komianou, Grigoris Kotsaris, Dimitra Koumantaki, Dina Kotsiou, Marina Maravelaki, Jenny Markaki, Giorgos Milios, Dimitris Miliotis, Voula Moulou-Douli, Tonia Nikolaidou, Iris Xilas-Xanalatos, George Pallis, Pino Pandolfini, Bartholomew Papadantonakis, Katerina Papadimitropoulou, Maria Patsi, Mia Perivolas, Mimi Petropoulou-Dimitraki, Inés Piqueras Garcia, Erene Podimata-Stefanaki, Christos Santamouris, Roubina Sarelakou, Dimitra Siaterli, Amaryllis Siniosoglou, Maria Spyrou, Rania Stathopoulou, Nikos Stavrakantonakis, Yannis Stefanakis, Mary Schina, Vanessa Touzloukof, Viky Tsalamata, Serhad Tseliker-Bapir, Anastasia Tsetoulidou, Anastasia Charokopou, Florence Christakis.
An engraving exhibition under the title of Greek Printmaking Today will be opened at the Evangelos Averoff Gallery in Metsovo on Saturday, 6 October 2007, at 9 in the evening.
The exhibition presents works by 52 engravers who are members of the Union of Greek Engravers, engraved and printed during the years 2006 - 2007. The purpose of the exhibition is to focus on the 'today' of Greek printmaking by inviting the printmakers to lodge their artistic proposal through the many and varied possibilities provided by the contemporary printmakers' art.
As the art historian Ms Irene Orati has noted: "In recent years, print-making, more than the other forms of artistic expression, has been abruptly subjected to the invasion of modern means at all the stages of production of the work: in the engraving, printing of the copies, and the number of copies. More specifically, by the use of computers, the screen has replaced the engraving plate and the mouse the gouge. Automatically, printmaking has lost is two basic traditional tools, while the prints, by becoming digital, have given rise to a series of problems. Any artist with access to a computer and with a basic knowledge of technique is now able to produce an 'engraving'. Furthermore, the copies which are digitally produced, and are completely identical, can be reproduced without limit, since there is no print-making plate to deteriorate. On the other hand, Greek artists - who for the most part have studied traditional techniques - are called upon either to distance themselves from them by adopting new techniques of engraving, or to continue to express themselves by means of the techniques which they know, but approaching these in a totally different manner. This unavoidable, though often creative, conflict produced at the beginning works which are marked by awkwardness and indecisiveness. Very rapidly, however, this awkwardness led to experimentations, and indecisiveness was transformed into daring." And as the President of the Union of Greek Engravers, Mr Nikos Desekopoulos notes, printmaking is regarded as the 'jazz' of the visual arts, because, despite the development and use of technology, it presupposes a good knowledge of design and colour, an injterpretation of chiaroscuro, and, at the same time, a sound knowledge of the technique which is chosen.
Engraving is a form of artistic creativity which is particularly familiar to the public of Metsovo, given that woodcarving is a living feature of the traditional art of the region. Thus the 'Greek Printmaking Today' exhibition takes on an additional interest for the local public and serves to broaden the institution of the 'Creative Encounters' which the Gallery started in 1995. In the context of the 'Encounters', the art exhibition at the Gallery is combined with the presence and accommodation of the artists at Metsovo, the holding of discussions, presentations, educational gatherings, and workshops for children, young people, and adults.
More specifically:
Presentation: The artists will introduce their works and will speak about their work on Saturday, 6 October 2007, at 7 p.m. (hall of the 'Diaselo' Conference Centre).
Printmaking workshops: Printmaking workshops for children, young people, and adults will operate at the weekends of 13 - 14, 20 - 21 and 27 - 28 October. Information can be obtained by telephone from the Gallery, where applications to attend can also be made.
Exhibition catalogue: The exhibition is accompanied by a de luxe catalogue-album, in Greek and English, with colour reproductions of the works, an introduction by Ms Irene Orati, and explanatory texts by the artists themselves, together with biographical details of the artists.
Presentation of Symposium Proceedings: On the occasion of the opening, there will be a presentation of the publication of the Proceedings of the symposium on 'Fear in Art and in Life', held last summer at Metsovo in the context of the international art exhibition entitled 'The Scarecrow', with the participation of distinguished contributors from the world of art, literature, and human sciences.
Duration of the exhibition: 6 October - 10 December 2007
Opening Hours: 10.00 - 16.30, every day except Tuesdays.
Sponsors: The Baron Michael Tosizza Foundation - Katogi & Strofilia SA
When the exhibition closes at Metsovo, it will be transferred to the State Museum of Contemporary Art in Thessaloniki.
For further information, or material and CDs in connection with the exhibition, appointments for interviews, or applications to take part, please apply to the secretariat of the Foundation: 210 - 67.78.244, Ms Betty Karatza.