HOME(less) Dionisis Christofilogiannis Oct. 6-18 2015 | Fokionos Negri 16 performance Yannis Adoniou, Harriet Summer curated by Konstantinos Argianas Photos by Dimitris Triantafillou
Dionisis Christofilogiannis invites you to a distinctive location in Kypseli. HOME(less) installation is an artistic proposal where sculpture, painting and performance are in direct dialogue. The Greek artist gives a second life to pieces of old wooden furniture collected from the streets of Athens and covers them with white embroidered crochet and white plaster, redefining their structure, function and aesthetics. These constructions dominate the architectural element and geometrical forms where simplicity, purity and abstraction come together with beautification and lyricism. The aesthetic effect of both whitewashed architecture of Charles Eduard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier, and the architecture of the Cyclades, which has inspired not only the Swiss architect but also Greek artists like Chryssa (Cycladic Books) is evident in Christofilogiannis’ work.
Konstantinos Argianas
Along with Christofilogiannis’ sculptures and paintings there is also his new video entitled “White Torso”, a performance by the choreographer Yannis Adoniou. Wearing a full body costume made of white crochet, Adoniou performs physical exercises. Harriet Summer, a black British performer, conflicts with the hegemony of white in the exhibition space, addressing at the same time, social and political issues. This exhibition comments on the contemporary social, economic and political disorder where the right to housing, a fundamental human right, is placed under constant questioning. The ambiguous title of the exhibition HOME(less) reflects the very ambiguity of the installation. Can the sculptures of the Greek artist be seen as furniture or as ruins of modern Athenian society in crisis? Is it a new housing proposal or perhaps its deconstruction?
Installation View
The column, 2015 Plaster, crochet, acrylic on wood 220x18x74cm
The column, 2015 Plaster, crochet, acrylic on wood 220x18x74cm
Detail of “The column”
“Somebody” sculpture recall "personnages", Bourgeois' totemic wood and bronze pieces from the 40s. Dionisis’ share obsessive processing of the past and exorcism functions as springboard to many other issues lodged in Dionisis’ consciousness: femininity, self-image, sexuality, mortality.
Somebody, 2015 Plaster, crochet, acrylic on wood and bricks 30x24x123cm
Somebody, 2015 Plaster, crochet, acrylic on wood and bricks 30x24x123cm
Something, 2015 Plaster, crochet, acrylic on wood 120x18x74cm
Something, 2015 Plaster, crochet, acrylic on wood 120x18x74cm
Yannis Adoniou and Harriet Summer
The window, 2015 Plaster, crochet, acrylic on wood 120x18x74cm
The window, 2015 Plaster, crochet, acrylic on wood 120x18x74cm
Painting Installation View
Studio photo, 2014, broken chair and breaks, lace installation 1st version
Male harp player, from Keros (Cyclades), Greece, ca. 2600-2300 BCE. Marble, 9″ high. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.
Dionisis’s practice has explored the boundaries of visual language, working in the realm of abstraction to investigate the freedom and limits of physical space using ordinary found objects and covering them with lace. He creates ephemeral forms of sculptures from the same pieces related to other forms of sculptures or architectural designs like the Cyclades male player and the Burj Arab Hoteletc. Though Dionisis’s work began in painting, the artist has increasingly experimented with the perimeters of spatial abstraction. Today, Dionisis’s developed practice comprises of sculptural works that maintain painterly gesture and movement, discarding the brush and using space as a canvas.
Studio photo, 2014, broken chair and breaks, lace installation 2nd version
Burj Al Arab (Tower of the Arabs) is a luxury 5 Star hotel located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Studio photo, 2014, broken chair and break
Ephemeral sculpture still life, 2015 oil on wood 30x39cm
Ephemeral sculpture still life, 2015 oil on wood 40x53cm
Ephemeral sculpture still life, 2015 oil on wood 45x60cm
Ephemeral sculpture still life, 2015 oil on wood 50x650cm
Chevalet totem, 2015 Plaster, crochet, acrylic on wood 190x80x14cm
Cherokee, 2015 White primer and porcelain coating on wood 10x50x70cm (each)
Cherokee, 2015 White primer and porcelain coating on wood 10x50x70cm
White Torso, HD video 02:15:00, Dionisis Christofilogiannis, 2015
In White Torso a dancer, dressed in white crochet, engaged in gymnastic exercises, making mechanical and stylized movements. Christofilogiannis inspiration came not from the center of the dancer’s experience, but from the costume itself, which eliminates the torso and which the dancer measure out rather than feel out or explore. The white crochet sub-ordinates the body of the dancer and acts as sculptural shell in proportions and aesthetics. The use of special lighting creates a mysterious, almost metaphysical atmosphere disappears the body and turning him into a mechanical doll. In White Torso Christofilogiannis limits and mechanized the kinesiology
of the dancer, turning him into a human puppet doll, a process that refers both conceptually and aesthetically, to the experimental works of modern artists of the early 20th century, like Oscar Schlemmer's Triadic Ballet. Moreover, the gymnastic with almost obsessive way the dancer creates an architectural body, conversing with the lines of sculptural constructions in space.
text by Konstantinos Argianas video filmed-edited by Yannis Myronides performer Yannis Adoniou
Harriet Summer
Dionisis Christofilogiannis (b. 1973, Greece) Lives and works in Athens. Graduated from the School of Arts of Cluj Napoca in Romania. Currently he is a visual arts instructor at the American College of Greece DEREE, and was a founder of Daily Lazy Projects (2012-13) and artist/coordinator of the White House Biennial (2013-15). Solo shows has shown at the Muzeul de Artă Cluj-Napoca, Nakagawa Gallery Tokyo and recently in Athens "HOME(less)" Felios Collection, curated by Konstantinos Argianas (2015). Recent group exhibitions have included "Tirana Open 1" curated by Elian Stefa, Tirana (2015), "The Kennedy Bunker" in Berlin curated by Nicos Charalambidis (2014), "Uber-Bodies" at Hydra School Projects curated by Dimitrios Antonitsis (2014), "The Red and White flag Project" parallel on Biennale4 Thessaloniki (2013), "SelfConcious" curated by Sotirios Bahtsetzis (2013), "Civilisation (genres and cases)" curated by Alexios Papazacharias (2013), "Lustlands, Vol.II – On The Great Eastern (after Andreas Embiricos)", curated by Nadja Argyropoulou and Lakis and Aris Ionas (The Callas), Thermissia Argolidas, Peloponnese (2013). He has also co-curated several exhibitions, including the "In the Studio" at Kunsthalle Athens (2013), "I fought the X and the X won” at the National Museum of Malta and Romania (2011), "The Cutting Edge" in Romania (2011). In addition to having exhibited widely in Greece and internationally, ha has also worked as set designer in Romania National Theaters of Timisoara, Cluj Napoca, and Braila with Razvan Mazilu and in National Theater of Athens with Robert Wilson. Solo exhibitions 2015 HOME(less), Fokionos Negri 16, curated by Konstantinos Argianas, Athens, GR 2013 60 picks per minute, Costa Navarino, curated by Dimitrios Antonitsis, Greece 2012 60 years Goethe-Institut Athen, Goethe Institut of Athens, Greece 2011 time present and time past, K-Art Gallery, Athens 2011 Apollo si Dionysus, Museum of Arts Cluj Napoca, Romania 2009 Grasp the trends, NY Arts Beijing Gallery, curated by Basak Malone, Beijing 2008 Dionisis Christofilogiannis, Nakagawa Gallery, Tokyo 2008 Al1, Muramatsu Gallery, Tokyo, curated by Dr. J. Kolokotronis, Tokyo Selected Group Exhibitions 2015 Beauty is the Method, ACG, curated by Sotirios Bahtsetzis, Athens 2015 Tirana Open 1, curated by Elian Stefa, Tirana 2014 WEWHO, Reh-Transformer, Berlin 2014 The Kennedy Bunker, curated by Nicos Charalambidis, Reh-Transformer, Berlin 2014 Uber-Bodies, Hydra School Projects, curated by Dimitrios Antonitsis, Hydra 2014 SelfConscious, ACG, curated by Sotirios Bahtsetzis, Athens 2014 Up, the art foundation, Athens 2013 In the Studio, Kunsthalle, Athens 2013 The red and white flag project, parallel program Bienalle4, Thessaloniki 2013 "Lustlands, Vol.II – On The Great Eastern (after Andreas Embiricos)", curated by Nadja Argyropoulou 2013 TRIM, Front Gallery, Houston, USA 2013 ReMap4, Athens 2013 Exercises on Democracy, curated by Nicos Charalambidis, Open Case 303, Athens 2013 Transition - Municipal Gallery of Athens, Athens 2013 Civilisation (genres and cases), curated by Alexios Papazacharias, the art foundation, Athens 2013 save, camp, Athens 2013 TO.BE, Giomisti Kefali, Sifnos, Greece 2012 The obsolete man of Schopenhauer, with Oana Farcas, K.Samuelsen, Nakagawa Gallery, Tokyo 2012 Circus Crew , curated by Lydia Pribisova, Larm galleri, Copenhagen 2012 Justice is Mine, CAMP Contemporary Art Meeting Point , Athens 2012 Lidinos for Syria, curated by Nikos Charalambidis, Aegina, Greece 2012 Hosted in Athens, curated by DLP, Athens 2012 Returning from Utopia / New Reality, curated by G. Tserionis, ABOUT Cultural Venue, Athens 2012 Past. History, Time, Memory and Nostalgia , Santorini Bienalle 2012 Narcissism, k-art gallery, curated by C. Christofis, Athens 2011 Hope, Nerima Museum , Tokyo 2011 The Cutting Edge, Hydra School Projects, curated by Dimitrios Antonitsis, Hydra, Melina Merkouri 2011 NROOM, N-Room Art Space, Tokyo 2011 The Cutting Edge, Museum of Arts Cluj Napoca, Romania 2011 I fought the X and the X won, curated by Raphal Vella, Museum of Arts Cluj Napoca, Romania 2011 I fought the X and the X won, National Museum of Valletta, Malta 2011 Emergency Room, Wroclaw, curated by Thierry Colonel, Poland 2011 VAFA, International Video Art Festival Macau, China 2011 LUMEN_EX, Museo of Contemporary arts Iberoamericano, Spain 2011 Fake Paradise, K-Art Gallery, curated by C.Christofis, Athens 2011 ART ATHINA, International Contemporary Art Fair, Athens 2010 Post Factory, curated by Lam Hon Kin, JCCAC, Hong Kong 2010 Mobilnale2, curated by H. Gjergji and Lydia Pribisova, TINA-B, Prague 2010 CELESTE PRIZE2010, Invisible Dog, New York 2010 I am Solitary I am an Army, curated by Beers.Lambert, Surface Gallery, England 2009 The collection, Nakagawa Gallery , curated by Tarohei, Tokyo 2009 Emergency Room, PAN, Contemporary Museum of Naples, curated by T. Colonel, Naples 2008 Emergency Room, Galerie Taiss, curated by T. Colonel, Paris 2008 ROOTS, by art-naute in Strasbourg, curated by M. Schumacher, France 2008 modern landscapes, Crete and Athens by art-naute, Greece 2008 TresCourts , International Film Festival- French Cultural Center, Romania 2008 Patras International Video Art Festival , Greece 2008 New York International Film Festival , New York 2008 Athens Video Art Festival , Gazi Keramikos, Athens
2007 Emergency Room Ileana Tounta Art Center, concept T. Colonel, Athens 2007 Personal Stories, ArtVo Gallery, Sibiu, Romania 2007 Dancing with Mazilu, ODEON, Bucharest, Romania 2007 East and West Kentaurus Awards European Exhibition, Munich 2006 Dancing in Havana photo Exhibition, Havana, Cuba 2006 Greek Artists, Hellenic Centre of London, UK 2006 National Art Museum Satumare, Romania Education PhD, Universitatea de Arta si Design Cluj-Napoca, Romania MA , Universitatea de Arta si Design Cluj-Napoca, Romania Master of Science in Industrial Design – Strathclyde University, Scotland Honours degree, BA (Hons) in Mech. Engineer – Sheffield Halam University, UK
AWARDS: “CELESTE PRIZE 2010”, USA, “Magna cum Laude”, RO, “Tres Courts”, International Film Festival - French Cultural Center, RO, “Kentaurus Awards” in Painting, Munich, DE, “Athens Voice”, 1st National Award for Painting, GR, “Italian & Romanian Institute of Arts in Bucharest”, Award for Painting, RO SCHOLARSHIPS: IKY, GR, Hellenic Bodosakis Foundation, GR RESIDENCY: The Cutting Edge, Belis, Romania, NY arts Beijing Gallery, 316 Art Village, Beijing, China Balchik, Bulgaria, Research Classical, Modern and Religion Dances /Havana, Cuba SCENOGRAPHY: "Scale Made Now", Dock11@EDEN studios, Berlin, “It had to be you”, by Renée Taylor & Joseph Bologna, Theater Ilisia with G.Valtinos, Z.Makrypoulia "SCALE #1:100", with Yannis Adoniou, Sychrono Theatro, Athens, “Odyssey”, directed by Robert Wilson, National Theater of Athens, GR, “Viata Lights”, National Theater of Timisoara, RO, "REMEMBER" set design and videos in National Theater of Timisoara, RO, "How I learned to Drive", by Paula Vogel, Theater of Braila, Romania
SHORT FILMS: “38 Butterflies in my stomach”, The New York International Film and Video Festival “Clouds”, 798 Art District, Beijing, China “post ID”, VAFA, International Video Art Festival Macau, China “Pricra”, LUMEN_EX, Museo of Contemporary arts Iberoamericano, Spain “Eros”, Athens Video Art Festival , Gazi Keramikos, Athens “Eros”, TresCourts , International Film Festival- French Cultural Center, Romania “Eros”, Patras International Video Art Festival , Greece
https://dionisischristofilogiannis.com/ dio2nd@yahoo.gr http://www.felioscollection.gr/en
HOME(less) was a part of the project: The Labyrinth of Kypseli | SCALE # 2:100 The Labyrinth of Kypseli, an ephemeral art project in one of the most densely populated areas of Athens, around the experimental art space bhive, Production | KUNST-STOFF | Yannis Adoniou Curators | Yannis Adoniou, Gerasimos Avlamis, Stavros Apostolatos supporting creativity NEON Organization for Culture and Development.