Memory evolves. Whenever we recount a memory, it resurfaces filtered through our current experiences. As we narrate the story, our present perspective molds and alters the memory. This phenomenon parallels the way traditional painting techniques undergo a transformation. Every artwork embodies the memory of its corresponding artistic tradition. When artists channel their passions, desires, and emotions into their work, they breathe new life into and reshape the visual language of their chosen medium.

The exhibition “SYN-ANTI-THESIS” explores the way in which the language of painting and sculpture is renewed, through the compositions and contrasts of the artists: Maria Vlandi, Kostas Papanikolaou, Pat Andrea, Takis Germenis, Katerina Mertzani, Dimitris Kokkoris.

Pat Andrea,
Pachamama et compagnie,
Oil and casein on canvas,
210 x 140 cm,
2023

Pat Andrea directs our attention towards the realm of inner experiences. His psychoanalytic artworks evoke the essence of dreams, where the feminine figure dominates every fantasy. Pat Andrea delves deep into the realm of the unconscious, exploring the pursuit of desire while observing and analyzing human relationships, archetypes, and gender dynamics. His themes often encompass fertility, violence, fear, pleasure, and death. He frequently approaches these subjects with humor, alluding to the affirmative aspect of the concept of castration.

Takis Germenis,
Untitled,
Oil on canvas,
60 × 80 cm,
2023

Takis Germenis creates portraits of individuals who, largely as a result of the financial crisis, have ended up living on the streets. These portraits depict homeless individuals, drug addicts, and predominantly sex workers. Within his works, surreal elements emerge, reflecting the profound horror these women have endured as their lives unraveled, intertwined with the hallucinations induced by various substances. Germenis’ portrayal of these women transcends their reality, elevating them to a saintly status.

Katerina Mertzani,
Tomorrow will be a nice day,
acrylic collage on canvas,
79 x 99 cm,
2023

Katerina Mertzani's artworks call for a moment of contemplation towards the effects of Anthropocene. Employing collage and mixed media techniques, the artist constructs a perforated structure that presents the contemporary world as a intricate, fragmented puzzle with missing pieces.

Kostas Papanikolaou,
Τhe river of life Nο3,
Egg tempera on wood,
125,5 x 160 cm,
2023

Painter Kostas Papanikolaou delves into the realm of memory, where the constructed image possesses more power than its lie. By employing traditional iconography techniques, he transports viewers to places of recollection, such as historic Smyrna. Papanikolaou's artworks are woven with multiple associations, serving as a silent lament and an appeal to embrace sensitivity.

Dimitris Kokoris,
Suza,
oil on canvas,
150 x 150 cm,
2023

Dimitris Kokkoris introduces an air of nomadism into his artwork “Souza.” Within this piece, he employs a landscape rich in phallic symbolism and animal-human hybrid creatures that draw inspiration from both, mythology and primal origins. Reflecting the spirit of the era and the human experience, his work encapsulates the perplexing nature of urban life and its multifaceted narratives.

Maria Vlandi,
Paratheses |||,
ceramic sculpture,
164×169×62 cm,
2023

In the sculpture “Paratheses III”, Maria Vlandi introduces a grand-scale composition crafted from high-temperature clay. This piece is an aggregation of strict, monumental volumes that contradict a series of free-form fragile elements, a juxtaposition of ambiguity, which the viewer is encouraged to interpret.

Pat Andrea,
Eva & Lilith,
Oil and casein on canvas,
34 x 40 cm,
2023

The transcendental works of the six artists remind us that “what the word cannot reach, the hand of the creator can”. Through their works tradition continues its evolution, and human desire finds its articulation.

Text: Stella Angelidou