Primitive Roots - Contemporary Dialogues
Michalis Arfaras, Nikos Kaskouras, Giorgos Milios, Tassos Pavlopoulos, Giorgos Sklavainas, Eugenios Spatharis, Sotiris Spatharis
December 12 2024 – January 11 2025 Athens PARTICIPANTS Michalis Arfaras, Nikos Kaskouras, Giorgos Milios, Tassos Pavlopoulos, Giorgos Sklavainas, Eugenios Spatharis, Sotiris Spatharis
This collaboration forms a bridge between works of worship from nature-centered cultures and creations by Greek artists. It captures the existing connection between contemporary visual artworks and those inspired by the primordial reverence of nature, which began in early 20th-century Europe. The artists participating in this dialogue are artists whose works are based on tradition like Sotiris and Eugenios Spatharis and the folk sculptor Giorgos Sklavenas and established artists, partially inspired by folk tradition, like Giorgos Milios, Michalis Arfaras, and Nikos Kaskouras. After all, a work of art serves as a medium for human contact with the spiritual world. In part, contemporary art itself fundamentally creates a visual dialogue with the images of prehistoric artists. The primordial still maintains a direct connection with the tradition of artistic creation.
Animism and Totemism in Ethnographic Art Patrick Fabre Collection This exhibition showcases a rare collection of African, Asian, and Native American artifacts from Patrick Fabre, a distinguished collector and ethnographer based in Athens. The pieces originate from their authentic cultural contexts, conveying the traditions and mysticism of the tribes that created them. Each artifact is unique, carrying profound symbolism deeply intertwined with the soul and values of the community it belongs to. The coexistence of these primordial ritual objects with contemporary art invites visitors on a journey of discovery. Through the viewer’s perspective, these two worlds merge, highlighting their timeless significance and the boundless wealth of their interpretations.
Michalis Arfaras, Ο,
mixed technique on handmade cotton paper 350 gr,
120 x 84 cm,
2022
Michalis Arfaras, Saint Fear,
mixed technique on handmade cotton paper 350 gr,
47 x 65 cm,
2022
Tassos Pavlopoulos, BAF-BAF,
acrylics on canvas,
90 x 80 cm,
2012
Tassos Pavlopoulos,
Voice of Africa,
acrylics on paper,
35,5 x 25,5 cm,
2019
Giorgos Milios, Swing,
acrylics on cloth,
130 x 98 cm,
2010
Giorgos Milios, Untitled,
acrylics on wood,
47,5 x 34 cm,
2005
Giorgos Milios, Untitled,
oil on cloth,
55 x 50 cm,
2002
Giorgos Milios, Untitled,
acrylics on wood,
90 x 85 cm,
2008
Giorgos Milios,
Untitled,
oil pastels on cloth,
102 x 88 cm,
2012
Giorgos Milios,
Untitled,
acrylics on wood,
109 x 85 cm,
2006
Nikos Kaskouras,
Head,
acrylics on paper,
120 x 90 cm,
2004
The pain,
mixed technique on handmade cotton paper 350 gr,
81 x 70 cm,
2022
Eugenios Spatharis,
Aliens,
carved cardboard,
1975
Eugenios Spatharis,
Mythical Horses,
carved cardboard,
1975
Eugenios Spatharis,
Untitled,
carved cardboard,
2000-2003
Eugenios Spatharis,
Untitled,
carved cardboard,
2000-2003
Sotiris Spatharis,
Arlecchino,
carved cardboard,
1950-1955
Sotiris Spatharis,
Sculpted Serai,
carved cardboard,
120 x 105 cm,
1948
Achanti people's object of prestige
from the Ivory Coast
Alaskan shamanic mask
Bambara people's circumcision mask
from Mali
Bambara people's mask from Mali
Bambara people's puppets from Mali
Bambara people's puppets from Mali
Bambara people's Chiwara Mask
Dan people's fertility mask
from the Ivory Coast
Dogon people's mask from Mali
Fertility mask
Hoppi people's statue
from North America
Mahongwe people's statue
from Central Africa
Mahongwe people's reliquary statue
from Central Africa
Nepali shamanic mask
Representation of ancestors from Africa
Virmanian totem representing ancestors
Ηandmade wicker sculpture of the Laari tribe
of the Republic of Congo
Giorgos Sklavainas,
Head,
Coloured Stone,
Nikos Kaskouras Collection
Giorgos Sklavainas,
Head,
Coloured Stone,
Nikos Kaskouras Collection
Giorgos Sklavainas,
Head,
Coloured Stone,
Nikos Kaskouras Collection
Giorgos Sklavainas,
Head,
Coloured Stone,
Nikos Kaskouras Collection
Giorgos Sklavainas,
Head,
Coloured Stone,
Nikos Kaskouras Collection
Giorgos Sklavainas,
Head,
Coloured Stone,
Nikos Kaskouras Collection
Giorgos Sklavainas,
Horse Head,
Coloured Stone,
Nikos Kaskouras Collection