Painting II (1980-2000)

23|01|2014_28|09|2014

Frissiras museum

 presents, from 29 January 2014, till 28 September 2014, at the building of 3 Monis Asteriou in Plaka the exhibition “Painting II (1980-2000)”. The exhibition -the second part of the trilogy of exhibitions presented by Frissiras museum which was launched in 2012- examines the evolution of figurative painting in Greece and Europe during the past two decade of the 20th century, through the works of Frissiras museum’s collections. According to Art historian Thanassis Moutsopoulos, ‘The 1980s was the decade which brought painting back to the forefront. Wherein the two prior decades had led it to something like a ‘guerrilla war’ against the various trends of the “Avant-garde”, the “New Media” and “Conceptual Art”, the new decade restored its place internationally. In such major events as the Venice Biennale and, above all, the last Biennale of Paris in 1985, painting had the leading role. In Athens, around the middle of the decade, two new trends appeared on the scene. Both (self-) described as the “'80s generation”, they represented something new and referenced their teachers, in direct or oblique links. The one sought to build on Arte Povera and the avant-gardes of the ΄60s (many of its exponents were students of Nikos Kessanlis), carrying the clear signs of ‘60s’ modernism and art informel in particular, but often in combination with local elements (as seen mostly in Yorgos Harvalias, Aggelos Papadimitriou, Marios Spiliopoulos and the younger Zafos Xagoraris and Pantelis Chandris). The other was a group of young painters devoted to representation; often with studies at the ASFA under Moralis and Mytaras and at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris under Leonardo Cremonini, they were hailed by a public averse to the extreme forms of modernism and its media. In a strange way both groups came to represent that turbulent time, each in its own different way. The exhibition stops at the end of the twentieth century. The new millennium began with great hopes in the social domain, but these were painfully shattered in the second decade. In art, new quests will never cease to present new challenges...

Participating artists: Aguirre Pepe, Amarantos Michalis, Aridas Tassos, Assargiotaki Kalliopi, Baillon Agnes, Beldekos Panagiotis, Bournazakis Giogros, Chambers Stephen, Chandris Pantelis, Conroy Stephen, Corpet Vincent, Daskalakis Stefanos, Desgrandchamps Marc, Dixon Jane, Feidakis Panos, Filopoulou Maria, Georgiou Apostolos, Giannakaki Maria, Gonou Eirini, Hortala Philippe, Ji Li, Harvalias Giorgos, Karakitsos Giorgos, Katsigiannis Spyros, Kritikos Spyros, Kyriazi Pelagia, Lampe Katinka, Lappas Giorgos, Lassithiotakis Ioannis, LeBrun Christopher, Madenis Michalis, Makris Thanassis, Manoussakis Michalis, Mantzavinos Tassos, Markidis Christos, Marouda Kallirroi, Marrey Gilles, Martinelli Andrea, Merkel Florian, Daoulas Konstantinos, Pallantzas Christos, Pantelias Miltos, Papadimitriou Aggelos, Papaioannou Dimitris, Pasieka Simon, Paul Celia, Perrot Philippe, Rielly James, Rigas Tassos, Roig Bernardi, Rorris Giorgos, Russel Victoria, Sacaillan Edouard, Schauwecker Mathias, Schleime Cornelia, Semtati Benyounes, Smith Clive, Spiliopoulos Marios, Stankoski Alexandar, Szűcs Attila, Tagalos Vassilis, Tatah Djamel, Tsakali Anna-Maria, Valls Dino, Verghi Chryssa, Williams Nicholas Charles, Xagoraris Zafos, Zamboura Marilena, Zissiou Michalis.