CHANIaRT 2015

CITIES

UNRULY STATES (IN)VISIBLE CITIES, UNFORTIFIED TOWNS

POLIS

Drifting cities (in) visible cities, unfortified cities

Three academic institutions, three engraving workshops, three Greek cities meet this summer in a fourth city, Chania, Crete. The famous annual event of Chania XANIART 2015 host next August Engraving and Printed Art of three Schools of Fine Arts of Greece: the Graduate School of Fine Arts of Athens , the School of Fine Arts of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the School of Fine Arts of Florina University of Western Macedonia report engravings of the Printmaking Workshop.

The in visual arts departments artists-teachers of these schools, Vicky Tsalamata , Manolis Giannadakis and Dimitra Siaterli, show except of the students work and graduates of their workshops and their personal projects as well , while inviting to exhibit together with their renowned engravers (names) of all the island of Crete.

In the visual arts departments artists-teachers of these schools, Vicky Tsalamati, presented therefore two parallel reports are triggered and motivated by the concept of “city”. The “city” is displayed as a living cell of society, as an architectural structure, the place – home of man, as historical memory, as a field of creating relationships and projects, as human experience-recipient container and still “wears” many others and interpretations within the artists work. Texts writers such as Stratis Tsirkas “Drifting Cities” by Italo Calvino’s “Invisible Cities” and not only an inspiration for engravers Laboratories A.S.F.A. and S.F.A. of Thessaloniki while in Florina Laboratory seeks an approach to texts of the concept of “unfortified City” Self exhibitors.

The engraving art of pure expression and communication in this situation still unites once again people and places, cities and schools , offering the opportunity to share experience and exchange ideas in a city welcoming and virtuoso, the Chania.i the island of Crete.

CHANIaRT 2015

“Contemporary Art Museum Chania – Olivepress”

Art Director: Vicky Tsalamata Manolis and Dimitra Giannadakis Siaterli.

Documentation Texts: John Bolis.

Participating artists: Angelopoulos Christos ,Antonopoulos Antigone, Vasilakou Argiro, Veletzas Lefteris, Vergis Alexander, Kalianthi Vogdopoulou, Voutsela Nikolaos, Georga Konstantina, Georgariou Efpraxia, Gouda Alexandra, Dimopoulos Stavroula, Efstathiou Mania, Zeppos Elena ,Theofanous Savas, Kaloyannis Panagiotis, Kallan Canuto, Kaltsidou Annie, Kapantzaki Mary ,Kevrekidou Sophie, Kolipetsa Vicky, Kollida Iris, Kobe Theodota, Kontos Georgia, Kopellos John, Kotzaoglanidou Emilia, Koukou Voula ,Lianos Joanna ,Maragaki Helen Mafrodoglou Valentini, Mitraki Stefania, Mitsani Fay, Michopoulou Joanna, Mnatsakanian Irene , Bakogiannaki Dimitra, Bantazou Effie, Benaki Politimi, Boudalis George, Doda Paul ,Xyneli Chrisoula, Paloglou Panagiotis, Papadimitriou Joanna ,Papadoula Isidora, Papamihail Angelica, Papargyris Efstathia, Paraschou Matina, ProvatidouMarina, Spanopoulos Dimitris,Shina Polly, Schoretsianiti Rania , Topaka Dawn, Turturro Katerina ,Tsantidis Alexander Tsitselis Katerina Tsoumani Angelina, Falkonis Michael ,Ferentinos Panagiotis ,Ferentinou Myrto ,Chantzi Helen and teachers Boyko Christos Charalambous and Elsa.

The Art Historian John Bolis notes: “Cities in the dream boundaries of myth and allegory, cities existent, towns palimpsests bearing human traces, the burden of history, past and present, time and action, memory, soul and lived experience, desire and life, survival and death, emotional transformation, duplication and revelations, appointments, pathways and human geography: these are some of the parameters of the topic ” city “, which were invited to approach students and printmaking graduates of the Athens School of Fine Arts, Department of Fine and Applied Arts School of Thessaloniki Fine Arts and Fine and Applied Arts Department of Fine Arts Department of Florina supervision and the assistance of their teachers, Vicky Tsalamata, Manolis Giannadakis and Dimitra Siaterli respectively. Starting two emblematic texts, Drifting states Stratis Circuses and Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino, students of Athens and Thessaloniki submit an open dialogue between contemporary engraving expression and literature, “illustrating” Jerusalem, Cairo and Alexandria on the one hand, the Isidora and Eutropius, the Vafkida and hersilia (just some names among a long list of fantastic cities) on the other. And beside them, “unfortified cities” of Florina students – multicultural cities open to diversity, without walls, freed from fears and threats, by real and imaginary enemies. The projects as a whole constitute a comprehensive filing and Formatting – are simultaneously act, word and idiom: with reference to the concept of the city mentioned in contradictions, complexity and wounds, the relevance and the need collegiality in the modern context of transition and instability. And while it comes to projects that highlight the qualities and possibilities of printmaking and its technical ”
July 2015