Aristeidis Lappas, Sofia Stevi
Encore: New Greek Painting
June 27, 2023–September 10, 2023The Municipal Gallery of Athens
ENCORE: NEW GREEK PAINTING
Encore: New Greek Painting features 33 painters based in Greece. While most of these artists are indeed under the age of forty, the term ‘new’ does not refer to the artists’ age but rather to their painting language and the inherent qualities of their work.
This exhibition adopts an interrogatory nature. Unlike typical exhibitions organised around a specific medium, our intention is not to imply any cultural superiority or aesthetic autonomy of painting. On the contrary, we aim to initiate a discussion by posing a series of questions that form the basis of our investigation.
Can we identify a thematic shift in the work of younger painters, moving away from complacent genre painting, pop grotesque, or reflective formalism that appeared dominant in earlier periods? How do these painters address major contemporary concerns in art, such as issues of identity and memory, intersectionality, the expanded body, and the human/environmental continuum, as well as (post)colonial capitalism? Can we describe their work using aesthetic categories proposed by Sianne Ngai, such as ‘tender,’ ‘cute,’ ‘zany,’ or ‘interesting’? According to Ngai, these ‘minor’ categories, which derive from the ambiguous, vague, and often conflicting ‘weak emotions’ central to the aesthetics of modern capitalism, offer a novel perspective. How do these ‘weak emotions’ relate to the formal choices of younger painters, including their use of colour palettes, elimination of space and perspective, or their apparent indifference towards draughtsmanship?
Furthermore, how does the dynamic of the internet influence the creative process, the perception of what should be depicted, and the structure of the frame? The relationship between the painted surface and the electronic display, particularly considering that images often originate from the internet, is an integral part of this debate. The computer or smartphone screen becomes the primary, if not the sole, three-dimensional object with which the painter engages. However, the Internet’s cognitive condition is even more intriguing. Are the fragmentary and appositive qualities of narratives and images related to the overwhelming tab culture from which artists typically derive their imagery? Why do many painters pursue the representation of seemingly incidental images, stripped of any psychological, existential, or political context?
Laura Hoptman, curator of MOMA’s The Forever Now exhibition, argues that, ‘What characterizes our cultural moment […] is the inability – or perhaps the refusal – of a great many of our cultural artifacts to define the times in which we live […] Science-fiction writer William Gibson […] used the word atemporality to describe a new and strange state of the world in which, courtesy of the Internet, all eras seem to exist at once? And she goes on to claim, What attracts artists to painting at a time when digital technology offers seemingly limitless options with less art-historical baggage is precisely its art historical baggage.’ Through painting, artists select their historical horizon and frame of reference from an unlimited list of possibilities. They paint tradition and identity. What are the equal and non-hierarchical traditions from which the exhibition artists draw? How do they transcend the dubious lyricism of locality, maintaining its morphological characteristics without burdening it with mental or political connotations? How do they engage in cosmopolitical gestures to address non-territorial relations, emotions, and imprints of the subject and its political position within the painting?
Moreover, what are the limits of an ‘expanded painting space’ beyond the two dimensions of the canvas? To what extent can artists push not only the boundaries of painting but also those of sculpture or craft? Excluding the realm of digital painting, which we believe requires a distinct framework to be presented in its best light, we have endeavoured to move away from viewing the wall as the privileged or exclusive locus for displaying paintings. Instead, we trust the artists in their exploration of projecting the act of painting in space, as well as their experimentation with alternative materials and performances. We believe that painting not only involves inscribing within a historical context but also demands apprenticeship in certain skills that leave a tangible mark.
In this regard, a conversation on painting is also a discussion on the materiality of contemporary artwork. A significant portion of creative endeavours is supported by private and public funding programmes, residencies, grants, and, in rare cases, research initiatives that primarily favour ephemeral, intangible, and performative projects. Additionally, these endeavours place immense emotional demands on art workers and impose tight deadlines for artwork realisation. What physical and metaphorical space remains for paintings whose materiality necessitates territoriality in their conception, creation, storage, and the artist’s artistic and professional ownership? Lastly, painting requires the acquisition of skills and time spent in apprenticeship; it is the result of a training process. In an era marked by the devaluation of the education system, particularly public art education, an exhibition focusing on painting primarily explores the artwork as an object and delves into art as a system of knowledge and concerted policy action.
Encore: New Greek Painting serves as a survey of the field in Greece today, although it is not exhaustive and does not aim to establish a canon. Its purpose is to identify trends and languages in contemporary art and uncover any underlying regularities. Of course, many exceptional painters warrant inclusion, but an exhibition is inherently a closed system that promises expansion. The initial version of this exhibition took place in 2021 in Agios Nikolaos, Crete, with support from the Municipality. The exhibition title recognises precisely this: Every artistic act is followed by a desire for repetition – an encore – to sustain the emotional bond and ongoing apprenticeship.
Participating Artsts:
Ileana Arnaoutou, Konstantinos Giotis, Νiki Goulema, Yorgos Gyzis, Irene Efstathiou, Αnestis Ioannou, Αlexia Karavela, Stelios Karamanolis, Andreas Ragar Kasapis, Panagiotis Kefalas, Kiki Kolibari, Yorgos Kontis, Κarolia Krassouli, Αisteidis Lappas, Varvara Liakounakou, Άngelos Merges, Νikos Moschos, Εleni Bagaki, Αnastasia Pavlou, Dimitris Redoumis, David Sampethai, Κaterina Sarra, Νicolas Simantirakis, Yorgos Stamkopoulos, Sofia Stevi, Antonis Stoatzikis,Anastasis Stratakis, Sasha Streshna, Αndrea Tzourovic, Νikos Topalidis, Stella Tsoumatidou, Georgia Fambris, ΚΕΖ
