REALITY~VASSILIS SELIMAS
REALITY
VASSILIS SELIMAS REALITY
Vassilis Selimas
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12.2 - 09.03.2019 solo exhibition
REAL
REALITY~VASSILIS SELIMAS
VASSILIS SELIMAS
LITY 3
COMFORTABLY UNHAPPY I have been following the work of Vassilis Selimas since his collaboration with the Vogiatzoglou Gallery and the exhibition Building 1 of three years ago. He continues to paint mostly portraits, of children and adults. Vivid colours, a clear script and high technical proficiency characterise his current work.” In his recent article “For a painting of self-knowledge”, Manos Stefanidis, talking about contemporary Greek painting, ventures a prediction about who the classic painters of tomorrow may be; Vassilis Selimas is among the approximately fifteen noteworthy artists he shortlists. For all their broad thematic span, his work ‘flirt’ with the reasonable and the absurd, each, to a different degree, and make up a body of work with an interestingly paced mixture of normalcy and deviation. The work “Reality”, of a seemingly humorous nature, lies at the ‘paradox’ end of the scale while “The hug” occupies the other. ‘normal’ end. By contrast, there is no fluctuation of emotions. The heroes in all his works seem “comfortably unhappy”, as the poet Nikos Karouzos would say: “Art is a manoeuvre of happiness so that we can exist in something of a comfortable unhappiness.’’
REALITY~VASSILIS SELIMAS
The protagonists of Selimas have stopped traveling in the dark green seas. They are now lonely and always serious, without obvious signs of joy or hope in their expression. In an article in 2012 on the occasion of the Salus Patriae exhibition at the Kydonieos Foundation in Andros, Athena Schina reports on his work: “Based on some marginal balances of joy and sadness, futility and hope, tragedy and irony, this artist reveals how that its tongue is full of imaginative and constructive elements, full of inspiration for the obvious ... “ And these marginal balances have now been lost. I would say that his heroes have difficulty coping with reality. Often having their backs and face covered, they avoid seeing their audience. Are all these characteristics hidden guilts, depression symptoms against a reality from which they turn away? Maybe, I think, more simple introversion and introspection.
Christos Christofis Art collector December 2018 5
REALITY~VASSILIS SELIMAS
Reality, noun a thing that is actually experienced or seen, in contrast to what people might imagine
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Little Petros Acrylics on handmade paper 21x15 cm 2017
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The viewer Acrylics on handmade paper 21x15 cm 2017
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Winter Family Acrylics on handmade paper 30x21 cm (each) 2017
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The pins Pencil on paper 100x70 cm 2018
Niovi Pencil on paper 21x14,8 cm 2018
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Hypnos Acrylics on paper 80x60 cm 2016-17
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Strange portrait Acrylics on canvas 10x8 cm 2017
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Α visit from the past Acrylics on canvas 25,5x11 cm 2017
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Bouquet Acrylics on handmade paper 31x21 cm 2017
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Lucid dream Acrylics on canvas 60x60 cm 2018
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Notebook Ink on paper 15x11 cm (each) 2018
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The ritual Acrylics on canvas 120x90cm 2018
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Cachée Acrylics on canvas 40x25 cm 2017
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Sometimes a black dog visits me Acrylics on canvas 180x90 cm 2016-17
Waiting Acrylics on canvas 30x20 cm 2019 39
Nefeli Acrylics on canvas 40x30 cm 2018
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One Acrylics on canvas / diptych 24x18 cm (each) 2018
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“Art is a manoeuvre of happiness so that we can exist in something of a comfortable unhappiness.’’
Nikos Karouzos poet
The hug Acrylics on canvas 90x50 cm 2018
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Vassilis Selimas was born in 1983. He studied painting at the School of fine Arts of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki(2003-2008). He lives and works in Athens, Greece. SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2019 REALITY, IKASTIKOS KIKLOS DL, ATHENS 2015 BUILDING 1, VOGIATZOGLOU GALLERY, ATHENS-N.IONIA (curator Eleni Kipreou) 2013 NOSTALGISTS,THANASSIS FRISSIRAS GALLERY, ATHENS PROJECTS 2019 ANIMATION WORKSHOP, ASTYPALAIA, GREECE / collaboration with the Non-profit organization Agoni Grammi Gonimi 2018 BATHTUB MEMORY PROJECT, MUNICH BIENNALE, MUNICH (production by Munich Biennale in co production with Onassis Cultural Center) 2016 NIO, ONE LITTLE STORY, STUDIO PROJECT, ATHENS PRIZES 2017 EVGE AWARDS, MERIT FOR THE BOOK «NIO,ONE LITTLE STORY», ATHENS GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2019-2018 THREE COLLECTORS, THREE SEASONS, VOGIATZOGLOU GALLERY, N.IONIA, ATHENS (curator M.Stefanidis) 2018 INLAND ATHENS, METS ART CENTER, ATHENS (curator Nikos Vatopoulos) 2018 GRAYSCALE, IKASTIKOS KIKLOS DL, ATHENS 2018-2017 TRIBUTE TO THE GREEK POET G.SEFERIS, B. & M. THEOHARAKIS FOUNDATION, ATHENS, (curator Takis Mavrotas) 2017 TAKING ROOTS, THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, MILITARY WAREHOUSE, THESSALONIKI (curator Orestis Andreadakis) 2017 IN MY LITTLE CHILDHOOD, GENNADIUS LIBRARY, ATHENS (curator Iris Kritikou) 2017 SILENT NIGHT, SKOUFA GALLERY, ATHENS 2017 FROM THE INTERWAR TO MODERNISM:LITTLE SCENARIOS FOR ATHENS, GALLERY GENESSIS, ATHENS 2016 NIO, ONE LITTLE STORY, STUDIO PROJECT, ATHENS 2015 MAP OF THE NEW ART, IMAGO MUNDI, FONDAZIONE GIORGIO CINI,VENICE 2015 ART ATHINA, KAPLANON GALLERIES, ATHENS 2014 ART ATHINA-PLATFORMS PROJECT, INSIDE STORIES-SIMULACRUM, ATHENS (curator Ira Papapostolou) 2014 PAINTING TODAY, VOGIATZOGLOU GALLERY, ATHENS (curators Eleni Kypraiou, Christos Christofis)
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2014 CASTLES IN THE AIR, MARE GALLERY, CHANIA, CRETE ( curator Sophia Mavroudis) 2014 HELLENIC AMERICAN UNION,ATHENS (curator Ira Papapostolou) 2013 C.P CAVAFY-DAYS OF 2013, GALLERY KAPLANON 5, ATHENS 2013 SHAME/HERE, ACTION FIELD KODRA, THESSALONIKI, GREECE (curator,Vassilis Amanatidis) 2013 PENCIL & PAPER, IANOS, ATHENS (curator, Iris Kritikou) 2013 INCIDENTS D’ , COLLECTION OF ANTONIS & AZIA HADJIOANNOU, SYROS, GREECE 2013 THANASSIS FRISSIRAS GALLERY, ATHENS 2012 SALUS PATRIAE, P & M KIDONIEOS FOUNDATION, ANDROS, GREECE (curator, Athena Schina) 2012 FACE TO FACE, FRISSIRAS MUSEUM, ATHENS 2012 THANASSIS FRISSIRAS GALLERY, ATHENS 2011 THANASSIS FRΙSSIRAS GALLERY, ATHENS 2011 GALLERY APOCALYPSE, CYPRUS 2011 KOURD GALLERY, ATHENS 2010 TSATSIS PROJECTS, ARTFORUM, THESSALONIKI 2009 MACEDONIAN MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, THESSALONIKI 2009 5th BIENNALE OF SCHOOLS OF FINE ARTS, CRETA, ATHENS 2008 GALLERY AGGELON VIMA, ATHENS 2006 NOVISART FESTIVAL,NOVISAD, SERBIA
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Text Christos Christofis Photography of artworks Christos Simatos, Vassilis Selimas Exhibition photos Giorgos Kapsalakis, Andreas Gougousis Cover photo Giorgos Kapsalakis
I would like to thank the collector mr Christos Christofis, my students, Niovi, Nefeli, my wife and my parents and all the people who helped me for this exhibition.
selimas.com
6 Akadimias St., 10671, Athens T. (+30) 210.36.46.818-9 www.ikastikoskiklos.com // info@ikastikoskiklos.com Wednesday -Saturday:11:00-16:00, Tuesday-Thursday-Friday: 11:00-20:00
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