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Thursday, 24 March 2011 13:44

Steve Gianakos / Cris Gianakos

Polyglossia

 

March 15 - June 30 2011

 

Onassis Cultural Centre

107-109 Syngrou Avenue
Athens

 

‘Polyglossia’ is a Greek word meaning both (1) the existence, use and knowledge of many languages, and (2) the expression of multiple views simultaneously or sequentially.
This is its dictionary definition. For their part, social linguists define polyglossia as a condition in which more than two codes are used for clearly distinct reasons, or in which a community uses more than two languages.
As the title of this exhibition, Polyglossia relates both to artists of Greek descent who were born or live and work outside Greece, in the US or Europe, and to a desire to cover every means of visual expression (painting, sculpture, installations, environments, videos, multimedia works, photography, drawings) employed by artists of different generations.
The title conveys the show’s style, both because the artists are from different countries and thus speak different languages and bring different cultural conditions, representations and experiences, to the table, and because they express themselves in different artistic idioms.
The challenge which the exhibition has undertaken is that of shedding light on the convergences and divergences (in, for instance, the media chosen or how it is used), both between artists of roughly the same generation in relation to their American or European norms, and between artists of different generations who employ the same means of expression.
In Polyglossia, the visual arts recall the literary in a reference to the dual focus of the Onassis Cultural Centre.

The participating artists are:
Nassos Daphnis, John Christoforou, Philolaos, Takis, Stephen Antonakos, Pavlos, Constantin Xenakis, Chryssa, Cris Gianakos, Jannis Kounellis,

Lucas Samaras, Athena Tacha, Steve Gianakos, Lynda Benglis, Maria Klonaris / Katerina Thomadaki, Kalliopi Lemos, Jenny Marketou, Zoe Keramea, Maria Ikonomopoulou, Effie Paleologou, Evanthia Tsantila, Miltos Manetas, Katerina Christidi, Christina Dimitriadis, Vassiliea Stylianidou, Dimitris Tzamouranis, George Drivas, Maria Antelman, Giorgos Gripeos, Maria Zervou


Onassis Cultural Centre