Self-conscious

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This month the Frances Rich School of Fine Art and Performing Arts of DEREE, in Athens present a unique and very topical exhibition related to the pervasiveness of technological media in our lives.

The event, curated by Sotirios Bahtsetzis, transported the guests to a virtual reality through a wide diversity of media including painting, sculpture, photography, digital imaging, video installation, while a laptop orchestra created a “cyber-atmosphere”.

The artists attempted to explore, to what extent, in this technological era, the domination of the media form our psychology, sociability, memory and even desire. The media through their visual and aural conventions, and sometimes the overflow of the pervasive illusionism, construct our beliefs about the world, ourselves and the others.

Contemporary artist Maria Kriara creates drawings with pencil on paper that investigate and question spaces and notions that construct our perception of reality and convey her own vision of a Warburgian Atlas. Elias Kafouros, graduate of Athens School of Fine Arts, attempts with his symbolic paintings to reveal a hidden part of society which is fertilised by the excessive-widespread use of the technological tools. Through his paintings Dionisis Christofilogiannis explores the contemporary meaning of mythology and how it’s elements influence and shape our entity and psychology.

This exhibition gives one the chance to confront crucial issues which have emerged in our media-oriented societies. Besides, contemporary art is an exercise of self-knowledge, a challenge which leads to a more active and creative way of life, to a more active and inspirational public. And these are the people our society needs.

by Xenia Founta

The ACG Art Gallery is located on the campus of DEREE, The American College of Greece, 6 Gravias Street in Aghia Paraskevi.
The show is on from March 7 – 28, 2014 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 13.15 – 15.00 and Tuesday – Thursday 13.30 – 15.00