Ελιά !
Olives !
A summer show in at the Paxos Municipal Gallery of Loggos from 8 to 30 August 2015.
Curated by Chris Boïcos of Chris Boïcos Fine Arts, Paris – Paxos, and Leonidas Yiohalas of Corfu Gallery, Corfu, Greece.
There are an estimated 300,000 olives trees on Paxos today, many of which were first introduced by the Venetians in the sixteenth century, when Corfu and Paxos became the main olive oil producers for the republic of Venice.
The history and tradition of olive cultivation in Paxos and Corfu has inspired the forthcoming summer exhibition. Eighteen contemporary Greek and international artists celebrate the olive and the olive tree, as one of the oldest icons of the Ionian islands, Greece and the Mediterranean world in general.
All artists have been asked to handle the subject of the olive, each in their own style and specific technique (painting, printmaking, photography, ceramic, bronze). The result is a rich, multifaceted show showcasing the olive from every angle in a manner that is serious or light, witty or irreverent.
Artists featured in “ Olives ! ” :
Jean-Christophe Ballot (France)
Ronald Bowen (USA)
Susan Creig (England)
David Loeb (USA)
Stathis Koukopoulos (Greece)
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Emmanuelle Mellot (France)
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Dimitris Miliotis (Greece)
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Daniel Ogier (France)
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Aggelos Panayiotidis (Greece)
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George Pennas (Greece)
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Jorge Rodriguez de Rivera (Spain)
Gabriel Stauffer (France)
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Petros Stravoravdis (Greece)
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Vivian van Blerk (South Africa)
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The Venue : Paxos Municipal Gallery at the Old Schoolhouse in Loggos
The Loggos schoolhouse, like the other five original schoolhouses of Paxos, was built in 1904-08 in the neoclassical style typical of most early 20th century Greek buildings, both private and institutional. The great number of school houses for such a small island is due to the fact that the then minister of education of Greece was the Paxiot Theodoros Vellianitis, from one of the oldest families of the island.
The building of a modern central school in Paxos in the 1980’s rendered the old schoolhouses redundant. The Loggos and the Lakka schoolhouses have since been used for cultural events, serving as art exhibition spaces and also as venues for the Paxos classical music festival inaugurated in 1985. The first art exhibition held at Loggos, “Landscapes & Myths II” was organized by Chris Boïcos Fine Arts in the summer of 2014. The second exhibition, “Printmaking : Techniques & Styles” was held along with a printmaking workshop by Paris artist Emmanuelle Mellot in July 2015.
The schoolhouse faces the port of Loggos and is the most prominent building on the seafront along with the ruined old soap factory next door. A spacious yard occupies the rear of the building. The lofty and harmonious proportions of the interior, beautifully illuminated by ten tall, narrow windows, make it an ideal venue for the presentation of pictures and sculpture.
The Curators :
Chris Boïcos :
Chris
Boicos is the
founder
and
director
of
Chris Boïcos Fine Arts, an
art
gallery based
in
Paxos, Greece
and
in Paris,
France.
He is
the
former
director
of
the
Paris
art
gallery,
Galerie
Beckel
Odille
Boïcos
(1999‐2013).
He
is
of
French
and
Greek
origin.
He
has
curated
numerous
contemporary
art
exhibitions
since
1994
in
art
galleries,
art
fairs
and
also
public
venues
in
France,
Great
Britain,
Greece and
the
USA.
He frequently collaborates with Jennifer Norback.
He
is
also
a
professor
of
the
History
of
Art
in
the
Paris
departments
of
the
universities
of
California,
the
University
of
Southern
California,
the
University
of
Wisconsin
and
the
University
of
Delaware.
Chris is also the principal lecturer at Paris Art Studies in Paris.
Leonidas Yiohalas :
Leonidas Yiohalas is the founder and director of Corfu Gallery.
Corfu Gallery was inaugurated in 2011. It is located under the arcades of Nikiforou Theotoki street, one of the most picturesque streets of the old town of Corfu. Corfu Gallery shows works by established Greek artists, while also providing a platform for young talents. It is by far the most innovative private fine art gallery in Corfu.
