Greek artist at Biennale
For artist Giorgos Hadzimichalis, life at a hospital and the world of art share many things in common: They both deal with and experience «crisis» situations and are on the margins of daily life. Moreover, both health and art need to be protected and «cured,» hence the term «curator» used in art. This is the idea behind «Hospital,» the installation with which Hadzimichalis will represent Greece at the forthcoming 51st Venice Biennale, opening on June 12. Art historian and curator at the Costopoulos Foundation Katerina Koskina is the Greek commissioner and Nadia Argyropoulou is assistant curator. The Greek Ministry of Culture is the organizer Hadzimichalis, one of the most reputable contemporary Greek artists, is known for his large, concept-based installations that evoke issues related to Greek history and collective memory. The artist has built up a rich archive of all sorts of documents – related to different fields, such as astronomy, history or literature – which he draws on for each of his works. Trained as a painter, he is also concerned with painting’s potential as a contemporary art form. «Hospital,» a four-part installation, will take up the entire Greek pavilion in the Venice Biennale exhibition area. Another Greek artist participating at the Venice Biennale is Nikos Navridis. He is the only Greek artist included in the main, group exhibition organized each year at the biennale. The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is the sponsor of the official Greek representation at the biennale.
