Six artists up for DESTE award
The names of six artists appear on the short list of the fifth DESTE Foundation prize. Awarded biannually to a Greek artist living in Greece or abroad, the prize was established in 1999 as an integral part of the DESTE Foundation’s policy for the promotion of contemporary Greek art, honoring artists whose work demonstrates authenticity and innovation. Past recipients are Panayiota Tzamourani, Georgia Sagri, Maria Papadimitriou and Christodoulos Panayiotou. This year’s nominees are the following: Loukia Alavanou develops video collages through samplings of images ranging from well-known cartoons, cult horror movies and early 20th century family photographs; Vienna-based Nikos Arvanitis uses a multitude of media (video, music, drawings, installations, public action) as well as a process of renegotiation of sociological definitions; Yiannis Grigoriadis examines aspects of reality and urban landscapes through his videos and photographs, while his findings are recorded via an archaeological process of research and classification; Eleni Kamma mixes copying and editing techniques in her drawings, resulting in the creation of utopian spaces as well as a critique of various ideologies and stereotypes; Socrates Fatouros develops large-scale palimpsests of illustrations and symbols; and finally Savvas Christodoulidis, who explores the tension created by opposites such as the handcrafted versus the ready-made. The fifth DESTE prize selection committee is made up of Nadja Argyropoulou (independent curator), Harry David (collector), Elpida Karaba (art critic/curator) Margarita Pournara (Kathimerini journalist), Costis Velonis (artist) and Despina Zefkili (Athinorama art critic). Works by all six nominees will go on display in an exhibition scheduled to open on May 23, while the award ceremony will take place on September 24. The jury comprises prominent personalities including DESTE Foundation President Dakis Joannou.
