On Friday, May 24, 2024 launched at gallery Kapsioti the group exhibition of painting and sculpture entitled “Sponsor to sea». The exhibition of the institution is held for the tenth consecutive year as part of the “Sea Days” activities organized by the municipality of Piraeus and will be inaugurated by the mayor of Piraeus Yiannis Moralis.
The love for the famous sea is deeply rooted in the hearts of the Greeks, recognized in their history. The term libation refers to a type of sacrifice in the context of ancient Greek religion and Gentile worship.
From prehistoric times it is one of the most common rituals. The drinking, the offering, the giving of honor, followed by the invocation of a god.
This in itself is a supreme act of worship, where we offer the purest and truest part of our soul, spending our respect in communion with God. It is a sacred bond that unites people with every higher power.
Homer mentions libations before bed and Hesiod in the morning and evening. “Para thyn᾽ ἁὸς atrygetoio”: The memories born next to the unconquerable sea in the Iliad become libations.
Participations
The thirty-eight famous artists who participated in the exhibition treated the sea as a “god”, as something sacred and each submitted their own “offering” their own “libation” to the vast blue
like the Atreides who performed their sacrifices on the shore as Homer tells us.
More than 50 works of art compose a visual narrative with the sea as the protagonist and each one tells its own fascinating story.
Sometimes calm, sometimes agitated. Sometimes it plays its eternal game with the sun and sparkles under its rays, sometimes it attractively displays the colors of the sunset and the moon in its waters. All the shapes and colors of the sea planet are presented in the exhibition.
Scenes of moments on the beach, ships ready for the journey, the mysterious sea floor, sports in the blue waters, beautiful churches looking at the beauty of the sea high from the cliff, couple enjoying the beauty of the night, depicted on canvases and taking the form of works of sculpture to offer pleasure to the eye, soul and mind of the viewer of the exhibition, but also to evoke memories.
The works of art representing all currents of visual creation, from realism and surrealism to abstraction, expressionism and impressionism, invite the viewer on a fascinating journey through the history of modern Greek art and challenge he who can feel with all his senses the majesty and magic of the sea.
The visitor of the exhibition has the opportunity to see the works of contemporary famous artists, next to the works of great painters who left an indelible mark on Greek art, such as Dimitris Mytaras, Pavlos Samios, Demosthenes Kokkinidis.
The artists who participated in the exhibition are: Dafni Angelidou, Yiannis Adamakis, Sotiris Andrianos, Stathis Vatanidis, Chrysa Vergi, Olga Verykaki, Kostis Georgiou, Tassos Dimos, Frangiskos Doukakis, Irini Iliopoulou, Sofia Kalogeropoulou, Christoskini Kehagelioglou, Rania Kehagelioglou, Christ Despina Kouvatsou, Maria Ktistopoulou, Elena Kyrkili, Michalis Madenis, Michael Manousakis, Raphael Baikas, Christos Pallandzas, Kostas Papanikolaou, Vangelis Rina, Silvana Samartzidou, Pavlos Samios, Panagiotis Siagris, Sris Sorogas, Kostas Spyriospoulis Tolias.
And the sculptors: Stelios Gavalas, Nikos Kalafatis, Poly Kanistra, Antonis Kastrinakis, Dionysis Mataragas, Nikos Giorgos Papoutsidis.
The invitation work was designed by Kostis Georgiou.
The exhibition is curated by Sofia Kapsioti, owner of Kapsioti gallery.
Regarding the audience of the gallery, works of high aesthetics and quality are selected, covering a tour of the entire spectrum of the Greek art scene in the past decades.
The organizers of the “Spondes at Sea” exhibition are pleased to welcome the great celebration of shipping in Greece, the “Posidonia” exhibition that will take place at the Metropolitan Expo Center in Athens, from June 3 to 7.