Those who follow the international art scene know that Athens has become a serious venue of interest among curators, artists, and collectors in the past several years. From the development and the revival of the central but desolate parts of town to the significant Documenta edition in 2017, we’ve seen the growth of interest in Greek contemporary art. A space dedicated to presenting Greek artists in the international context, Mets Arts Centre is one of the galleries in Athens that will likely continue to draw attention. Located at the very heart of the city, it offers space for exhibitions and cultural events, breathing fresh air into the contemporary Athenian art scene.
Taking its artistic vision beyond the Greek borders, Mets Arts Centre will be taking part at the upcoming Discovery Art Fair in Cologne, and present a selection of acclaimed and emerging artists from Greece.
Geros Vasilis – Game lights
Representing Contemporary Greek Classics
Two acclaimed artists Mets Arts Centre will bring to Cologne are Giorgos Kordis, a well-known iconographer and painter, and Vasilis Geros, a renowned sculptor who works with plexiglass and light.
As the owner, George Kordis was the first artist who exhibited at the Mets Arts Centre in 2017, where he continued to exhibit while building the reputation of the space and his own international acclaim. With a rich academic career behind him and a doctorate in theology and Byzantine aesthetic, this painter and iconographer is one of the most prominent figures in his field.
Another established representative of Greek contemporary art is Vasilis Geros, who studied in Greece and Italy during the 1970s. Since the 1980s, he has become an accomplished professor and artist, both in the country and abroad.
Emmeleia Filippopoulou – Lovers, 2022
New Positions in Greek Contemporary Art
Among the younger and emerging artists, Mets Arts Centre will present Evengelos Vangelatos, Fotis Varthis, Emmeleia Filippopoulou, and Danae Tsolaki.
The path of Evangelos Vangelatos was something of an adventure. He started in marketing, ran a family business, and then gave it all up in 2001 to go on a 7-year soul-searching trip across the world, from India to Santa Fe. During this spiritual time, he discovered painting and has been developing as an artist ever since.
Born in Corfu and living in Athens, Fotis Varthis has a hagiography and graphic design background. His interests took him to study painting and engraving and start his artistic career. He exhibited at the Mets Arts Center as a collaborating artist and in several group exhibitions across Greece.
Left: Εvangelos Vangelatos – Gathering of owls, 2022 / Right: Fotis Varthis – Women Who Are Flying With Kingfishers, 2020
Finally, the gallery’s support for emerging and young artists will be the most visible in the cases of Emmeleia Filippopoulou and Danae Tsolaki, two recent graduates from the Athens School of Fine Arts. Emmeleia Filippopoulou’s paintings are composed with thick, bold brushstrokes and possess a strength found in late expressionist canvases. Danae Tsolaki creates sculptures that observe texture, materiality, and the relationships within. Composed of organic-like forms, her work explores the dichotomy of life and death, firm and soft, and birth and decline.
If you’re curious about the trends and the latest tendencies in contemporary Greek art, visit the Mets Arts Centre booth at the upcoming Discovery Art Fair from 20 to 23 April in Cologne.
Danae Tsolaki – Remains, 2022