Artists
Costis
Greece
A Lightning Message for Lafcadio Hearn
60×120cm
ink on paper
Born: February 8, 1950 in Athens,Greece. Live and work in Athens and Paris. Visual artist & poet.
University Studies: 1968-1972: University of Athens, Department of Economics and Political Science. 1972-1976: University of Paris VIII, Licence and Maitrise in Cinematography and Audio-Visual Studies; UER in Cinema and Visual Arts, Licence of Philosophie, terminated his studies at the level of Doctorat d’état under J.F.Lyotard.
Cinema: Directed feature-length film Saga of a City which was shown at the Cinema Racine in Paris,1976 , during the experimental film festival of the Paris film coop.
Book: «Fragments 1967-1973»,. Poetry, p. 64, February 1974, L.Giovanis Editions, Athens ,GR. The first edition was a handmade Artist Book . • «Dreamdrome», Drawings and texts, p. 96 October 1977. Kastaniotis Editions., Athens.GR. The digital edition http://www.costis.org/books ,2004. • “Éclat Éclair” ,Energy poems , Artist Book handmade limited edition from R.E.C. Paris 1992. • ν , Poetry ,October 2009,private edition,Athens • π,Poetry ,Music by Costas Mantzoros, KSYME edition , Athens,February 2010 • Digital edition of : Dreamdrome ,ν & π at the http://issuu.com/costi .The last Hand made Artist Book 2009,The Age of Art Virus,Private Collection Verona,Italy.
Periodicals: Editor in Chief of L o t u s, 1968-1972,10 issues and of P r a x i s ,1972,Athens,GR.
Forums / Symposia (selection): 1987: Seminar on the subject “What makes the Vienna of 1900 a cultural capital?” Schloss Leopoldskron, Saltzburg, Austria. Grant from the A.S. Onassis Foundation. 1988: 5th International meeting ” La Poésie visuelle à travers le monde”, Festival of Tarascon. F. 1989: 2nd International Fine Arts Forum, European Cultural Centre of Delphi. GR. 1989 : International Symposium of Sculpture “Scironeio Museum “,Athens ,Gr.1990:IGBK Symposium “ Artists and Europe “,Kiel ,Germany. 1996: “Art andScience”. Contemporary Art Museum, Goulandri Foundation, Andros, Greece.2000: «Energia in ergo», National Technical University, Athens, Gr.
Selection of one-man shows: 2009:«High Tension», Lola’s Nikolaou Gallery, Thessaloniki, Gr. 2006:«Electrogram», Art Act , Athens, GR. 2000:«Energia in ergo», National Technical University, Athens, Gr. 1996: «Energia in ergo», Galerie Thema, Athens, Gr. 1995: «Electric Field», Maison de la Culture de Loire-Atlantique, as part of the events of the Science Festival, Nantes, France. «Electric Field», Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art , Thessaloniki, Gr. (catalogue) «Electric Field», Electropolis, Musée de l’Énergie Électrique, Mulhouse, France. «Electric Field», Espace Electra, E.D.F. Foundation, Paris, France.(catalogue) 1992: «Foudre,Keravnos, Lightning», Galerie J. et J. Donguy, Paris, France.(catalogue) «Foudre, Bliksem, Lightning», Galerie Xplus, Brussels, Belgium 1991: «Keravnos, Lightning», Skironio Museum, as part of the events of the 8th International Sculpture Biennale, Megara, Attica, Greece. (catalogue) 1990: «Black and White 1969-1979», Institut Francais dνAthenes, Athens,Greece. (catalogue) «Eclats de transperence et eclair», Ekphrasi Gallery, Glyfada, Greece. 1989: «Labyrinth or the Empty Monument», Institut Francais d’Athenes, Bicentennial of the French Revolution, Athens, Greece. (catalogue) Municipal Gallery of Nauplion, Nauplion, Greece. «Wings of Daedalus», Opsis Gallery, Myconos, Greece. 1988:«Liquidité solide», Galerie Xplus, Brussels, Belgium. (catalogue) 1986: «Mediassemblage», Palazzo de Cardona, Todi, Italy. (catalogue 1984: «Mediassemblage»,Gallery F, Athens, Greece. «Mediassemblage»,Institut Français d’Athènes. Athens, Gr. (catalogue) 1976: «Dreamdrome», Polyplano Gallery, Athens, Greece. 1969: ” Hands ” ,Hajiati Gallery ,Athens ,Greece
Group exhibitions: Has participated in more than 100 international group shows.
Performances (selection): 2003 :Gate of Resistance , with A.Hatzigiannaki, as part of the worldwide events “Gates” organized by Caterina Davinio, in Athens organized by Artopos , GR• 1992: «Action Éclat – Éclair», Poetic dialogue with three electronic lightning’s. Etablissements Phonographiques de l’ Est, Paris, France. (Extract is included to the digital revue Son@rt number 21,International Anthology , edition on CD, Paris 2001 ) 1991: «Energy performance». Nine electronic lightnings and a guitarist. Music by Dimitris Zafirellis for guitar synthesizer in the open-air amphitheater at the Skironio Museum, Megara, Attica, Greece. (Extract is included to the digital revue Son@rt number 21,International Anthology , edition on CD,Paris 2001 ) • 1976: «Demolisher “. Poetry performance accompanied by musical ensemble. Political Coffee House , Athens , Greece .1975: «KRAK», Poetry performance accompanied by musical ensemble. Yannis Statha Gallery, Athens, Greece
Works by Costis are found in museums and private collections in Greece, France, Belgium, Germany, etc., including: National Gallery, Athens, GR• Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art,Thessaloniki, GR• Fondation Electricite de France , Paris • Espace Electra, Paris •Electropolis, Mulhouse, France• Musee du Chateau , Montbeliard , F.• Bremish Autothek, Bremen, Germany• Kanagawa Prefecture Gallery, Yokohama, Japan• Gyor Museum, “Oxygen” Foundation, Hungary• Museum of International Contemporary Graphic Arts, Fredrikstad, Norway •Musée du Petit Format, Couvin, Belgium •Nicosia Historical Museum, Cyprus• Baaz Art Foundation, Romania •Skironio Museum, Athens •Municipal Gallery, Athens• Cycladic Gallery, Syros, Greece• etc. • Collection of F. Lippens, F.• D. Kopelouzou, GR •L. Beltsiou, GR.• and others.
Catalogues of One-Man show Exhibitions (selection): 2000: «Energia in ergo», National Technical University, Athens, ISBN 960-254-553-4 GR.•1996: «Energia in ergo», Gallery Thema, Athens, GR.•1995: «COSTIS », Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art. With a grant from D.E.H. (Hellenic Public Electric Company) and FoundationE.D.F., Salonica, 1995 (ISBN 960-85328-2-5) GR. • «Costis, l’ espace electrique», Espace Electra. With a grant from Fondation E.D.F.,Paris, 1995. (ISBN 2-909484-05-X) F.• 1992:«Costis», Galerie J & J. Donguy, Paris, France 1992 • 8th International Sculpture Biennale, Skironio Museum, 1991-1992»,Athens, 1992. GR.• (ISBN 960-7645-00-6) 1990: «Costis Noir et Blanc 1969-1979» Institut Francais d’Athenes, Athens, 1990, GR.• 1988: «COSTIS», ARTBOOK 5, Athens, GR.•1984: «Mediassemblage», by L. Christakis, E.M.A.E. Editions, Athens, 1984 ,GR.•
Selected Bibliography: “ Costis,Noir et Blanc ,1969-1979 ”,K.Koskina ,B.Papadopoulou,edition of the French Institute in Athens,1990,GR• “ Foudre : ligne unificatrice de notions antithetiques” ,B.Papadopoulou,Art Press revue no 170,Paris,1992,F• “ Costis,l’ éclair” ,Christine Courty,Nov Art revue no 8,1992,F• “ Costis, de l’energie pur “, Annick Bureaud,Kanal Europa revue no 3,Kunst und Gegenwart,Paris 1992,F. • “Costis”,P.Restany,X.Hoipel,B,Papadopoulou,edition of the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki 1995,GR• “ Costis”,Andreas Priever,K.G.Saur Verlag,Allg.Kunstlerlexicon,Vol.21,1999,Leipzig,Germany. • “ Costis ”,P.Restany,L.Kokkini,A.Xatziyiannaki,M.Papadopoulou, edition of theNational Technical University of Athens 2000,GR•“ Costis”,L.Kokkini,Dictionnary of Greek Artists vol.4, Melissa publishing House,Athens 2002,GR•The European Who’s Who 2002-3,page 408,Essex,EN. • “Iconographs”, M. Stefanidis, Militos Editions,2003,Athens,GR• “ Costis ”,Lena Kokkini, Contemporary Greek Artists, Melissa publishing House, Athens 2004,GR• “ Costis: aventure électrisée ”,T. Moutsopoulos, Plethron Editions,Athens,2009,GR.