HIC RHODUS

Participating Artists: Dionisis Christofilogiannis, Maria Economides, Dimitris Fragakis, Maria Ikonomopoulou, Stella Kapezanou, Apostolos Karakatsanis, Konstantinos Ladianos, Natalia Manta, Kyriaki Mavrogeorgi, Maro Michalakakos, Dimitris Neveskiotis, Giorgos Tserionis, Leonie Yagdjoglou

Curated by Apostolis Artinos

SPACE 52

May 27 – June 24 / 2023

Athens

ICARO Contemporary Art Gallery and Agency and Space52 are excited to present Hic Rhodus, the first group exibition of ICARO C.A.GA cyrrated by Apostolis Artinos.

14 distinguished artists: Dionisis Christofilogiannis,  Maria Economides, , Ioanna Hatzipanigyri , Maria Ikonomopoulou, Stella Kapezanou, Apostolos Karakatsanis, Konstantinos Ladianos, Natalia Manta, Kyriaki Mavrogiorgi,  Maro Michalakakou, , Dimitris Neveskiotis,  Giorgos Tserionis, DimitrisFrangakis, and Leoni Yagdjoglou

“The artists of the exhibition are called upon to undertake, in turn, the experience of recall within the aesthetic
environment of their time. They are asked to recall the memory of the object in their work and to confront its
enchantment. It is not a formalistic approach that dictates their work here, but the transparency of a
decorative style that possesses its points, this flourishing decoration, the mythical saz leaf, the sailing ships,
the deer and the birds. An established aesthetic environment that always affirms its truth in time.”… (Excerpt
from A. Artinos text)
This exhibition takes place on the occasion of the official opening of ICARO Contemporary Art Gallery and Agency, established in Athens
in 2022 as a contemporary online Art Gallery and Agency.

Both  ICARO C.A.G.A Gallery and Agency collaborate with visual artists who exceed their limits in the field of contemporary art and respond to its philosophy.

Aiming to promote artistic work in Greece and abroad while also making art accessible to everyone, they present their first  group exhibition in the versatile space of Dionιsis Christofilogiannis’ visual art space52, in a cor ad cor collaboration with occasion of the ceramic creations of the historic ICARO – RODOS factory.

The exhibition will feature a diverse range of works, including paintings, sculptures, and installations, and will
provide a platform for artists to showcase their unique perspectives and artistic practices.
For more information about the exhibition and ICAROS CAGA, please visit Space52’s website or ICAROS CAGA’s
website

The I.C.A.R.O ceramic factory was founded in 1928 in Rhodes by Italians. Surviving the Second World War and  after the subsequent liberation and incorporation of the Dodecanese into Greece, it was purchased in 1947 by the Rhodian entrepreneur K.D. Chatzikostantis and was renamed ΊΚΑΡΟΣ (IKAROS). Utilizing the island’s development, the new owner created the second-largest ceramics factory in Greece, after Kerameikos in Athens. IKAROS employed over 400 workers during its operation, including notable artists such as Spyros Oikonomidis, who was the first artistic director of the Greek period, and Dimitris Davos, a painter and engraver who succeeded him and many others.

With the innovations and techniques it applied, such as the relief depiction on the surface of the wet clay, IKAROS managed to keep its ceramics unchanged over time and remain a point of attraction for collectors from all over the world. In 1985, the international award of the Biennale of Valencia was awarded to IKAROS for its high-quality ceramic products and the unique way of decorating them. IKAROS factory shut down unexpectedaly after the sudden loss of Kostas Chatzikostantis and his wife Faidra , in a car accident on June 14th 1987.  The legacy of IKAROS continues to be celebrated in Rhodes and beyond.

For more information please visit: www.space52.gr