SPLats
Solo Show
Curated by Yiannis Bolis
March 27 – June 1 / 2025
MOMus – Museum of Contemporary Art
Case Studio #1
Thessaloniki
SPLats, exhibition view
”Water has always been a reference to Matter”
Structured experimentation, a solid background in the arts, and the cohesion and consistency of his formal explorations are the elements that have defined Dimitris Fragakis’ artistic journey thus far. They reflect the evolution of his concerns and the visual media he employs in his paintings and sculptural compositions, which are contemporary, dynamic, and expressive, both original and contemplative, rich in content and connotations.
SPLats, exhibition view
In his paintings, the artist sometimes loans details from photographs, which he then processes and transforms; at other times, he pushes familiar figures, such as Marilyn Monroe’s, to extreme distortions. Many of his works depict human figures that are exposed, solitary, and silent—even in moments of encounter and interaction— defenseless and distorted, suspended in fragile, precarious balances, frozen in time.
SPLats, exhibition view
The concepts of catharsis and transcendence, liberation, hope, and upliftment, as well as identity, individuality, and collectivity, are central to his work. An intensely emphasized erotic-hedonistic element occasionally emerges, alongside themes of the cycle of life, shifting moods and attitudes, and references to contemporary political and social realities. His compositions evoke pop culture (with an intention to critically deconstruct it) or evoke a transcendental, invisible beyond. Dramatic, feverish, and sensitive, his compositions reflect an internalized perception of reality and a unique psychological disposition, conveying emotion and truth in dense “narratives” open to multiple interpretations and approaches.
SPLats, exhibition view
The plasticity of volumes, light and the catalytic power of black—combined with the textures and materiality of color, the grotesque element, expressionistic intensity, expressive distortions, or realistic precision— shape his artistic vocabulary. His subtle and suggestive approach to the relationship between forms and space, along with the incorporation of words and phrases, heightens the evocative, ambiguous, and metaphysical atmosphere of his themes. These are charged with expressive meaning both in their subject matter and in the way they are processed by the artist. Inextricably linked to psychological states, his works emerge on the cusp of reason and emotion, the familiar and the unfamiliar, reality and fantasy, revealing hidden or secret meanings. He presents a world in turmoil—an intermediate world that sets the stage for an unexpected theater of the human condition. Yet, his compositions are not devoid of lyricism or romantic sentiment, nor do they lack humor, which can be sharp, unpredictable, caustic, subversive, or even profane.
SPLats, exhibition view
All these elements are present in The Oyster Eaters, a series of paintings on paper in which Fragakis invents the fictional story of an isolated community whose entire existence revolves around the consumption of black-blue oysters. An otherworldly universe emerges in endless variations: mussel eaters partaking in ritualistic feasts under the moonlight, inside a lake, or in a cemetery, caught in a state of ecstasy and transcendence… The oyster act symbolically, becoming “keys” that unlock mystical passages and cosmic portals to another dimension—to a psychedelic-visionary environment, a primal-primordial world, the very origins of civilization.
Lifeguard in a Day-off, glazed ceramic, steel baze with epoxy resin Courtesy: The Artist
Another major body of his work consists of paintings and sculptural compositions centered on the theme of swimmers. Here, the atmosphere becomes more grotesque, dark, and timeless; distortions intensify; scales grow more unnatural and exaggerated; the surreal and unreal take center stage. Figures emerge and submerge, float, brace themselves or take the great “plunge”—perhaps not just into water, but into the uncharted depths of existence, where they confront both terror and ecstatic wonder as they face the unknown. The deep, dark tones of these paintings contrast with the bright color scales of the clay heads or the oversized swimming caps of well-known sportswear brands. These caps appear suspended in a state of “anticipation,” evoking strange “bells” ready to resonate ‒ an assortment from which each swimmer may choose. Beside them stands the Polypus: an oversized pair of Crocs sandals dragging behind them the floor plan of a house, drawn in chains, “incorporating” all the material possessions that weigh down and bind contemporary people. Perhaps they represent not only the material things, but also the guilt, fear, and insecurities that hinder our journey toward self-knowledge, fulfillment, and wholeness in all aspects of life.
SPLats, exhibition view
Through his compositions, Dimitris Fragakis reaffirms the quality of pure artistic values that define his work, heightens the symbolic power of his imagery in a fragmented, alienated and homogenizing era, and asserts his vital relationship with the world, raising existential and ontological questions, invoking a deeper form of communication—one that offers an alternative way of seeing and interpreting. The great “dive” has begun: A plunge into the world, into life, into the unknown.
Yiannis Bolis – Art Historian, Curator
Girl with Necklace, glazed ceramic Courtesy: The Artist
”Dimitris Fragakis’ solo exhibition is hosted at Case Studio in the rotunda of MOMus-Museum of Contemporary Art. Case Studio is the latest initiative of the museum: an exhibition space dedicated to presenting the here-and-now of contemporary art. Its goal is showcasing both emerging and established artists, while fostering a closer connection between the museum and contemporary creative practices. Featuring solo exhibitions and projects by contemporary artists ‒primarily, though not exclusively‒, by creators who are based in or originating from Thessaloniki alongside a variety of collective projects, Case Studio highlights alternative narratives and innovative models of knowledge production, promoting the values of social progress and empowerment.”
Photography Credits: Lazaros Grekos
For more information, please visit: https://www.momus.gr/en/exhibitions/case-studio-1-dimitris-fragkakis-splats
Interviews / Texts: https://praximag.gr/dimitris-fragkakis-oi-anisychies-ton-an/