Life and Work
The work of the Greek artist Apostolos Palavrakis (born 1962) is as diverse as the sources from which his artistic work derives. Through drawing, painting, sculpture, and installation, his work explores human intellectual and cultural history as well as his own position in the web of social and political realities, while also addressing the ways in which physical reality manifests itself to us.
In his 25 years of collaborating with the gallery, Palavrakis has decisively developed his work, moving from the sensual, lyrical approach he pursued in the 1990s to a clear, formally almost austere objectivity, in which structure and form take precedence over expressive gesture and mythical aura. While in his early works, he explored spiritual themes, poetry, myth, the truth of words and imagery, these days his work focuses on the man-made environment. He deconstructs and reinterprets these environments through an engagement with architecture, technology, and science in order to consider social, political, and economic contexts in which human existence manifests itself today. However his search for what lies behind things, the system that permeates our experiential reality, remains unchanged.
Apostolos Palavrakis lives and works in Dortmund and Thessaloniki.
Biography
1962 | Born in Trikala, GR |
Works (Selection)
Solo exhibitions (selection)
2020 | Multiples, part I _ 1994 – 2004, Gallery Lola Nikolaou, Thessaloniki, GR |
2018 | Desire and Disaster, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE |
2012 | Andere Orte, Osthaus Museum Hagen, Hagen, DE |
2011 | Other spaces, RWE Tower, Dortmund, DE Other spaces, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE |
2008 | Signs and cryptograms, Galerie Lola Nikolaou, Thessaloniki, GR |
2005 | Works on canvas, Arnés & Röpke, Madrid, ES Entropie Installation, Art Palm Beach, Miami, US |
2004 | Fragments and Dust Ballet (2004-07), Landestheater Rendsburg, Flensburg, DE Neue Arbeiten, Galerie Stefan Röpke, Cologne, DE Neue Arbeiten, Galerie Lola Nikolaou, Thessaloniki, GR Galerie Stefan Röpke – Art Cologne, Cologne, DE |
2003 | Works on canvas, Galerie Brennecke, Berlin, DE et J´ai decide de me taire… Installation, Art Cologne, Cologne, DE |
2002 | Trespassing Malerei, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE Malerei, Arnés & Röpke, Madrid, ES Works on canvas, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art – Art Cologne, Cologne, DE |
2001 | Echoes – Malerei, Galerie Brennecke Berlin, Berlin, DE Echoes – Malerei, Lola Nikolaou Gallery, Thessaloniki, GR |
2000 | Void, Galerie Stefan Röpke, Cologne, DE Malerei, Galerie Lola Nikolaou – Art-Athina, Athens, GR |
1999 | Immanent images, Arnés & Röpke, Madrid, ES Infinity fields, Galerie Stefan Röpke, Cologne, DE |
1998 | Transfiguration.one, Kunstmuseum Ahlen, Ahlen, DE |
1997 | Invisible islands.kythera suite, Galerie Stefan Röpke, Cologne, DE |
1996 | Martyrologium di silenzio – frammenti di senso – colori di vita, Kunstverein Lippstadt, Lippstadt, DE |
1995 | Galerie Stefan Röpke – ARCOmadrid, Madrid, ES Silence.zero, Wilhelm-Hack-Museum, Ludwigshafen, DE Neue Arbeiten, Galerie Stefan Röpke, Cologne, DE |
1994 | Museum am Ostwall, Dortmund, DE Silence.zero, Heilig-Kreuz-Kirche, Dortmund, DE |
1992 | Per speculum ad porta magna, Kunstverein Konstanz, Konstanz, DE Projekt Werk-Kunst, Hoesch-Museum, Dortmund, DE |
1990 | Kunstachse Kortumstraße, Bochum, DE |
Group exhibitions (selection)
2020 | A Darker Shade of Black, Kunstmuseum Bochum, Bochum, DE |
2019 | 7th Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art, MOMus-Museum of Modern Art-Costakis Collection, Thessalonike, GR |
2016 | Der Zweite Blick, BauKunstArchiv NRW, Dortmund, DE |
2013 | Renaissance Reloaded, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE |
2010 | Konstruktiv, Beck & Eggeling International Fine Art, Dusseldorf, DE |
2009 | Works on paper, Donopoulos International Fine Arts, Thessaloniki, GR Works on paper, Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, Berlin, DE |
2007 | Griechische Künstler in Deutschland – Deutsche Künstler in Griechenland, Staatliche Pinakothek Athen, Athens, GR |
2006 | Humilitas – Mut und Demut, Isola Bella, IT |
2004 | É bella la Bestia?, Isola Bella, IT |
2003 | La tentazioni di Sant’antonio, Isola Bella, IT |
2002 | Hic sunt leones, Isola Bella, IT |
2001 | Lo spirito del Lago, Isola Bella, IT Museum für moderne Kunst, Larissa, GR |
2000 | Dov’è la passione, Isola Bella, IT |
1999 | Il mistero delle donne, Isola Bella, IT |
1998 | Berlin – Bialystok, Galeria Arsenal, Bialystok, PL Amore e dolore, Isola Bella, IT |
1997 | L’occhio nudo, Isola Bella, IT Thessaloniki Kulturhauptstadt Europa, Lola Nikolaou Gallery, Thessaloniki, GR |
1994 | Kunst-Europa, Galerie Neuer, Essen, DE |
1993 | Projekt Werk – Kunst, Hoesch Galerie, Hanover, DE |
1992 | Projekt Werk – Kunst, Hoesch-Museum, Dortmund, DE |
EXHIBITIONS AT BECK & EGGELING (SELECTION)
Publications
Apostolos Palavrakis. Aggregates, Modules and Accumulators. 2012–18
- Artist: Apostolos Palavrakis
Editor: Ute Eggeling, Michael Beck
Text: Ute Eggeling, Michael Beck
Design: Anastasis Stratakis für Beck & Eggeling - English, German
Hardcover, 30 × 24 cm
68 pages - Beck & Eggeling Kunstverlag, 2018
ISBN 978-3-94606319-3 - 30 €
Apostolos Palavrakis. Other Spaces
- Artist: Apostolos Palavrakis
Editor: Ute Eggeling, Michael Beck
Text: David Galloway, Tayfun Belgin - English, German
Hardcover, 30 x 24 cm
72 pages, 28 illustrations - Beck & Eggeling Kunstverlag, 2011
ISBN 978-3-93091969-7 - 20 €
bibliography
2020 A Darker Shade of Black. Frank Gerritz, Apostolos Palavrakis, Bruno Querci und Kasimir Malewitsch Hans-Günter Golinski (Hg.), Bochum Texte: Hans-Günter Golinski, Michael Stockhausen |
2018 Aggregates, Modules and Accumulators. 2012 – 18 Beck & Eggeling Kunstverlag (Hg.), Düsseldorf Vorwort: Ute Eggeling, Michael Beck |
2011 Other Spaces Beck & Eggeling Kunstverlag (Hg.), Düsseldorf Vorwort: Ute Eggeling, Michael Beck Text: Tayfun Belgin, David Galloway |
1998 Transfiguration one Beck & Eggeling Kunstverlag (Hg.), Düsseldorf Text: Burkhard Leismann |
Transfiguration. one Kunst-Museum-Ahlen (Hg.), Ahlen Texte: Burkhard Leismann, Apostolos Palavrakis |
1997 Invisible islands. kythera suite Galerie Stefan Röpke (Hg.), Köln Text: Jorge Luis Borges: otro poema de los dones |
Infinity fields. kythera suite VAU Berlin (Hg.) Text: Dr. Tayfun Belgin |
1996 Arche II Beck & Eggeling Kunstverlag (Hg.), Leipzig |
Martyrologium di silenzio – frammenti di senso (nostalgia) – colori di vita (violenta) Kunstverein Lippstadt (Hg.) Text: Interview Apostolos Palavrakis mit Dr. Tayfun Belgin |
1995 Silence. Zero Wilhelm – Hack – Museum Ludwigshafen (Hg.) Texte: Dr. Richard W. Gassen, Dr. Elmar Bauer |
1994 Epitaph on the reflexion of a black sign behind the mirror Pictures for the eclipse between the gate and the error Beck & Eggeling Kunstverlag (Hg.), Leipzig |
Silence. one Museum am Ostwall (Hg.), Dortmund Text: Dr. Tayfun Belgin |
...and many circles under the water Galerie Michael Beck (Hg.), Leipzig |
1993 war requiem Galerie Lang (Hg.), Leipzig/Berlin |
1992 Apostolos Palavrakis Hoesch Museum (Hg.) Text: Dr. Ingo Bartsch |