Aristodimos 2011

On Wednesday, 26 October the Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete opened the exhibition "Raising Flags" with the latest works of Aristodimos, which were designed from the outset for this exhibition space.

Aristodimos remains a special example of a contemplative artist who is content to experience the adventure of art at his nativevillage of Voroi.

The exhibition reflects the painter"s adventurous journey in geometry and the visual game, at the same time constituting a comment on geopolitical matters.

"The flag itself becomes a sign, changes colour and turns its body into a semiotic event open to multiple interpretations. It is a sign/curse tablet meant as a tribute to the asphalt riders on the macabre journey at excessive speeds; it is also the transmutation of the symbol into another symbol, recognisable but not entirely clear", writes Maria Marangou in her introductory text, and continues: «The Flags—raised, lowered or encased, always following their geometric idiosyncrasy—remain true to their thematic dimension, to time and space; the little space of greenhouses and pollution, of military bases and the aeroplanes that take off for more southern destinations, and the larger space which is stigmatised by the loss of its cultural identity, the huge planet that collides with other destructive planets which bring about ecological ruin, war and melancholy".

Aristodimos was born in Crete, and lives and works at thevillageofVoroi, near Herakleion. He studied fresco at the Athens School of Fine Arts. In 1978 he was bestowed the Nikos Kazantzakis Award by the Municipality of Herakleion.

To this day he has shown his work in 23 solo exhibitions and participated in numerous group exhibitions.

A bilingual catalogue accompanies the exhibition, which will remain on until the end of January, 2012; as always, there will be guided tours for children and adults, and educational programmes.