Archive Desmos
The Rethymnon Centre of Contemporary Art - "L. Kanakakis" Municipal Gallery (now the Contemporary Art Museum of Crete) hosted the exhibition "Archive Desmos" during the summer of 2000.
The exhibition provided a representative overview of the most progressive trends in contemporary Greek art, showcasing a panorama of artistic evolution in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. It featured sixty-four works by forty-eight Greek artists who had collaborated with the historic Desmos Art Gallery.
The Artistic Director of the Rethymnon Centre of Contemporary Art, Maria Marangou, remarked:
"Desmos was more than just a space—it was an attitude, a game, a process of conceptualizing and realizing ideas. It embodied the vision of two art figures and collectors, Epi Protonotariou and Manos Pavlidis.
The Rethymnon Centre, deeply rooted in the vision of fostering meaningful communication between the local and the international through art, and often employing experimental approaches, naturally feels a profound connection to what Desmos represented and unveiled."
Manos Pavlidis notes: "Today, more than ever, there is a need to shape a contemporary cultural identity for our country, and contemporary art plays a vital role in this. This exhibition, by drawing from the Desmos archive, contributes to recognizing the significance and quality of our contemporary art."
The co-curator of the exhibition, Mr. Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis, remarked: "With 'Desmos,' we witness, first and foremost, a renewal of the expressive tools of art in our country, as well as what many now refer to as interdisciplinarity or 'inter-artistic experimentation.' This involves the collaboration between various art forms, enriched by the contributions of musicians, poets, architects, and the organization of lectures, events in urban and underground spaces, and more."
This exhibition concluded the series of presentations on the activities of Desmos, which began with the exhibition "P+P=D: New Art from the 70s and 80s," showcased in 1999 at the DESTE Foundation and continued with the exhibitions "The Spirit of the Era" and "Aris Konstantinidis: Photographs - Drawings" at the Rethymnon Centre of Contemporary Art.
The exhibition "Archive Desmos" also featured The Third Decade of Desmos, highlighting younger creators included in the catalogue P+P=D. Its aim, at the dawn of the third millennium, was to offer the public insight into three generations of Greek creators while also promoting contemporary Greek art to the many international visitors to Crete.
Beyond its archival significance, the exhibition served as a reference point in the ongoing discourse on art and its relationship with society.
Exhibition Curators: Maria Marangou, Yiorgos Tzirtzilakis
The following artists participated with their works:
N. Alexiou, D. Alithinos, A. Apergis, E. Apostolou, Votsis, G. Gaitis, V. Geros, Daniel, Diohanti, N. Zouboulis, T. Grekou, O. Zouni, V. Kaloutsis, N. Kanagini, H. Karas, N. Kessanlis, S. Kontaratou, D. Kontos, H. Kontosfyris, A. Kostopoulou, N. Kouroussis, D. Konstantinou, A. Konstantinou, C. Lazongas, S. Logothetis, M. Loizidou, M. Manetas, L. Maravas, A. Michaelides, G. Michas, G. Nicolaides, M. Davou, D. Dokatzis, P. Xagoraris, V. Xenou, M. Papadimitriou, R. Papaspyrou, N. Pastra, A. Patsouris, H. Romanou, S. Svoronou, A. Skourtis, Skylakos, Th. Totsikas, G. Touyas, G. Touzenis, K. Tsouklis, P. Chandris.
Duration of the exhibition: 6 May - 20 September 2000
