L. Kanakakis: In the Dimension of Time
Greek Artists. Quests 1950 – 2000


Greek The Rethymnon Centre of Contemporary Art - Municipal Gallery "L. Kanakakis" (now the Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete) inaugurated, on Friday, December 18, 1998, an exhibition in two sections at its premises and in the Hall of the Eleni Frantzeskaki Collection: "L. Kanakakis: In the Dimension of Time" and "Greek artists. Quests 1950-2000."

The exhibition, featuring approximately 200 works, was largely based on the permanent collections of the Rethymnon Municipal Gallery "L. Kanakakis," supplemented by the one-year loan of 10 works from private collections and artists. It served as a tribute to the Rethymnon artist Lefteris Kanakakis (1934-1985), highlighting his work of remarkable sensitivity, austerity, and strength. Additionally, it offered the public an opportunity to explore the works and reflections of Greek artists whose creations are part of the collection.

At the same time, the Centre successfully organized its educational programs and published the catalogue of the Permanent Collection.

The works of Lefteris Kanakakis were donated to the Municipality of Rethymnon following his death in 1985 by his family (Anna Kanakakis, Emmanuel Kanakakis, Maria Marangou) and by the collections of his friends (Maria Athanasiadou, Voula Gounela, Yannis Manousakas, and Dimitris Mytaras).

The core of the collection is composed of works donated by Charalambos and Maria Marangos, along with contributions from various artists. The support of Maria Dimitriadi from Medusa Art Gallery was particularly significant. Additionally, the donation of the complete series of Stelios Skopelitis' Triptychs to the Municipal Gallery of Rethymnon deserves special mention.

For the exhibition, works by Lefteris Kanakakis were generously loaned by the Athens School of Fine Arts “In Memoriam” and the Municipality of Heraklion “Aris”. Additional contributions included a piece by Nikos Engonopoulos, provided by Lena Engonopoulou; works by Stamos, Akrithakis, Tsarouchis, Kaniaris, and Taki, provided by Zacharias Portalakis; a construction by Giannēs Gaitis, loaned by Loretta Gaitis; two works by Stathis Logothetis, provided by Manos and Eppi Pavlidis; and works by Yannis Moralis and Dimitris Perdikidis, provided by Maria Marangou.

The exhibition remained open to the public until the end of 1999.