Members of the student community of AKTO I.S.A.E.K., from the departments of Illustration, Animation, Graphic Design, and Interior Design (first semester of studies), conducted an educational visit to the Benaki Museum. The occasion was the exhibition “PROTOLEIA – From Early Writing to Mature Work”.
The exhibition focuses on the investigation, study, and promotion of ideas, motifs, and visual characteristics that appear in the early works of eleven significant Greek artists, which, over time, evolve and become established in their “mature” artistic language.
The featured artists are: Spyros Vassiliou, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, Yiannis Tsarouchis, Yiannis Moralis, A. Tassos, Vasso Katraki, Yiannis Spyropoulos, Alekos Kontopoulos, Dimitris Mytaras, Yiannis Gaitis, and Chryssa Romanou.
What are the first creative and expressive elements that emerge in their work? How are these integrated and developed into their later, recognizable artistic identity? How did international modern trends influence their work and contribute to the formation of what is known as modern Greek art?
To answer this question, the co-curators of the exhibition, Charis Kanellopoulou, Eirini Orati, and Konstantinos Papachristou, extended an invitation for research and writing to distinguished art historians and theorists, seeking their perspective on the subject.
The “PROTOLEIA” is the result of a collaboration between three institutions and their curators, who selected these 20th-century artistic personalities based on their significant presence in the history of modern Greek art. The central objective of the visit was to approach and understand the multiple paths forged in an artist’s creative journey during their self-formation process, as well as to explore the influence of social and historical conditions on their work.
The educational visit took place on Friday, 26/01/09, accompanied by their instructors Eleftheria Delazanou, Achilleas Pistonis, Charalambos Cholopoulos, and the Deputy Director of AKTO I.S.A.E.K., Maria Dikaiou, who guided the student groups through the inexhaustible realm of the Arts.
The questions raised during the guided tour served as the starting point for a broader research dialogue, which was not confined to the welcoming space of the Benaki Museum but continued (and continues) in the classrooms, workshops, and corridors of the School.
Educational visits complement the learning process at AKTO. They broaden horizons, offer knowledge, and are an integral part of the student experience #AKTOExperience!
