Alma Mater gallery (62, Emmanouil Benaki Street, Exarchia, Athens), in collaboration with art curator Paris Kapralos and the visual arts promotion platform ARTgrID, presents to the Athenian art-loving public the solo painting exhibition of visual artist Anna Gkioti titled “The Elevator Doesn’t Reach Here” and invites the public to its opening on Friday, October 24 at 19:00.
Though this is the artist’s fourth solo show, it is her first in Athens. In the curatorial text, Mr. Kapralos notes: “The elevator doesn’t reach here – the title implies the existence of a level, or rather a mental state, that is not accessible through the familiar and automated mechanisms of daily life. It doesn’t ascend—it sinks. It does not belong to the external reality, but to the realm of inner exploration. It’s the space that modern life, with its pace, structures, and demands, has pushed outside its field of vision—and from which Anna Gkioti’s works draw, consistently and obsessively.
Her works construct a unique universe where the line becomes the primary tool of expression. Through persistent use of ink and the technique of line drawing, the artist builds enclosed, inner worlds with intense introspection and a rhythmic, almost hypnotic structure. Repetition, detail, and a constant flow of patterns and symbols reveal a form of psychogeography where the urban landscape is transformed—or reinterpreted—into a dimension of the unconscious.
Though the works are narrative, the narrative is not linear; it emerges through the recurring presence of characters, their relationship to the environment, the silence that surrounds them, and the multitude of visual elements composing each scene. This is narrative art in which the image itself becomes the bearer of stories—sometimes abstract, sometimes specific—always open to interpretation.
At the center of Anna Gkioti’s work are human figures: contemplative, seated, observant, or solitary. They appear as stable points within a chaotic environment, overflowing with lines, organic forms, trees, clouds, waves, and architectural references. The contrast between the simplicity of the figures and the complexity of the environment creates tension—but also a fragile balance.
Her visual language evokes the freedom of automatism, at times flirting with the logic of doodle art or zentangle, though never confined to them. The character of her work also recalls the tradition of Art Brut, in the sense of spontaneous, raw creation not bound by academic rules or formal techniques. The repetition of patterns points to a deep psychological engagement with detail and form—each a new attempt to map the inner world.
Through her works, Anna Gkioti presents a personal, often introspective but deeply poetic way of seeing the world—a world in which the line is not just a medium but an experience.“
Brief Biography -Anna Gkioti
Anna Gkioti was born in Thessaloniki in 1977. She studied Law at the Democritus University of Thrace and completed postgraduate studies in Public Law. Alongside her legal path, painting has from early on been a central and continuous field of personal research and artistic expression. With a stable and long-standing presence in the visual arts, she has held three solo exhibitions in Thessaloniki and participated in selected group exhibitions in Greece and abroad. Her works are part of private collections, and she is a founding member of the visual artists’ collective ARC – Art Revisited Collective.
The exhibition runs from October 24 to November 2, 2025 at Alma Mater Art Gallery, and also online via the ARTgrID digital exhibition platform for one month.
An exhibition catalog in both Greek and English has been published and is available for free to all visitors of the physical exhibition in Athens.
Opening Hours / Days: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 19:00 – 22:00.
On other days, visits are possible by appointment only: +30 6972445353.
Free entrance.
Instagram #annagkioti
About the Curator
Paris Kapralos is an Art Curator, Founder and Manager of the ARC – Art Revisited Collective, Founder of ARTgrID, and Co-founder & Publisher of Arts & Antiques CCR. Born in 1975, he grew up in Athens, where he lives and works. He studied Economics (Athens) and Graphic Arts (Staffordshire, UK). He worked as a journalist in economic and tech reporting for newspapers, magazines, and news agencies (1999–2006). He was active in organizing IT and Telecom business conferences (Infocom, Greek ICT Forum, 2004–2011), and changed career paths to enter the art field in 2011. He collaborated with the Myrό Group (Myrό Gallery, Myrό Antiques House, Greek Marble Initiative, 2011–2017). Since 2018, he has worked independently as a curator and organizer of visual art exhibitions and events. He was also the Country Representative for the Greek branch of the International Watercolor Society (IWS) from 2019 to 2022. He has curated and organized over 200 exhibitions, symposia, art actions, projects, and participations in and outside Greece. More info HERE.
About ARTgrID
ARTgrID is a company that consistently promotes and supports quality visual art, primarily through its digital services platform, as well as through the organization of physical events, art actions, and strategic collaborations with various stakeholders in the art world (curators, venues, art dealers, investment consultants, specialized lawyers, etc.). Its online platform [https://artgrid.gr](https://artgrid.gr) offers services including physical and online exhibitions/symposia/art actions, website creation, hosting, and promotion for visual artists.
Info: artgrid.gr
About Alma Mater
Alma Mater Art Gallery is located in the heart of Athens, in Exarchia. It is housed in a renovated neoclassical residence built before 1890. In Latin, “Alma Mater” literally means “nourishing mother” and symbolically refers to Science as the mother of humanity’s progress. The founders’ vision is for the gallery to act as an “alma mater” for the city’s intellectual and aesthetic growth. In addition to its exhibition facilities, it is equipped for hosting events.
Info: almamater.gr
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