Paris Kapralos
Visual Arts Curator | Greece
Paris Kapralos is a Visual Arts Curator, Founder & Coordinator of ARC – Art Revisited Collective, and co-editor of Arts & Antiques CCR. He was born in 1975 and raised in Athens, where he currently resides and works, engaging in international activities. He studied Finance (Athens) and Graphic Arts (Staffordshire, England). He worked as a Journalist specializing in Technology for economic newspapers, magazines, and online news agencies (1999-2006), as an Organizational Manager and organizer in business conferences of the Information Technology & Telecommunications sector (Infocom, Greek ICT Forum, 2004-2011), and shifted his professional path towards the Arts in 2011. He collaborated with the Myrό Group (Myrό Gallery, Myrό Antiques House, Greek Marble Initiative, 2011-2017). From 2018 onwards, he works as an independent Organizer and Curator of visual exhibitions & events. He served as the representative of the Greek Chapter of the International Watercolor Society (IWS) from 2019 to 2022, and in October 2022, he assumed the role of Development Director at ARTgrID alongside his other activities. He has curated and organized more than 180 exhibitions, visual arts projects, third-party activities, and international events participations in Greece and abroad.
STATEMENT
“The executive role of the visual artist is not to provide knowledge, but rather contemplation. Their purpose is not to give answers, but to pose crucial and incisive questions. The societal role of the artist, globally for over a century, is to challenge every certainty, and for their artistic work to become the voice of those without one. An artist with a significant body of work that isn’t centered around social matters is inconceivable! Supporting artists is a fundamental issue in a society in need of rejuvenation. […] It is crucial to consider the means through which we will bolster Culture in the present time. Supporting artists who create culture is of paramount importance, as is accessing the culture of the past in every form achievable through digitization and free, friendly access for all. Furthermore, comprehensive modernization of Education is essential. The education we receive and give takes precedence. The education we give is what we do daily in the presence of others—children or adults; it’s simply more impactful with children. The education we receive is what we see in every space we share with others—by them, and their marks in the spaces we occupy. Art in public spaces unquestionably needs enhancement; it is fluid education”.
(excerpt from an interview in Polis Magazino)
ART PROJECTS AS A CURATOR, CONCEPT-MAKER and/or ORGANIZER
Curation & Organization of Solo Exhibitions (selection)
“Parallel Journeys”, Amalia Koronaki, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2023
“In the Spotlight”, Kostas Michos, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2023
“The Distance Between Us”, Foti Kllogjeri, Technochoros, Athens 2022
“Theodoros Kemidis: Retrospective Exhibition”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2022
“Harmonious Moment”, Elias Kasselas, Technochoros, Athens 2022
“Selfie”, Christina Michalopoulou, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2019.
“Parallel Travels”, Olga Kotsirea, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2019.
“Macrocosm”, Penelope Volterra, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2019.
“Transcendent Realities”, Chrys Roboras, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2018.
“Essential Conditions”, Orestis Diamantis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2017.
“Lost Happinesses”, Valentina Mavrodoglou, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2017.
“The Metro in Thessaloniki”, Foti Kllogjeri, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2017.
Michalis Tsingoglou, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2016.
“The Other City”, Foti Kllogjeri, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2016.
Ioannis Asteriou, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2016.
“From Light”, Orestis Diamantis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2016.
“Place, Time, Person”, Kostas Karathanasis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2015.
Valentina Mavrodoglou, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2015.
Giorgos Salpigkidis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2014.
Nikolas Antoniou, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2014.
Penelope Volterra, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2014.
“Virus”, Simos Gkaténio, Myrό Project Room, Thessaloniki, 2014.
Konstantinos Palian, Retrospective Exhibition, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2013.
Demos Kipouros, Myrό Project Room, Thessaloniki, 2013.
“Utopia”, Konstantinos Mennis, Myrό Project Room, Thessaloniki, 2013.
Giorgos Kormpakis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2013.
Fotini Hamidieli, Myrό Project Room, Thessaloniki, 2012.
Concept-making & Curatorial Note
“Alexithymia”, group exhibition – participation of “Technochoros” art gallery at Art Athina 2021, Athens, 2021.
“Light & Shadow”, solo exhibition by Manolis Pentes, Patmion, Patmos, 2021.
“Urban Entropy”, solo exhibition by Foti Kllogjeri, “Technochoros” art gallery, Athens, 2020.
Curatorship & Organization of Group Exhibitions (selection)
“Color in Water 7: Summer Palette”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2023
“The Visible and the Invisible”, Luminous Eye, Athens 2023
“Ink on Paper 8: The Writings of Art”, Luminous Eye, Athens 2023
“Polity & Utopia”, Luminous Eye, Athens 2023
“Gesture and Symbolism”, Luminous Eye, Athens 2023
“Terrain Vague – Transitional Landscapes”, Luminous Eye, Athens 2023
“Ink on Paper 7 – Northern Shades”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2023
“Face, Image, Form”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2023
“Ink on Paper 7”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2023
“Human in Cities”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2023
“Contemporary Visual Artists 2”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2023
“Ink on Paper 6”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2023
“Color in Water 6: Transitional Spaces”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2022
“Color in Water 5: Secret State”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2022
“New Normality 2”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2022
“Contemporary Visual Artists”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2022
“New Symbols 2”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2022
“Ink on Paper 5”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2022
“Fleeting Homelands”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2022
“SKG Bazaart”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2022
“The Appearance of Things”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2022
“Archetype & Conjecture”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2022
“Ink on Paper 4”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2022
“A Time of Silence”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2022
“The Textures of Time”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2022
“Ink on Paper 3”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2022
“Utopia”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2022
Exhibition Booth of Chili Art Gallery at the 5th Art Thessaloniki International Art Fair, Thessaloniki 2021.
“Ink on Paper 2”, The Attic Gallery, Corfu 2021
“Ideal Forms”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2021
“New Normality”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2021
“Ink on Paper 2”, The Attic Gallery, Corfu 2021
“The Form as a Trace of Collective Memory”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2021
“Ink on Paper”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2021
“Color in Water IV – The Wingless Ship”, The Attic Gallery, Corfu 2020
“Color in Water III – Sea & City”, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2020
“The Artist’s Freedom”, Arte Visione, Athens 2020
“Representation & Subtraction: Eclectic Affinities”, Arte Visione, Athens 2019
Exhibition Booth of IWS Globe (International Watercolor Society) at the 4th Art Thessaloniki International Art Fair, Thessaloniki 2019.
Exhibition Booth of Chili Art Gallery at the 4th Art Thessaloniki International Art Fair, Thessaloniki 2019.
“Color in Water II – Northern Tints”, co-curated by Kalithanthy Vogdopoulou, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2019.
“Color in Water”, contemporary watercolor exhibition, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2019.
“Human Trace”, exhibition on the impact of Art, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2019.
“Words of Images”, exhibition on the poetic aspect of Art for World Poetry Day, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2019.
“Places Without Feelings”, 12 visual artists engage with their works through the poem “Places Without Feelings” by G. Alisanoglou, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2019.
“PSYCH – 4 Moments”: Art dialogue with images of the soul, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2014.
“In Marble & Color”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2015.
“New Greek Printmaking 1”, contemporary printmaking exhibition with auction of selected works at the opening, with the support of Myrό Antiques House, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2015.
“In Your Face”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2014.
“Ink on Paper”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2013.
“Body”, contemporary art exhibition on the naked body, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2012.
“Human in Cities”, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2011.
Co-Curation of Art Exhibitions & Special Projects
“Summertime”, exhibition on the “period of laziness” as one of the most useful consequences of modernity and the echoes of its cancellation. Co-curated with Vera Katranidou, Luminous Eye, Athens 2023.
“Infinite Forms”, exhibition on creative upcycling art as a way of art and expanding perception. Co-curated with Jason Kairophylas, Luminous Eye, Athens 2023.
“Our Memories Unite / Memories Unite Us”, international symposium and exhibitions by the International Watercolor Society (IWS) with participation of 80 artists from 23 countries, co-organized with IWS Greece & Myrό Gallery, as part of the Municipality of Kalamaria’s festival commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Asia Minor Catastrophe, “A Sea of Memories and We All Became One”, Gate A and Former Kordra Camp Park, Thessaloniki 2022.
“Contemporary Visual Artists”, exhibition and auction, conceived by Paris Kapralos, organized by Myrό Auctions, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2022.
“All That Unites Us”, exhibition in Athens of the joint project between IWS Greece and IWS Kosovo (Athens and Pristina 2021-’22), organized by IWS, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2021.
“Before the Alcyon Days End”, art action and environmental awareness exhibition, organized by ARC – Art Revisited Collective, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2021.
“New Symbols”, exhibition exploring symbolism in contemporary art, co-curated with Jason Kairophylas, organized by ARC – Art Revisited Collective, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2020.
“What Will the World Say?” exhibition – first public presentation of the collective involvement initiative in the artistic process Artists4Art by ARC – Art Revisited Collective. Concept: Kalithanthy Vogdopoulou, Curation: Paris Kapralos. Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2020.
Terhi Ekebom & Sebastian Boulter: “This Side”, joint exhibition – dialogue of installation and visual artworks, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2020.
“Sensations Without Places”, co-organized with George Alisanoglou, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2019.
“Kaleidoscope”, organizer/co-curator Sasha Chaitow, The Attic Gallery, Corfu, 2019.
“The Inner Self”, organized by ARC – Art Revisited Collective, ps[υ]art-therapy gallery, Athens, 2019.
ARC Portfolio Review – Athens, organized by ARC – Art Revisited Collective, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2019.
“Human, Symbol, and Myth”, organized by ARC – Art Revisited Collective, My Art Box / Technochoros, Athens, 2019.
“U-Place / Man, the Measure of All Things”, co-curated with Kalithanthy Vogdopoulou, organized by ARC – Art Revisited Collective, 3rd Art Thessaloniki – International Contemporary Art Fair, Thessaloniki, 2018.
Myrό Antiques House: Auction to support “Flame”, organized by Stavros Myronidis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2017.
“Chapter 50”, solo exhibition by Albena Mihaylova, organized by Stavros Myronidis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2016.
“Free Formation”, solo exhibition by Kamen Tanev, organized by Stavros Myronidis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2016.
“Emerging Forms”, solo exhibition by Andrej Mitevski, organized by Stavros Myronidis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2016.
“The Puzzle Project”, joint exhibition by 26 artists, proceeds donated to the “Apexartesis” center, organized by “Apexartesis” and Stavros Myronidis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2016.
“Searches: Fairy Tales & Magganeies”, joint exhibition – dialogue of painters Christina Zygouri and Kostas Mennis with sculptor Odysseas Tosounidis, conceived by Stavros Myronidis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2015.
“Greek Marble Initiative”, exhibition of 27 sculptors from around the world, organized by Myrό Antiques House and Stavros Myronidis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2014.
“Éikos: Art as Pictorial Conjecture”, co-curated with painter Dimos Kipouros, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2013.
“Moments from the Future”, original project presenting the free work of 14 young artists, conceived and co-organized by Paris Kapralos (as the Artistic Director of a new gallery) and Lola Nikolaou (well-known and experienced gallerist of a contemporary art space in Thessaloniki), Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2012.
Organizer only (selection)
Chili Bazaart 2023, Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2023
SKG Bazaart 2023, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2023
ARC – Art Revisited Collective: “Before the Last Alcyon Days,” Chili Art Gallery, Athens 2023
“Unforgotten Homelands: Symbols and Memories” as part of the program “KALAMARIA 1922-2022 A Sea of Memories… and We All Became One,” organized by the Municipality of Kalamaria for the 100 years since the Asia Minor Catastrophe, Remezzo Art Gallery, Kalamaria, Thessaloniki 2022
“SKG Xmas Bazaart,” Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki 2022
The Attic Bazaart, curated by Sasha Chaitow, The Attic Gallery, Corfu, 2021.
Art in Babel, curated by Kalanthi Vogdopoulou, Chalkos Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2019.
Chili Bazaart, curated by Valentina Mavrodoglou, Chili Art Gallery, Athens, 2019.
“Parallel Nonexistence,” art installation by Kalanthi Vogdopoulou, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2017.
“Gender and Visibility,” solo exhibition by Styliana Katsiari at the Museum of Cinema of Thessaloniki within the Thessaloniki International LGBTQ Film Festival, curated by Kalanthi Vogdopoulou, Museum of Cinema, Thessaloniki, 2017.
“Crossing Borders – Becoming European,” installation by Elena Efeoglou, instructor at the Photography Workshop of the School of Fine Arts, University of Western Macedonia (Florina), Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2016.
“Meet the Artist 5 -Springtime,” unmediated exhibition of visual artists and artisans, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2015.
“Je suis non Charlie Hebdo,” art installation by sculptor and professor at the Department of Visual and Applied Arts, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Giorgos Tsaras, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2015.
“Memories,” sculpture installation by Odysseas Tosounidis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2014.
Retrospective dedicated exhibition to the painter Daniil Daniil, curated by Marilena Charisi, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2013.
“Printmaking under the Sun,” retrospective exhibition of 15 years of the Printmaking Centre “Helios,” through the works of its founders, graduates, and students, curated by Dimitris Karlaftopoulos, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2013.
“Fading away,” installation by Anna Maria Smyrnaki, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2013.
Meet the Artist (again), unmediated exhibition of visual artists and artisans, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2013.
“Watercolour International,” international watercolour exhibition, curated by Giorgos Politis, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2012.
“Women in R.E.D.,” TeeToTuM Art Group, curated by visual artists Georgia Grigoriadou, Fotini Hamidieli, and Joyce Bloem, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2012.
“Environment – Image – Form,” exploration of differences in style, form, and orientation between the younger generation of creators and the immediately preceding one, which in a way served as a model, conceptualized and curated by Panagiotis Beredimas, Myrό Gallery, Thessaloniki, 2011.
RELATED MATERIAL (selection)
Paris Kapralos in the Media
INTERVIEWS
Paris Kapralos: “Supporting artists is a fundamental issue in a society that needs to recover” (July 2018, Polis Magazino)
Paris Kapralos: Art demands love, dedication, and hard work (May 2020, Polis Magazino)
ARTICLES
(Paris Kapralos has an extensive body of work in the field of articles concerning visual arts. However, in this section of his biography, the selected articles presented in his Greek profile include the title, details of the media, and other relevant information for each article. Links are provided only for articles written in the English language)
– Watercolor, this unknown… (May 2023, Arts & Antiques CCR)
– Comment on the occasion of Augusta Savage’s birthday (March 2021, Arts & Antiques CCR)
– Untitled work: this scourge! (January 2021, Arts & Antiques CCR)
– Is being a visual artist a profession? (May 2020, Arts & Antiques CCR)
– A prayer for the new era (March 2020, Thoughts, Words, and Writings)
– Visual creation as a process of continuous self-negotiation (March 2020, Thoughts, Words, and Writings)
– Adorno’s “Aesthetic Theory”: the convergence of philosophy and art (February 2020, Thoughts, Words, and Writings)
– The role and impact of the Visual Curator (August 2017, Arts & Antiques CCR)
– Are film critics “art critics”? (September 2017, Thoughts, Words, and Writings)
– Art as a precondition of life (February 2016, Arts & Antiques CCR)
– I don’t want to exaggerate (July 2014, Thoughts, Words, and Writings)
– Ars gratia vitam, or towards a new reality of Art (that we will build) (December 2012, Thoughts, Words, and Writings)
– Giorgio de Chirico, 34 years later: a brief tribute (November 2012, Thoughts, Words, and Writings)
– Human relations in crisis: the gender factor in Art – an exhibition (August 2012, Thoughts, Words, and Writings)
– Nikolaos Gyzis, works alive 111 years later (April 2012, Arts & Antiques CCR)
SELECTION OF CURATORIAL NOTES & OTHER TEXTS
Under construction
