Concept by Kirios Criton (2017)
1.
The project:
An exhibition dedicated to the poet, novelist, essayist, painter, seeker & philosopher Hermann Hesse.
V art installations by Kirios Criton. An exhibition of boxes, 55 works by 50 well known Greek artists (including poets, sculptors, painters, photographers, designers, video artists, musicians, jewelers and more)
Each participant received a text from Hermann Hesse's book, based on which, they will be inspired to create a box. At the same time, each entry will contain an art object which can be produced in several numbered copies for sale.
Location of the exhibition: In Piraeus Harbor, Greece, at P.I. Zouganelis SA Pharos Building – June 2017.
2.
Hermann Hesse:
Born on July 2, 1877, in Calw, Germany, Hermann Hesse cultivated a career as a poet before releasing his debut novel, Peter Camenzind, in 1904. He eventually penned acclaimed books such as Siddharta, Steppenwolf and The Glass Bead Game, among other long-form works and novellas.
Hesse protested German fighting in WWI and later earned the 1946 Nobel Prize in Literature. He died on August 9, 1962.
3.
Kirios Criton:
Born & raised in Piraeus in 1959. Now lives & works in Athens. He studied graphic arts - advertising - architectural design at the Doxiadis school & interior design at A.K.T.O.
He started with the window of the well-known Utopia store in Kolonaki. He wrote for years in Status, Woman, Art Magazine. He has designed areas for shops - cafes - clubs + restaurants. A typical example in 1999 was the "Left Right" restaurant in Roof. In the 80s-90s he created the well-known Epemvassis who made a "school". Participated in international Art + Design exhibitions abroad. Like those of S.A.D.+ F.I.A.C. at the Grand Palais in Paris. Design private homes + buildings in Greece + abroad such as + furniture - jewelry - objects always in limited circulation.
He has created his personal Art spaces such as the Gallery "Never on Sunday" in Thisio, the three-story prive "III" in Psirri, the "Bunker" in the Metropolis of Athens, the "Giardino Modesto" + finally the ephemeral space of "Padaneospadanea". His works & numbered applied art furniture are in private collections of Greek and foreign collectors.
Today, Kirios Criton summarizes in a luxurious book of life (30x25 cm with 512 pages, Graphic Design Stavrielena Dimitrakopoulou), his aesthetics, ideas and art, published by the Copelouzos Family Art Museum, of old friends of Criton, Sandy and Dimitris Kopelouzos.
4.
My text participation:
“Τhe shop windows are full of things which, he believes, nobody actually needs and are there to make money for their manufacturers. Once, in a moment of weakness, the Christmas-lit streets seem "beautiful" to him. But this game doesn't fool her either. Of course this whole celebration of love is nothing but commerce. And he is disgusted by the thought that in normal circumstances families are pulled together for a few hours celebrating a holiday of family happiness.”
The logic of my approach:
A wooden box painted on the outside with red metallic paint so that with its shine and its texture it can refer us to the beautiful and illuminated Christmases. Inside it small rotation mechanisms (motors) that turn slowly framed by metal circular filters of all the basic colors on which light is directed from bundles of leds at 4 points inside it. With each turn all the primary colors are reflected in upright narrow mirrors placed at specific points inside the box.
When the box lights up with the side switch, the joy, love and brightness of Christmas is produced which is evident from the central big slit (parallelogram shaped) that is in front of the box. The inside of the box is painted black and when that goes off we can seethe darkness from the parallel slit.This is how Hermann Hesse compares this celebration to darkness. A celebration where only the merchants win or which initially deceives you as a celebration of love and joy but its true face leads you to darkness as it is based on the characteristic of weakness.
A darkness ruled by hypocrisy, interests, untrue love and joy, which leads to the daily ugly behaviors that prevail under normal circumstances in the family that christens this Christmas season as holidays of family happiness. A small showcase framed in a wooden box that with its function tries to transform what the text says.
Stamped into the side of this small display case is a metal handle, which was originally designed and produced for this project. Her name is “Ranatra”.
The handle took his name from "Renatra elongata", an insect known as water scorpion or waterstick-insect. Their legs are very strong & are used to grasp prey. Thats why the handle has seven contact points, which give a great stability on the surface, they grasp. I designed the handle inspired by the insect's body form and shape.
An insect that staples this small display case combines all the features that disgust Hermann Hesse and its morphology is designed so that this object can be produced and manufactured as a utilitarian numbered handle object.
The combination of art and design gives an impressive form to the object & another approach of how a handle can transform and be different.
Its form is designed in such a way that its handle is ergonomic and its usability responds properly so that it can be functional providing stability and an impressive morphology.
