“Jannis Psychopedis: Landscapes of Memory. The Ones I Kept”: A tribute to the distinguished artist Jannis Psychopedis

The exhibition maps the artistic journey of Jannis Psychopedis from 1962 to the present day through 70 works. Of particular significance is the fact that these are works the artist himself chose to keep in his private collection, offering a rare and intimate insight into his work and artistic choices.

Jannis Psychopedis emerged on the visual arts scene within the climate of liberalism of the 1960s, as a prominent member of the Art Group ‘A’, the New Greek Realists group, as well as the Centre for Visual Arts. From the very beginning of his career, his works constitute tangible examples of a turn towards neo-figuration that was being felt on a global scale and had inevitably reached Greece as well. His richness and productivity within the newly-formed field of neo-realism may be partly attributed to the convergence of two worlds: a distinctly Greek-oriented and a Western-oriented artistic education. This crossroads of two worlds, which did not merge but coexisted, allowed for fertile interactive artistic exchanges, strengthening him to stand against the effects of aggressive industrialisation and excessive consumerism.

The exhibition is presented in 20 chapters, shaped according to the narratives and explanations of the artist himself. Indicatively, it begins with a series of works from 1962 which mark the true starting point of Psychopedis’ artistic path, followed by works from 1967 that capture the atmosphere of political and social unrest of the period.

The “Anatomy Lesson” unfolds the artist’s intense relationship with anatomy, which dates back to his student years. This relationship is also reflected in another section of the exhibition, where the figures seem to carry wounds that are not necessarily visible – even the nude models, which at first glance suggest an erotic presence, are rendered as fragile and almost injured bodies.

The series “The Letter that Never Arrived”, where elements of everyday life and personal references intermingle, was created using heterogeneous materials. “Night in Brussels”, a series produced after the artist settled in Brussels in 1986, focuses on the interaction between interior and exterior space, the private room and the image of the city beyond the windows. Meanwhile, the 1999 cycle “Report to Goya” is an anti-war statement that connects traumatic images of the past with contemporary events.

The “Oracle”, one of the artist’s most emblematic works, stands out for its complex and multilayered form, encompassing themes from both contemporary and ancient civilisation. References to classical antiquity are also evident in the series inspired by the major fires of 2007 in Ancient Olympia, which explore the relationship between the living present and a classical world functioning as a point of reference.

The exhibition is curated by Kyriakos Koutsomallis, General Director of the B&E Goulandris Foundation.

The exhibition is accompanied by an extensive catalogue in Greek and English as well as a three-episode podcast series, part of “B&E Goulandris Podcasts: an audio dive into the enchanting world of Art”, available on all platforms.

Throughout the exhibition, Greek-language guided tours will take place every Friday 18.00-18.45 as well as Saturdays and Sundays 16.00-16.45. In addition, the Foundation’s specially designed programme for people aged 60+ and for persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment titled “Games for Adults” will be held in the exhibition space during May, June and September, alongside the specially tailored mindfulness programme “Mindfulness at the Museum”. Educational workshops for children of different age groups are scheduled for September.

Curator: Kyriakos Koutsomallis, General Director of the Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation

Exhibition design: Paraskevi Gerolymatou, Andreas Georgiadis