Acclaimed Curator, Dimitrios Antonitsis, Marks Quarter-Century Milestone Showcasing Global Female Talent
For art enthusiasts, summer on Hydra Island, Greece, has become synonymous with anticipation for Dimitrios Antonitsis' annual group show.
This year, the renowned curator celebrates his 25th exhibition with a groundbreaking showcase titled '8 Femmes'.
Housed in the island's school, this milestone event brings together eight exceptional female artists from diverse backgrounds, practices, and nationalities.
As we embark on this artistic journey, we invite you to explore the unique visions of Avantika, Leonora Carrington, Chiara Clemente, Mary Hatzinikoli, Mary Michalakakos, Valentina Palazzari, Priya Kishore, and Tschabalala Self.
Join us as we delve into each artist's contribution, celebrating a quarter-century of Antonitsis' curatorial brilliance and the power of women in contemporary art.
Dimitrios Anonitsis and his 8 femmes in detail | Hydra School Projects
Avantika: The Global Rhythm Alchemist Redefining Music's Boundaries
Avantika is more than just a musician; she's a cultural phenomenon weaving a tapestry of sound that spans continents and genres.
Hydra School Projects, curated by Dimitrios Antonitsis, showcases the artist Avantika in the show "8 Femmes" during the summer of 2024 | Image courtesy of the curator.
With roots in classical Indian training, she's cultivated a powerhouse vocal style that seamlessly fuses with rock. Avantika's artistry extends beyond the DJ booth; she's become a muse for the fashion world, infusing luxury brands with her vibrant beats.
Dominique Catherina Foertig
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Whether she's sharing the spotlight with music legends or crafting soundscapes for Christian Dior, Avantika's mission is clear: to ignite a worldwide movement with her spellbinding rhythms and irresistible charisma. She stands as a testament to the boundless potential of musical fusion, breaking barriers and redefining the music landscape.
Priya Kishore: The Alchemist of Traditional and Contemporary Art
Priya Kishore, an Indian-British-American artist, masterfully bridges the realms of tradition and modernity with her evocative works.
Drawing from a decade of immersive collaboration with artisans in India, Kishore's art encapsulates the intricate languages of hand-spun cloth, woven brocade, and metalwork.
Her latest series, "Vessels," melds watercolors with copper and steel, exploring the delicate balance between nature and the human-made.
Kishore's pieces, such as "Bruises" and "Threads," transform personal and collective experiences into tangible forms, inviting viewers to ponder the invisible threads of existence.
Hydra School Project 2024: Artist Priya Kishore showcases her Vessel Series (2022) curated by Dimitrios Antonitsis | Photo: Ernst Koslitsch
With a rich educational background from Oxford and the University of Chicago, Kishore's work is a profound dialogue on the nature of perception and reality.
Leonora Carrington: The Surrealist Sculptor Who Transcended Boundaries
Leonora Carrington is not just an artist; she's a visionary whose legacy transcends time and medium. Starting her sculptural journey at 21 while living with Max Ernst, her creations evolved from wood to the intricate use of concrete, iron, and precious metals.
By the late 1980s, Carrington was pioneering bronze casting, a technique she perfected until her passing in 2011. Her later works, encrusted with precious stones, reflect the mystical themes of her paintings—bringing characters like Syssigy and Cara Blanca to life.
Carrington's jewelry pieces are talismanic, embodying her belief in their protective powers. Celebrated globally, her art is an enduring testament to her boundless creativity and her role in shaping the Surrealist movement. The 59th Venice Biennale's dedication to her in 2022 cements her status as an immortal icon of artistic innovation.
Chiara Clemente: The Visual Storyteller Connecting Worlds
Chiara Clemente is more than a filmmaker; she's a global storyteller weaving visual narratives that transcend borders. Growing up in Italy, India, and New York, her exposure to diverse cultures and her father’s portrait studio ignited her passion for capturing human stories. By twelve, she was already filming her world, setting the stage for a career dedicated to intimate, revealing storytelling.
Clemente's acclaimed documentary, "Our City Dreams," premiered at the New York City Film Forum, showcasing her unique ability to connect deeply with her subjects. With projects like the Webby-winning "Beginnings" and collaborations with brands like Apple and Mercedes-Benz, Clemente continues to inspire. Currently, she is working on a documentary about the legendary artist duo Isabel and Ruben Toledo, further cementing her status as a visual alchemist.
Tschabalala Self: The Visual Maestro of Contemporary Expression
Tschabalala Self, born in 1990 in Harlem, NY, is a contemporary artist whose vibrant, textured works explore themes of identity, race, and gender.
Her art, showcased in prestigious institutions like the Brooklyn Museum and the Baltimore Museum of Art, blends painting, printmaking, and collage to depict dynamic, larger-than-life figures.
Self's creations are renowned for their vivid colors and layered materials, evoking movement and life within each piece. Her unique visual language challenges stereotypes and redefines the portrayal of Black bodies in art, making her a significant voice in contemporary art today.
Mary Hatzinikoli: The Ceramic Visionary of Athens
Mary Hatzinikoli, born in 1928 in Athens, is a trailblazing ceramist whose work bridges the traditional and avant-garde.
Educated at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris and the Académie di Belle Arti in Rome, she brought a classical foundation to her innovative ceramic sculptures.
In the late 1950s, Hatzinikoli began exhibiting her work, soon garnering international acclaim.
Her unique approach manipulates the ceramic surface to reflect the stratigraphy of the earth, embedding her pieces with a sense of timelessness and human presence.
As vice president of the Chamber of Fine Arts of Greece, she advanced contemporary ceramic arts. Her legacy continues to inspire, transforming ordinary clay into extraordinary narratives of texture and form.
Valentina Palazzari: The Alchemist of Time and Transformation
Valentina Palazzari, an Italian artist from Terni, ingeniously explores memory, space, and time through her multifaceted art.
Her works, spanning sculpture, painting, and digital media, create immersive installations that examine the processes of oxidation, decomposition, and transformation.
Palazzari's recent exhibitions include prestigious venues like Fondazione Volume! in Rome and the MLZ Art Gallery in Trieste.
Hydra School Projects: Artist Valentina Palazzari installation view 2024 | Details of her work
Her distinctive approach incorporates materials like rusted iron rods, plastics, and holograms, focusing on the physical and aesthetic changes over time.
"Rust Never Sleeps" exemplifies her philosophy, where the slow oxidation process dialogues with contrasting elements, reflecting the dynamic balance of nature and art.
Maro Michalakakos: The Enigmatic Weaver of Dreams and Reality
Maro Michalakakos, from Athens, Greece, crafts a universe where dreams and reality blur.
Her work—spanning sculptural installations, paintings, and performance art—delves into social and cultural narratives, interwoven with personal memories.
Hydra Island School Projects: Maro Michalakakos Installation View
Michalakakos' installations are philosophical realms filled with intense figures and themes, characterized by a refined rawness that draws viewers into a liminal space.
Her collaborations with major theaters and participation in international exhibitions underscore her dynamic artistic presence.
Hydra Island School Projects: Maro Michalakakos Installation View
Her works are housed in prestigious collections, including the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, testament to her profound impact on contemporary art.
Hydra School Project: About the Curator
Dimitrios Antonitsis, born in 1966 in Athens, is a prominent Greek artist and curator renowned for his experimental approach to art.
He founded and curates the Hydra School Projects (HSP) and the HSP Residency Program, transforming Hydra Island into an international visual arts hub since 2000.
His platforms showcase both emerging and established artists from Greece and globally, often in the old Hydra High School building.
With a background in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, where he specialized in High Speed Microscopic Photography, Antonitsis's multidisciplinary career spans photography, ceramics, and aluminum sculptures.
Dimitrios Antonitsis' current projects as an artist in his beautiful home on Hydra Island, Greece. His work explores themes of gender, identity, and social power, highlighting marginalized groups.
Antonitsis has held 15 solo exhibitions and participated in 35 group shows worldwide.
Notable works include the award-winning short film "Past Glories, Present Despondencies," created with the Robert de Niro film studio.
Dominique Catherina Foertig
Dimitrios Antonitsis showcase currently together with Helen Marden at The Old Carpet factory his works
His publications, "Showhungry" and "Agathon or Panic in Weimar," add to his acclaim.
Read more about Hydra Island Greece
His art is featured in prestigious collections like the National Museum for Contemporary Art in Athens, the DESTE Foundation, and the Benedikt Taschen Collection in Cologne.
Masterpieces in Hydra: A Tour of Must-See Exhibits:
We also highly recommend George Condo's "The Mad and the Lonely" at DESTE Foundation Project Space Slaughterhouse Hydra and the exhibition "The Warp of Time" at the Old Carpet Factory, featuring works by Helen Marden and Dimitrios Antonitsis, currently on view in Hydra.
Dominique Catherina Foertig
Read more about the current exhibition during the summer 2024 with "the mad and the lonely by artist George Condo and DESTE Foundation Slaughterhouse Greece
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