Date/Time
01/02/2024 - 12/05/2024
10:00 - 18:00

Location
B&M Theocharakis Foundation for the Fine Arts and Music

One hundred and sixteen important artworks of the painter Michalis Economou, born in Piraeus in 1884 and died in Dromokaiteio in 1933, complete the exhibition titled “Michalis Economou. The alchemy of painting”, curated by Dr. Afroditis Kouria. These artworks, reflect the deep desire of the painter himself, who emphasized: “I want to convey the feeling, as much feeling as I can…”. Thus, through his works, like “The Red Mountain”, “The Citadel”, “The Fishing House”, “Hydra”, but also “The Dreaming House”, propel  intense sensations.

As pointed out by Tatiana Averoff-Ioannou, President of the Evangelos Averoff-Tossizza Foundation: “His works exert an extraordinary, magical effect that captivates spectators. Economou is a painter loved equally by young and old, by artists, experts and visitors. It is no coincidence that Economou’s The dreaming house was one of Evangelos Averoff’s favorite paintings, I remember many years ago the painting resting on a chair in the dining room of our house, as my father was in the habit of doing before deciding whether to include a work of art in the collection he was planning for Metsovo or not. Over a period of two or three days, we would therefore all enjoy the prospective addition to the collection, discussing and offering our opinions on the subject, while sitting around the dinner table. We were of course fully aware that, in this particular case, our opinions carried very little weight – the decision had already been made. ‘Just look at how the colours blur, how the corners are softened’, he would marvel; ‘see the reflection in the water, why, this is a house that’s dreaming’. This is how the painting received its name and our Museum another iconic work of art.” 

The exhibition’s curator, dr. Aphrodite Kouria, mentions: “His perception of reality in its various manifestations is the hallmark of his creative process. Visual perception, not only as the predominant sense, but also as an experiental, mental and spiritual experience, takes multiple shapes and forms in the work of the artist, who was endowed with a singular quality of (painterly) gaze. Thus conceived, the act of seeing possesses a particular dynamic in terms of the artist’s approach and handling of his subject-matter. This also affects the viewer’s perception of his art, as it enriches the codes of communication between the two, with the painter serving as a mediator”.

During the exhibition there will be held educational programs for children, families and adults.

Curator: Aphrodite Kouria

Duration: February 1, 2024 – May 12, 2024

Opening hours: Monday-Sunday 10:00-18:00, Thursday 10:00-20:00

With the financial support and the aegis of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture 

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