The Círculo de bellas artes – Casa Europa presented an exhibition on Dimitris Pikionis (1887-1968) on Thursday, showcasing the life and work of the Greek architect who had a profound impact on 20th-century Greek culture. Pikionis was influenced by modern European painting through his studies in painting and sculpture and his time in Paris.
The project highlights his role in introducing the avant-garde in Greece by creating the magazine En Trito Mati (third eye), which was significant in the 1930s for aesthetic theory and artistic practices.
The exhibition ‘Dimitris Pikionis. An Aesthetic Topography’, curated by Juan Miguel Hernández León and Covadonga Blasco, focuses on Pikionis’ landscape designs around the Acropolis of Athens, rich in pictorial references in its pavements. These works were completed in 1958 after a complex construction process.
The exhibition showcases how the architect merged modernity with tradition through an exploration of the creative process behind six of his most recognized architectural works, revealing his unique vision of landscape as art. The architect’s images, drawings, and plans are complemented by his own words, thoughts, reflections, and autobiographical notes.
Hernández León emphasized during the presentation that one of Pikionis’ goals was to «Work to propose an identity problem about art, something that makes him very contemporary. He tackles Hellenism without abandoning the realm of modern application.»
The exhibition, organized in collaboration with the Benaki Museum in Athens, the Instituto Cervantes in Athens, the Italian Istituto di Madrid, and the Greek Embassy in Spain, is a production of the Círculo de Bellas Artes based on research into Pikionis’ work and writings.
Aglaía Balta, the Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic, stated that it «Strengthens the cultural ties between Spain and Greece through the universality of art.»
The project includes a large topographical model showcasing the complete intervention of the Acropolis Access Rehabilitation Project, as well as an exclusive interview with Agni Pikioni (Athens, 1941), the architect’s daughter who has dedicated years to researching, studying, and promoting her father’s work.
«First and foremost, Dimitris Pikionis was a painter and a quiet man. For him, art was a transition from nature. His exhibition, brought into the 21st century, can help us reclaim a slow period,» said Covadonga Blasco.
The exhibition is part of the Círculo’s programming this season, dedicated to celebrating the centenary of the Surrealist Manifesto and includes exhibitions focused on Dalí and Max Ernst, among other activities.