Contarini Nefeli (1954)

Born in Athens in 1954, she studied at the Croydon College of Art and Design in London (1979-1982). She also took classes in filmmaking at the Stavrakos School, philosophy at the Society of Philosophical Research and art history and philosophy at Panteion University, after which she lived in Florence to study the city’s art and architecture. Then, she completed an interdisciplinary postgraduate program on music, culture and communication at the University of Athens (2013-2014).
Having started with pottery she soon turned to sculpture, making abstract works with clear geometric forms with materials like iron, marble, neon light and using sound as yet another material since the 80's. Then she went on to installations. After the 1990s and a photographic tour of major archaeological sites (Delphi, Olympia, Dion, Dodona, Eleusis, Sounion...) she develops a close relationship with historical locations in Greece and attempts a kind of dialogue between history and the present time. She highlights the ambience, the spirit and the special historical charge of each site, reworking the space with contemporary media and materials while always retaining her clean and simple forms.
She has created works for public spaces and was a member of the Attiko Metro S.A. committee in charge of artwork installations in Metro stations (2007-2009). In 2011 she completed the Fallen Heroes’ Memorial at Tyros, Arcadia.
Between 1984 and 2003 she taught art at various schools (Moraitis, I.M. Panagiotopoulos, Athens College, Ziridis, Hill, Chalkida Workshop, Vakalo). As part of her teaching activities she organized special educational programs and student exhibitions. She has also curated major thematic exhibitions in historic sites such as the Battleship G. Averoff - Naval Museum in Palaio Farilo, Athens and the old Hammam Baths in Athens and Thessaloniki, actively integrating the spatial element in the exhibition narrative. She also organized solo exhibitions in museums and archaeological sites of Athens. She dealt particularly with the dialectical relationship between art and the physical surroundings. Her articles have been published in newspapers and magazines.
She has presented her work in solo and group exhibitions in Greece and abroad. Her works can be found in many museums and collections (National Gallery, Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, Collection Mediterranean Society, Cycladic Gallery, Emfietzoglou Collection, Alpha Bank Collection, etc.).