Costis (1950)

He was born in Athens in 1950. He initially studied Economics and Political Science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1968-1972). At the same time, he made his debut as a poet and visual artist in Greece. He continued his studies in France (Multimedia and Visual Arts and Philosophy, University of Paris VIII, 1972-1976), which he discontinued at the doctorat d'état level, under Jean-François Lyotard. He worked as an education consultant and Honorary Associate Professor at the same university.
The figure of the Fool, expressing his concerns about the relationship between man and social environment, is omnipresent in his early paintings. During the 1970s, he turned to a more abstract style and experimented with Visual Poetry, while shifting towards a conceptual approach to issues regarding the communicative role of art. Then, he went on to express his critical perspective towards art as a system (Mediassemblages series, 1984), in which the processing of color reverses and redefines the semantic content of the works. The study of the relationship of color to semantics drives him to employ more multifaceted expressive media, visual and electronic, thus reflecting his ongoing concern regarding the topic of communication through art. In his recent installations, where the patterns of Thunder and Labyrinth prevail, he attempts to compose a human and historical experience, often in the form of a ritual that emphasizes the universality of his messages.
Alongside his artistic work, he has been extremely active in poetry, has published books, has organized artistic groups and has created art periodicals, and artist's books. He has participated in poetic performances and many international conferences and symposia on Art and Technology, Poetry, New Technologies, etc. His articles have often been published in Greek magazines. He has also worked as an assistant film director and has himself directed the feature film Saga of a City (1976). Overall, his artistic presence is dominated by a radical vein to explore the boundaries of the artistic act, expanding to philosophical and social issues, with a particular emphasis on the process of creation.
He has held 25 solo shows in art galleries and museums in Europe and has participated in over 100 international group exhibitions. His works are in museums and private collections in Greece, France, Belgium, Germany, et al.