SKETBE - GREECE
INDIA 2014
SKETBE - GREECE
INDIA 2014
SKETBE 10 Fleming Str GR 54642 Thessaloniki Greece
sketbe.blogspot.gr sketbe@gmail.com
SKETBE Board George Politis Constantinos Balian Ioanna Assani Sofia Amperidou Ioannis Monogyios Nikos Bendilas Chryssa Stavreva
President Vice President General Secretary Treasurer Member Member Member
A FEW LINES ABOUT SKETBE Founded on 12th October 1983, the Association of Visual Artists of Northern Greece (SKETBE) is now in its third decade. It is a non-profitmaking organization set up by a group of well-known artists from Thessaloniki. Its aims are to cultivate and disseminate the visual arts in northern Greece; to promote artists working in the region; to encourage their active participation in cultural and social life; to support artistic decentralization and to collaborate with sister agencies in Greece and elsewhere. The Association's first administrative board was founded by Nikos Sachinis (President), Loukas Venetoulias (Vice-President), Stelios Skoulos (General Secretary), Kiriakos Kabathakis (Treasurer) and Sotiris Zervopoulos while its statutes were approved by a group of renowned artists from Northern Greece. Today there are more than 280 members of SKETBE including: academics, members of International Art Associations, art school graduates and many distinguished artists from Thessaloniki and Northern Greece.
EXHIBITIONS IN GREECE The first SKETBE exhibition took place in 1984 during the 19th Dimitria Festival at the gallery of the Society of Macedonian Studies with the involvement of Professor Chrisanthos Christou of Athens University. More shows followed: at the Athens National Gallery in 1988; in Kavala, Volos, Xanthi and Komotini in 1989; in Chalkidiki in 1992; in Drama and Kilkis in 1994; in Lamia, Kozani, Katerini, Naoussa and Chania in 2000; in Ioannina in 2006; in Serres in 2009 and in Veroia in 2010. These exhibitions involved the following art critics: Emmanouil Mavromatis, Alkis Charalambidis, Dimitris Papastamou, Nelly Misirli, Miltiadis Papanikolaou, Anastassia Makridou, Katia Kilessopoulou, Alexandra GoulakiVoutira, Giannis Tsoutsas, Evi Melessiadou, Evangelos Dimitreas and Anna Arambatzi. In addition, during 2002, Lina Tsikouta wrote the introduction for the 1st Pan-Hellenic Miniature Exhibition at Vafopoulio Cultural Center during the 36th Dimitria Festival and the 1st Inter-Balkanic Art Exhibition at the State Museum of Modern Art, Thessaloniki.
Worthy of mention are the Association's participation during 1997 in Thessaloniki's year as Cultural Capital of Europe; its approval for ''Paroikia Istion''; its involvement in the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace Development Program (Thrace-Aegean-Cyprus) and participation in the artist's village in Marathokampos on Samos. SKETBE has organized symposiums, such as the International Symposium of Art in Ierissos Chalkidiki in 2006, as well as student workshops and various competitions. Charity exhibitions and donations of work have helped people such as the Tsunami victims in Indonesia where a percentage of sales at the State Museum of Modern Art was given to the charity Medecins sans Frontiers. Throughout its long history SKETBE has faced many difficulties, the problem of finding premises being amongst the most challenging. Attempts to find solutions date back to 1987 when the municipality of Thessaloniki suggested that, in return for organising art exhibitions in the building, the Association move into the top floor of 9a Ethnikis Aminis Street. A study for better use of the premises was begun by Konstantinos Lefakis but it was not realised until 1998 when SKETBE agreed to take some of the responsibility for art shows. From 1999 until 2003 the Municipality of Agios Pavlos gave the Association a venue for board meetings and permission to hold exhibitions in the Municipal Conservatory. In addition they provided administrative support and access to publications such as the local newspaper. Opening with a speech by poet Ntinos Christianopoulos, an exhibition in memory of Vassilis Rogotis was held in the Conservatory. Sadly the City Council eventually withdrew their support due to the lack of organised events. Subsequent meetings were held at the Scout's Hall in Vassileos Georgiou Street. Then, in 2004, the Organisation for the Promotion of Greek Culture in Thessaloniki (OPEP) allocated a small office for board meetings in the Old Town (Gorgous 11). At the same time the Association was given use of the Gallery of the State Theatre of Northern Greece for exhibitions. Unfortunately the lack of exhibitions resulted in this decision being rescinded in 2007.
Two years later the premises in Gorgous 11 were totally destroyed in a fire. Whilst this was a tragic event it resulted in a wave of support culminating in the organization of an International Mail Art Exhibition on the theme of anti-violence. This was a collaboration between SKETBE and the Pedagogic Faculty of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki which involved art critics Anna Arambatzi and Maria Kenanidou and attracted a total of 520 artists from 35 countries. Concurrently there was a meeting at the university supported by the art critics Panagiotis Bikas, Elli Kokkini and others. There was also a petition to support the Association and artists and art organisations worldwide put forward proposals for financial assistance. The subsequent re-organising of SKETBE finances, including the sales of books and artworks, the setting up of workshops, the collection of member subscriptions and other activities resulted in the renting and refurbishment of the current premises at 10 Fleming Street. Other events worth mentioning include: a homage to the poet, Yannis Ritsos; the catalogues for the 45th Dimitria Festival exhibition in Vafopoulio and at the Society of Macedonian Studies; exhibitions of miniatures in Thessaloniki, Ioannina and Veroia Galleries and the Mail Art exhibitions in Serres and Chalastra against the abuse of women and children. The “May Day Sketching Project� was started in 2009 with the support of the Assistant Minister for Culture in the Municipality of Thessaloniki. Art critics including Professor Vassilios Paschalis of Ioannina University are already contributing to it. A digital newspaper has been published and a new magazine is on its way. A website and a blog promote all of the Association's artistic activity on the Internet. Since 2006 a new membership card allows SKETBE members free entrance to museums and reductions on art materials. SKETBE has established itself in the past twenty eight years by consistently contributing to cultural life at home and abroad and will continue to do so into the future. While we still need the support of our sponsors and publishers and continue to look to public bodies for new exhibition venues our plan, now that we have permanent premises and resources, is to consolidate our position. We will do this by establishing a library, a member's gallery and meeting place as well as by organizing seminars, art workshops and exhibitions. Our aim is to continue to develop and grow, becoming a centre of artistic excellence for members, artists and all interested parties.
CHRYSSOULA PAPADAKI, Under the same sky, we all are
KONSTANTINA DELLATOLA, Untitled
FOTINI HAMIDIELI, Secret Garden
IOULIA MANOUSI, Colors of India
FROSSO VIZOVITOU, Oppression
KYRIAKI CHARALAMBIDOU, Untitled
VOULA LAZARIDOU, Depends on you
MARIA KOMPATSIARI, Idiolect 105
GEORGE POLITIS, Done
ELENA DIMIROPOULOU, Dolls II
KONSTANTINOS BALIAN, Eros
YANNIS ADAMANTIDES, Relocating the past
SOFIA AMPERIDOU, Goddess Athena
STELIOS STAVROU, Pomegranate
IOANNIS MONOGYIOS, God save our skulls
PERIKLIS COSTOPOULOS, Balances
LORRAINE DIETRICH, Lumineuse Romance
IOANNA ASSANI, Identification, art video
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS YANNIS ADAMANTIDES SOFIA AMPERIDOU IOANNA ASSANI KIRIAKI CHARALAMBIDOU KONSTANTINOS BALIAN KONSTANTINA DELLATOLA LORRAINE DIETRICH ELENA DIMIROPOULOU FOTINI HAMIDIELI MARIA KOMPATSIARI PERIKLIS COSTOPOULOS VOULA LAZARIDOU IOULIA MANOUSI IOANNIS MONOGYIOS CHRYSSOULA PAPADAKI GEORGE POLITIS STELIOS STAVROU FROSSO VIZOVITOU
yannis@adamantides.com ampersof@gmail.com ioassani@gmail.com info@kyriaki.com.gr magmad@gmail.com oliadellatola@gmail.com dietrichlorraine@hotmail.com elena@e-dimiropoulou.gr fhamidieli@gmail.com maria@kompatsiari.gr perikosto@hotmail.com vlazarid@yahoo.gr jmanousi@yahoo.com yiannismo@gmail.com chryssoulapapadaki@gmail.com info@georgepolitis.gr stavroust35@gmail.com frossolinda@gmail.com
This catalog was published for the exhibition of SKETBE in Lalit Kala Academy (New Delhi - July 2014).