"Overlook" is a series of 280 drawings: a familiar cosmos of dense and awry narratives. "Carnage of ennui" consists of a sphere made of the artist's nails, which constantly rolls over a strongly lightened surface so as the shadow of the sphere is projected on the wall.
Qbox gallery is pleased to present Pavlos Nikolakopoulos’ solo exhibition entitled Overlook. The artist
presents an installation comprised of two separate and interdependent works.
The first art piece that gave the title to the show (Overlook, 2011-2012) depicts a series of 280 drawings in ink
and acrylic on paper, sized A5 each. A familiar cosmos of dense and awry narratives is portrayed, which seeks
to ensnare the spectator into an apparently purposeless wandering of the gaze. Yet, as soon as the viewer
somewhat distances himself from the work, he is able to perceive the drawing of a violent conflict, visible only in
overview.
The second work with the title Carnage of ennui (2012) consists of a sphere made of the artist’s nails, which
constantly rolls over a strongly lightened surface so as the shadow of the sphere is projected on the wall. The
movement of the sphere is strictly orientated from one corner of the wall to the other. In addition, the whole
construction is inside a room where the only contact with the viewer occurs through an embrasure, where he
could distinguish the shapes on the walls created by the shadow of the nails. The artist places on the external
corner of the room a dental sample in which he has excessively sharpened one tooth, which is an element that
alludes to a cannibal’s trait.
With a slight sarcasm, the artist comments upon the course of our alienation and passivity that results to a
“carnage of ennui”, while he asserts that contemporary man has been alienated due to the bribery that
prosperity and the controlled guidance offers. This situation has been solidified after making blunt his key
means of defense, his subjective judgment and the desire for a self-willed life. Unable to incorporate in life, man
has learned to perceive reality only as an image and himself as part of it. Therefore, he becomes weak and
fractured and survives as a momentary apparition, detached from his history and social context.
Pavlos Nikolakopoulos was born in 1973 in Athens, Greece and has attained a BFA from the Athens School
of Fine Arts (1996). He has participated in numerous group shows, such as: A Rock and A Hard Place, 3
Thessaloniki Biennale (2011), Greece; Aftermath, 25th Alexandria Biennial, Egypt (2009); Personal-Political, 2
Thessaloniki Biennale (2009), Greece; Heterotopias, 1st Biennale of Thessaloniki (exhibition Other Places),
(2007) Greece; Drawing Screen, Museum of Cinema (2006), Greece; An Outing, Contemporary Art in Greece in
the 21st Century, Beltsios Collection, Trikala (2006); Dialogues, Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art
(2005), Greece.
For more information please contact Elli Paxinou at elli@qbox.gr or on +30.211.1199.991
Opening: Thursday, April 26, 19:00 – 22:00
Qbox Gallery
Armodiou 10, Varvakeios agora, Athens
Visiting hours: Tue – Fri 12:00-18:00, Sat 12:00-16:00