Have you already had the chance to take a look at the latest exhibition by Govedarou Art Gallery, Nikos Kazantzakis' "Ascetic"? Today we had the chance to hear more about it from Nikolena Kalaitzaki, the curator of the exhibition.
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Nikos Kazantzakis' "Ascetic" is for me one of the most inspiring, spiritual creations that have existed over time. It is a majestic philosophical work, contemplative, with theological and political implications, which seeks to interpret and decode the meaning of human existence, which through constant and painful struggle, through battles, victories, defeats, joys, pain and sorrows, through the realization or frustration of his dreams, he succeeds with stubbornness and invulnerable inner fist to rise to the highest of the "superman" who can calmly, with heart, declare to the end: "I hope for nothing, I am not afraid of anything, [ ...], I am free ».
The works of the exhibition draw their inspiration from the book "Ascetic", with each artist quoting his personal visual narrative, which emerges through his spiritual interaction with this work. Thus, the works presented in the exhibition thematically deal with the eternal enigma of life and death, the joy and sorrow that accompany the moments of earthly, perishable and indestructible tour, and generally embrace the concept of freedom, attempt to give shape to soul, to travel us to the dark embrace of the abyss, to the vastness of heaven or to show us even God.
Nikos Kazantzakis "Ascetic" (work completed between 1922-1923) is a magnificent and timeless intellectual creation that manages to belong to every era. And this is because, his main distillate teaching, as I personally at least perceive it, is that man if he has faith in himself and mental endurance has the power to achieve everything against all obstacles, predictions and adversities of the path • is the very creator of reality who wants, from the heart, to live. There is, indeed, so much optimism behind it! "Ascetic" I feel that it shakes us from the misery of our comfort and tells us: "Get up now and Live! Reach your dreams!" And we often need that voice.
The purpose of Art is to live through us and those who love it. Even if we ephemerals leave ... Art will breathe because it is immortal; at least the next generations will rejoice in Art (!). I chose Govedarou Art Gallery in Thessaloniki because I always work according to my heart, mind, intuition and instinct, both personally and professionally. And this gallery includes all of the above.
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Kazantzakis always characterized his book “Ascetic” as a theological work. This can be seen in the participant artworks. I believe that the reader of an intellectual creation, a book in this case, as well as the viewer of a work of art has the freedom to interpret its content in the way they perceive it. Each of us sees, what one can see and respectively feels what one can feel. In case one can see or feel something further, this is good for his evolution. The adored Kazantzakis indeed characterized his work "Ascetic" purely theological and I certainly would not dare to go against it (!), But for me, for example, "Ascetic" is something beyond that, "a hymn of life", an excellent "self-improvement manual" that provides food for thought and action.
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Cover image: Veroniki Damianidou, Courtesy Govedarou Art Gallery
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