Dimitris Tzamouranis in Dialogue with the Reinking Collection
In times of social and political tension, with fragile certainties and an uncertain future, the concept of paradise initially seems strange. And yet, it is precisely now that a more intensive engagement with this idea is worthwhile. Not as a place of refuge, but as a conceptual framework: as a question of how and where we locate ourselves.
The Italian theorist Antonio Gramsci described such transitional phases of social reorientation as moments in which the old is passing away, but the new has not yet taken shape. In this state of limbo, phenomena emerge that are difficult to categorize. A feeling of confusion arises within us, often described as „monstrous.“ This does not refer to a concrete threat, but rather to a reality that has lost its familiar order.
What Paradise!? begins precisely here.
The exhibition brings the paintings of Dimitris Tzamouranis into a deeper dialogue with works from the Reinking Collection. Shaped by existential questions and an understanding of art as a mirror, the exhibited paintings and sculptures are transformed from mere exhibits into confrontations that challenge viewers to seek self-discovery: Where am I in my life? Where do I come from? Where do I want to go? What is important to me?
Tzamouranis‘ paintings also revolve around this form of self-encounter. His figures are present yet withdrawn, often introspective. They defy clear narratives, instead opening a space for contemplation. His visual worlds are characterized by quiet melancholy, physical presence, and a latent uncertainty: spaces appear remote, relationships undefined, identities in flux.
This approach enters into an open dialogue with works from various artistic strategies and generations: sculpture, photography, painting, and works on paper meet in a field of tension defined by physicality, social reality, memory, and media transformation. The participating artists explore questions of belonging, identity, and social construction through fragmentation, exaggeration, or unflinching directness. In juxtaposition with the works in the collection, a dialogue emerges that focuses less on collective interpretation than on personal experience.
