Then came the refugees
Dimitris Tzanis was born in Heraklion, Crete, in 1953. He held 19 solo exhibitions, the most recent one being “Papilionoideae” (Art Athina 2019 in Zappeion). The most important ones are: “In my teenage room…” (Heraklion 2016), “Sombre body” (Technochoros Art gallery, Athens), “Garage“, “Transit”, and “Stasis” (Ariadni art gallery in Heraklion), “Lazarakia” (Praxis bookstore, Heraklion), “Free Pratique” (Thessaloniki), “Tell me where you are…” (Mylonoyiannis gallery, Chania), “Deposit” Art Athina 7’99, “Anabiosis” (Skoufa art gallery), “BULLS – Invisible souls” (Technochoros Art gallery, Athens). He took part in more than 70 group exhibitions in Greece and Italy. He participated in the exhibition In Touch 2006 themed “In Search for freedom“, where he was awarded with the 3rd prize and in Touch 2009 themed “Rhythms“, where he was awarded with the 2nd prize. His works are found in private collections in Greece and abroad. He worked as a designer in University institutions of Crete, the Vikelaia Municipal Library of Heraklion and publishing houses.
Dimitris Tzanis
Born in 1953 in Heraklion, Crete
Solo exhibitions
1988 – “Garage”, Ariadni art space, Heraklion
1989 – “Katsoulinos”, Graffity, Heraklion
1998 – “Transit”, Ariadni art space, Heraklion
1998 – “Terra Cotta”, Art intervention, Candia Maris, Heraklion
1999 – “Deposit”, Art Athina 7’99, Ariadni art space, Athens
1999 – “Back to class”, Art intervention at the “Pangrition” school, Heraklion
2001 – “Anabiosis”, painting and constructions, Skoufa Gallery, Athens
2002 – “Free Pratique”, painting and constructions, Thessaloniki Municipality Art Gallery
2004 – “Stasis”, Ariadni art space, Heraklion
2005 – “Tell me where you are…”, painting, V. Mylonoyiannis art gallery, Chania
2008 – “Bulls”, Evdomi Opsi art space, Chania
2009 – “Mora”, online exhibition, http://mora-babes.blogspot.com/
2010 – “My Retrospectives”, Studio 2 multipurpose venue, Heraklion
2010 – “Bulls, invisible souls”, Technochoros art gallery, Athens
2013 – “Lazarakia, ephemeral art”, Art activity, Praxis bookstore, Heraklion
2013 – “Bulls, invisible souls II”, “Pangrition” school, Heraklion
2014 – “Sombre body”, Technochoros art gallery, Athens
2016 – “In my teenage room…”, installation in the “Invisible City”, former First Police Department of Heraklion, Association of Architects of the Municipality and of the Ephorate of Antiquities
Group exhibitions
1994 – Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Athens – Arts Centre
1995 – Mylos Multiplex, Thessaloniki
2000 – Skoufa Gallery, Athens
2001 – “Month of Fine Arts”, Technopolis Municipality of Athens
2001 – Skoufa Gallery, Athens
2001 – Ariadni art space, Heraklion
2002 – “Com-munication radio”, Millennium multipurpose venue, Patras
2003 – “Oikade”, exhibition of Cretan artists, L. Kanakakis Municipal Art Gallery, Rethymnon; Melina Cultural Centre, Athens; St. Mark’s Basilica, Heraklion (curated by Maria Maragou)
2003 – “Symbols”, Mylos Multiplex, Thessaloniki
2003 – “Symbols II”, Ancient Olympia
2003 – Skoufa Gallery, Athens
2003 – “The Olive Tree and the Natural Environment”, G. Kounalis Exhibition Space, Chania; Students’ place, Rethymnon; Municipal Art Gallery, Agios Nikolaos
2004 – “The World of the Olive”, Vikelaia Library, St. Mark’s Basilica, Heraklion (curated by Nikos Karelis)
2004 – “Polis”, Polis art space, Heraklion
2004 – “On the occasion of the Olympic Games”, Skoufa Gallery, Athens
2005 – “Universes of Women and Men”, Xenia Cultural Centre, Rethymnon; Koundouros’ Villa, Chania; St. Mark’s Basilica, Heraklion
2005 – “Otherness”, Touch 2005, Municipal Art Gallery of Agios Nikolaos
2005/06 – “In Praise of the Olive”, United Nations Building, New York, USA; Volos, Municipal Art Gallery of Larissa – Katsigras Museum
2006 – “Portraits of art collectors from Chania”, Municipal Art Gallery of Chania
2006 – “Universes of Women and Men”, Municipal Gallery of Corfu; Yeni Mosque, Thessaloniki; Cultural Centre, Avdou
2006 – “Odysail 06”, Xenia Cultural Centre, Rethymnon
2006 – “In Search for freedom”, Touch 2006, Municipal Art Gallery of Agios Nikolaos, 3rd Prize
2007 – “Aspects of Contemporary Art in Crete”, Network of Visual Artists of Heraklion, Creta Maris, Hersonissos
2007 – “The Greek Spirit”, Touch 2007, Municipal Gallery of Agios Nikolaos
2007 – “50 years since Spinalonga”, Elounda
2007 – Melina Cultural Centre, Athens
2007 – “East and West”, Evdomi Opsi art space, Chania
2008 – “In Heraklion”, Network of Visual Artists of Heraklion, St. Mark’s Basilica, Heraklion
2008 – “Red”, Costas Kouvidis, St. Mark’s Basilica, Heraklion
2008 – “1st Mediterranean Symposium of Environmental Art “, Gergeri, Municipality of Rouvas
2008 – “Metamorfosis”, Touch 2008, Municipal Art Gallery of Agios Nikolaos
2009 – “1X1 Human Fauna”, Network of Visual Artists of Heraklion, St. Mark’s Basilica, Heraklion
2009 – “Landscape Stories. From tradition to sustainability”, Ministry of Culture-The Bath of the House of Winds, Athens; St. Mark’s Basilica, Heraklion (curated by Louisa Karapidaki)
2009 – “Ash in Art – moving across”, Manos Loizos’ Cultural Centre, Nikaia
2009 – “wine and truth”, Network of Visual Artists of Heraklion, Nikos Kazantzakis Museum, Myrtia
2009 – “Rhythms” – Rhythms of life & Rhythms in Art, Touch 2009, Municipal Art Gallery of Agios Nikolaos; Athinais Art Gallery, 2nd Prize
2009 – “No man’s land”, Arts Centre of the Municipality of Athens (curated by Lena Kokkini)
2009 – “The human figure in art”, Technopolis Municipality of Athens
2010 – 8th International Biennale, Network of Visual Artists of Heraklion, Sardinia
2010 – “Silences”, Network of Visual Artists of Heraklion, St. Mark’s Basilica, Heraklion; Municipal Art Gallery of Agios Nikolaos
2010 – “Landscape stories. From tradition to sustainability”, San Marco dei Cavoti, Italy (curated by Louisa Karapidaki)
2010 – “Erysichthon, A Modern Reading of the Myth”, Academy of Athens, Leonidas Kanellopoulos Cultural Centre, Elefsina (curated by Louisa Karapidaki)
2010 – “Contemporary art… a look at the visual landscape of Crete”, Museum of Visual Art; Corfu Municipality Art Gallery
2010 – “Facing People”, Studio 2 multipurpose venue, Heraklion
2011 – “Limit”, Network of Visual Artists of Heraklion, St. Mark’s Basilica, Heraklion
2011 – “Accessible Art”, Network of Visual Artists of Heraklion, Hall AIII Art Ground, Heraklion
2012 – “My Greece”, Network of Visual Artists of Heraklion, St. Mark’s Basilica, Heraklion
2012 – “Invisible city”, former AR conservatory (Mansion of Bey Sekerias), Heraklion
2013 – “Reference to Nikos Kazantzakis”, Museum of Contemporary Art of Crete, Rethymnon (curated by Chrysoula Skepetzi)
2014 – “The Marquis de Sade and the Virtue of Cruelty”, XANIaRT 2014, Trianon mansion, Chania (curated by Dr. Doukas Kapandais, Dr. Konstantinos V. Proimos & Ioannis N. Archontakis)
2015 – “ZOO”, Heraklion Museum of Visual Art
2015 – “The Invisible Islands”, Heraklion Museum of Visual Art; Chania
2016 – “Without weight, volume, dimension”, AS Gallery, Heraklion
2016 – “Wine_ART, works inspired by wine”, AS Gallery, Heraklion
2016 – “Opsarion”, Technochoros art gallery; Varoulko seaside restaurant, Piraeus
2017 – “Body and contemporary crisis”, Centre for Mediterranean Architecture, Chania (curated by Chrysoula Skepetzi)
2017 – “Anxious Portraits Asking for a Reader III”, XANIaRT 2017, Heraklion Museum of Visual Art; Match More Underground Art Gallery, Platanias, Chania (curated by Dr. Konstantinos V. Proimos & Ioannis N. Archontakis)
2017 – “Ring V”, XANIaRT 2017, Morfes Art Gallery, Rethymnon; AS Gallery, Heraklion; Contemporary Art Museum of Chania – Olive Press (curated by Meraklis Rogakos)
2018 – “Iconoclastic Idols”, Contemporary Art Museum of Chania – Olive Press (curated by Dr. Konstantinos V. Proimos & Ioannis N. Archontakis)
2019 – ” Papilionoideae “, Art Athina 2019, Technochoros art gallery, Athens
He wrote articles and produced illustrations in newspapers and magazines. He also designed and edited book covers for various publishing houses. From 1992 to 1998 he worked as a graphic designer at Crete University Press.
He also hosted radio talk shows.
He collaborated with the Multimedia Laboratory of the University of Crete, the ICS-Forth as well as the Faculty of Medicine for the celebration of its 25th anniversary.
On his oeuvre: Maria Maragou “multiple mobility”, Newspaper Eleftherotypia, 8-10-2001 p.10
Personal website: http://dimitristzanis-site.blogspot.com/