For the first time ever in France the artist had his own exhibition in a national cultural institution. “Hello Dog!, Hello Sir!” was on display last year at the Passerelle, Center of Contemporary Art in Brest. This event was preceded by the donation of some of Georgiou's graphic works to the permanent collection of the Pompidou Center in Paris. On this occasion, we got in touch with the artist to get his reaction to these events that took place throughout 2020.
Where did the idea to donate several drawings to the Centre Pompidou come from?
My decision to gift some of my drawings to the Centre Pompidou came as a response to the honour of them adding two of my paintings to their collection. I wanted to share another stage of my creative process with them, casting a different light on myself and my vision. I chose each graphic work keeping this idea in mind. The Centre was as happy as I was to bring these works into their already admirable collection.
Apostolos Georgiou, Untitled (2018) — © gb agency
2020 was also the year of your first ever exhibition in a French museum.
As it was my first invitation to a national institution abroad, it holds a special significance for me. While I could not come to the Centre in person, I spent a delightful three days with its director Loic De Gall, who visited me here in Greece. This time with him comforted me in the idea that the exhibition was a good fit, and that my work would be shown according to my expectations. What I have seen from it confirms my hopes completely. It was a pleasant process and a thoughtful execution.
© Passerelle, Center of Contemporary Art in Brest
Your work is constantly evolving.
I am painting as I always have, out of my approach as a provocateur, with the aim of stirring the thoughts and feelings of others as much as my own with the stories told through my works. This calls for constant reinvention of both strategies and methods. I am looking in each painting for the next surprise - that it may touch the most unexpected places in our hearts and minds. My approach stems from my own past experiences and as a response to the changes around us, which calls for a new philosophy every day. On a technical level, the myth dimension within my paintings is more hidden than it was in my earlier work: the way the surface is divided is not always as clear as it was before.
As for my plans for the near future, I don’t tend to make any. I do not paint in series or for specific exhibits. I prefer to focus on one painting at a time and let the idea complete itself. Then move on to the next one.
© Passerelle, Center of Contemporary Art in Brest
