PRESS RELEASE
(Translated in English by Matt Gkikas)
“Me matia pou vlepoun” (“Through seeing eyes”), is a tome of selected essays by art historian and critic Beatrice Spiliadis between 1956 and 1986.
They are mainly articles -reviews in particular- in daily newspapers (Eleftherotypia, Kathimerini) and magazines on literature, the theatre and predominantly on visual arts; also, introductory notes in artists’ catalogs as well as texts included in publications that she personally edited etc. The task of selecting those essays that stand out within this vast material was not an easy one.
The book’s main attraction that keeps the reader literally transfixed is the Athenian cultural life between the early 60s and the mid 80s. A period during which issues such as rigid Academism or a misunderstood pursuit of “Greek Identity” in art are just starting to be resolved.
Using language accessible not only to specialists but also to the average reader, Beatrice Spiliadis aimed at sensitising the masses. That is why this particular publication constitutes an exciting vehicle which transports the reader to times and places inundated by senses and emotions through an almost literary narration.
The generous offer of visual material by artists as well as institutions -both private and public, is further reminder of the feelings that Spiliadis inspired in her collaborators.
The book also features essays by Eleni Varopoulou, Dimitris Gkionis, Antonis Kotidis, Fotos Lambrinos, Lina Papaioannou and Effie Strouza composing a biographical itinerary of Beatrice Spiliadis and her work.
