ἅμαdeus

---

ἅμαdeus unfolds as a post-contemporary synthesis, comprisingthe works of 17 Greek and international artists. The exhibition is an exploration of acausal connecting principles that link the showcased works with the project D.E.U.S. Conceptualised by the forward-thinking visual artist Panolabrou in 2018, D.E.U.S. signals an intersubjective procession into the qualitative amalgam of information bestowed upon humanity. It seeks to delve into the quintessence of human senses while cultivating love and real sympathy.

The title ἅμαdeus, resonating with the ancient Greek term "ἅμα", denoting simultaneity and converging with the Latin words "amare" and "deus," forms a theophoric identity that evokes love—whether it be for or by God.

The exhibition explores the diverse conditions, where the realms of the imaginary and the real, the animate and inanimate intersect. This transformative chartography turns the juxtaposition between art and reality into a critical exercise that shatters the boundaries between perception and deception concatenating earthly delights with transcendental landscapes.

Embarking on a quest for sensuality and sensorial stimuli, the participating artists deliberately immerse themselves in situations that disrupt the discrimination between literality and allegory, between the tangible and the imaginary. This exercise, challenging the limits of deceptive functions ofperception, leads to the revolutionary renegotiation of reality itself. Dreams, illusions, and simulations become omnipotent conduits testing the very boundaries of human perception, deepening the foundations of reality. Through this intentional deception, a new, artificial type of the real emerges—a concept that boldly challenges conventional notions and signals a profound evolution in artistic expression.

As visitors navigate the exhibition, they encounter the concept of Heterotopia. In this light, the physical space of the gallery, becomes a locus embodying the multiple incongruent spaces and diverse localities of the work’s subject matter, each with its own distinct character. Simultaneously, the amassing of time, facilitated by new technological modalities, becomes an exquisite art form, transcending the constraints of worldly time. This peculiar heterochrony intertwines the celestial and earthly, indemnifying the finitudeof mortal time with the ethereal visions of timeless life—an exploration that defies the conventional boundaries of temporal existence, offering a contemplative space where the extraordinary meets the profound.

Panolabrou’s interview to the art historian Alia Tsagkari during the course of the exhibition ἅμαdeus at The Blender Gallery, 18 January to 17 February 2024. 

Though widely recognised for his acclaimed work Portrait of my British wife, which received the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize in 2010, the visual artist Panolabrou (Panayiotis Labrou) curated a contemporary art exhibition on the basis of his post contemporary conceptual art project D.E.U.S. 

Initiated in 2018 during a night in Varkiza, Greece, where three artists shared laughter and reflections on life and death, the project celebrates its third curatorial implementation. 

1. How did ἅμαdeus arise? What does it mean to you as the curator of the exhibition?

It was a matter of synchronism of different aspects. 

Contemplating the exhibition and engaging in conversation with Socos, the composer, I inquired about Amadeus Mozart. My exploration into the ancient Greek meaning of “ἅμα”, denoting "simultaneously" or "at the same time," provided a broader understanding of the name Amadeus. This led me to the realisation that “Amadeus” can embody either the "love of God," where the individual is cherished by God, or "one who loves God," resulting in an interactive relationship. God is present and my choice creates a connection or disconnection. It's a straightforward and vivid observation, devoid of any entanglement with ideological morals.

That reading elucidated a significant moment from exactly a year ago when I sensed the embrace of God's love in a Christian monastery. Despite growing up with a profound aversion to Christianity and religion as moral benchmarks for humanity, this experience marked a turning point for me.

Drawn by the desire to understand death, pain, misery, depression and the inherent tyranny of the human condition, at the age of 25, I officially declared myself atheist, a symbolic act against the state's official deity. I rejected the prescribed narrative, declaring to the heavens that I required neither a name nor an identity imposed by external forces. My understanding of the divine transcended manipulative stories, and in contemplating the image of Christ on the cross, I yearned for a renewed perception symbolised by resurrection rather than suffering.

On the day of my visit to the monastery, the suppressed anger resurfaced. However, guided by an inner calling from a nun named Chrysovaladou, whom I had not met but my sister and mother had spoken of, I decided to approach the visit with an open heart. Chrysovaladou, with her voice resonating freedom and happiness, made me believe it was a visit to a genuinely kind soul. I embraced the idea of being kind in our own truths.

When I entered the monastery, the energetic field had the silence of deep meditation, and the perfume of the space was incredibly soft and pure. I shared my doubts with Chrysovaladou, asking if I was still welcome in the church despite my conflicting views on God. Her response was simple yet profound—everyone is accepted, regardless of their individual ideas about God, as God is synonymous with purity in the heart.

As I gazed upon the image of Jesus Christ on the cross, an unprecedented sense of relief washed over me. Spontaneously, I kissed his feet, feeling a profound connection not just to him but to my children, family, humanity, and the entire world symbolically represented on that cross. Tears flowed freely, and I experienced the freedom to choose connection without doubt, embracing a pure sense of intention devoid of any imposed identity or confrontation.

In this context, ἅμαdeus symbolically conveys the return of innocence to paradise and, objectively, envisions Earth as a safe haven for all living beings.

2. The second compound of the title ἅμαdeus refers directly to your project D.E.U.S. which standing for Data Eternal Unlimited Storage constitutes a qualitative synthesis of information that defies the primaeval anxiety of death promising the continuation of human culture after death. How does D.E.U.S. evolve to ἅμαdeus?

D.E.U.S. unfolds as a narrative of profound love for life, where our engagement with life immerses us in its vibrant essence. Death takes on the guise of a surrealistic phenomenon, appearing to momentarily suspend reality only to perpetuate the connection with what we recognise as life by traversing the invisible realm.

D.E.U.S. serves as a bridge between the visible and invisible transcending political tyranny and existential anxieties. It doesn't just propose an alternative link but also offers a transformative connection similar to the symbolic use of a certificate of eternal knowledge, a pure ticket to existence. This approach aims to elevate knowledge untarnished by the corrosive influence of profit, providing a pathway to clear understanding.

Form D.E.U.S. as ἅμαdeus and nurture the symbol of innocence to connect paradise in heaven to paradise on earth. Earth should evolve into a secure haven for every living being, fostering a safe path for existence.

3. How did the specific conditions that led to the creation of D.E.U.S. project influence the selection of artists for the ἅμαdeus exhibition?

As an artist, the inspiration for the D.E.U.S. text sparked a realisation within me. Considering the nature of D.E.U.S. as an open-source system, I envisioned the opportunity to establish connections with fellow artists, scientists, and researchers whose work resonates with me. The goal is to prioritise a connection rooted in shared senses rather than strictly aligned ideas. 

4. ἅμαdeus exhibition is a collaborative endeavour, is it also the first practical implementation of D.E.U.S. in the sense of a concrete, taxinomised corpus of information of human culture?

That’s a very good question but instead of D.E.U.S. becoming a taxinomised corpus of information on human culture I have already created the D.E.U.S. certificate ticket through which everyone on earth can have access to the eternal taxinomised corpus of information of all human culture!

I would rather say that every D.E.U.S. exhibition aspires to connect qualitative elements that read the present of human knowledge and to create a unique ark for positive stimuli of thought and actions to make earth a safe path of life and death. We already know enough to demand another condition of survival for all beings on this wonderful planet.

5. ἅμαdeus declares the release of symbols from imposed meanings and interpretations, how is it achieved in the selected works?

That, in my view, is the essence of curating an exhibition. I extend an invitation to anyone, regardless of their perspective on God and Life, to feel it. This is how the senses explore the universe – by experiencing it, not by words of proof.

6. The selection of the works disrupts sanctioned linearities opening signifier and signified to unlimited possibilities, what is the role of language and linguistics in the curation of the exhibition?

We find ourselves in an era where transitions have evolved into something trans... everything. Every individual grasp a fundamental theorem of life—that life is self-existent, self-created, and inevitable.

In my perspective, the inevitability implies that the choices we make shape specific conditions in our lives. Negotiating this intricacy requires a natural approach, creating a safer zone for every being.

Understanding nature allows us to align language with the truth it carries. Otherwise, a new phenomenon, which I term as "The Coded Dummies," emerges—individuals who cease to think independently and mindlessly copy-paste information without contemplation.

To remain human nowadays one must delve into linguistics to navigate through the snares of any ideology. It involves ignoring superficial images, embracing every emotion, placing trust in every cell of one's body, and accepting all conditions as a unified whole. When the inevitable moment of death arrives, the goal is to articulate all words from the heart. And so, the story continues.

7. The participant artists are international; do you think that the exhibition has a global reach?

Intergalactic my purpose! The message we craft is an odyssey from the known to the unknown. The artists participating in the ἅμαdeusexhibition are not only highly educated but also diligent workers in the art field, boasting significant experience. I feel honoured that, as a curator, the third exhibition with D.E.U.S. is reaching an expansive level, especially after two previous successful endeavours.

8. Where did the exhibition take place?

The Blender Gallery at 4 Zisimopoulou St., Glyfada – 16674

The exhibition opening was held on Thursday 18th of January at 7pm and the show remained open till 17th of February 2024.

Curator: Panolabrou

Art Historian: Alia Tsagkari 

Participating Artists: Participating Artists: Christina Anid, Alex Boisseau, Dimitris Delinikolas, Christophoros Doulgeris, Evangelos-Papadopoulos, Marina Gergov, Ioannis Georgakakis, Constantinos Hadzinikolaou, Kapetan MYΓΑC, Georgia Kotretsos, Vasiliki Lefkaditi, Christina Negrepontis, Panolabrou, Giorgos Papasotiriou, Kai Richter, Socos, Lydia Venieri

9. How can we gain access to D.E.U.S.?

Follow the sign www.d-e-u-s.art then book your certificate ticket!