Greek artists have another approach to financial crisis

Gallery owner Giorgos Georgakopoulos recipe for success is quite simple. He believes selling great art for low prices, once a year is all it takes to be a successful art dealer. Georgakopoulos studied arts management in the German city of Braunschweig and is considered the founder of the new "Cheap Art" movement.

Utilizing his concept in crisis-torn Greece, Georgakopoulos wants to expose as many professional artists as possible to a wider audience. He has been in the art business for 17 years and since the start of the economic crisis, the number of visitors to Athens' annual "Cheap Art" fair has doubled.

Fear of imitation

In 2011 Georgakopoulos was able to sell over 2000 works at a low unit price of 80€ ($105) in Greece. This year he wants to expand to Cyprus and the Netherlands. It was a struggle for Georgakopoulos after his return from Germany. "Most artists feared that someone might take advantage of their knowledge and their passion," said Georgakopoulos. Many people believe a work of art is worth nothing if it is offered at a reduced price. "In addition, many artists also harbor a personal distrust of gallery owners. They are even afraid to let them into their studios, in case they copy their masterpieces."

The Athens gallery owner is never short of ideas - even the economic crisis inspires him. His current project, which involves 16 Greek painters and installation artists, has the German title - "Schadenfreude" - a word that does not exist in Greek. However Giorgos Georgakopoulos was adamant this was not a reference to the current relationship between Greece and Germany. 

Humorous approach to the crisis

"The word 'schadenfreude' is now known internationally and hard to translate. It means two things - on one hand it can mean to laugh about bad luck or the misfortunes of others. On the other - it can also mean to be envious and to desire to destroy other's prospects. "This is exactly the mood the Greek artists have been capturing in their work, by portraying the mood of disinterested onlookers" explains Georgakopoulos.

Is the financial crisis something to laugh about? This is also a dilemma faced by photographer Panos Kokkinias. He studied in the U.S. and is a master of staged photography. Kokkinias has worked all over the world and his most recent exhibition addresses the concerns of the Greeks during the financial crisis.

Absurd scenes from everyday life

Kokkinias adds a touch of irony to each snapshot. For example, the jubilant people who run behind a car waving Greek flags. Are they running into no man's land? It is difficult to know from the photo if they are in a patriotic mood celebrating or running away altogether. Kokkinias considers such absurd scenes reflective of the uncertainties of life in modern Greece.

"I feel my photos are not necessarily a protest, but more an ironic observation," said Kokkinas. "I can not ignore what is happening in Greece. I hope my fondness for self-irony might stimulate fellow countrymen to become more self-critical." It is the politicians who are responsibility for the plight of the Greeks. "But somewhere we are also responsible, because we have tolerated corruption and nepotism for too long. And we have not protested enough," he adds.

Like many Greeks of his generation, the 45-year-old Kokkinias is considering leaving his homeland. "I went to America when I was 25, and worked as a freelance photographer. Initially the business prospered, but eventually I came to the point where I wanted nothing more than to return to Greece," he recalls. Nevertheless, the photographer would now like to move his family to Germany where he believes he can provide a better future for his two children.

Author: Jannis Papadimitriou / bos
Editor:  Jessie Wingard