The Estate of Alexis Akrithakis

BIOGRAPHY

1939		Alexis Akrithakis is born in Athens on May 11. His mother Renée Stantzou and her sisters own an Athenian fashion house under the same name. His father is a refuge from Smyrna.
Still a teenager he starts hanging out at the cafes of Kolonaki where he is introduced to George Makris and George Koundouros and the intellectual life of the city.		1955
1958		He arrives in Paris and starts attending the Académie de la Grande Chaumière. He is associated with people such as Jean Seanberg, Thanos Tsigos, Christina Tsigou, Léo Ferré, Yannis Gaitis. He never completes his studies at the academy.
He returns to Greece to serve his military service. First solo exhibition in the cultural center of Neo Irakleio in Athens.		1961
1963		Short marriage to his childhood friend Ioanna Vasiliadou. He travels a lot around Greece and has his first solo exhibition in Thessaloniki at the Veltsos Gallery. in Athens he spends time with Kostas Tachtsis and Tasos Denegris who become close friends.
Solo exhibition at the French Institute. The poet Nano Valaoritis prefaces the catalogue. He creates illustrations for the avant-garde literary review Pali. In the same year, he participates in the “II Internationale Ausstellung Objektiver Poesie und Malerei" in Copenhagen, Denmark.		1965
1967		He is among the most rebellious and indepented figures in the arts and famous for his good looks. His first solo exhibition abroad takes place at the Hammer Gallery in Berlin.
Solo exhibition in the Goethe Institute in Athens with an introduction by Christos Joachimides. He recieves a scholarpship from the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Ausstauschdienst) and moves to Berlin. He marries Fotini (Fofi) Koutselini.		1968
1969		Daughter Chloe is born. Solo exhibitions in Gallery Micro, Berlin and Gallery Junge Generation, Hamburg.
He creates his first wooden constructions. His collaboration with Alexander Iolas begins and will last throughout the seventies. Iolas will support his work and will present it systematically outside and within Greece. Solo exhibitions in Gallery Zoumboulakis, Athens and in Gallery Iolas, Geneva.		1970
1972		He takes part in the exhibition “Szene Berlin Mai '72” at the Württembergische Kunstverein in Stuttgart, curated by Christos M. Joachimides.
He designs and produces a series of works and editions (books, furniture, textiles etc.) in Athens.		1975
1976		His wife Fofi opens the "Εστιατόριο", a restaurant that will write history in Berlin nightlife. Famous artist and intellectuals of the 20th century such as Francis Bacon, Heiner Müller, Jannis Kounellis, Rebecca Horn, Peter Stein, Andy Warhol, Wim Wenders, Daniel Barenboim, Alfred Brendel, Robert Wilson, Joseph Beuys as well as Berlin’s high society and politicians will all eat, drink and celebrate at the famous restaurant.
First exhibition in the gallery of Jean and Karen Bernier. In this gallery he will present three solo exhibitions until 1984. He is exhibiting among artists like Jannis Kounellis, Mel Bochner, Stephen Antonakos, Brice Marden, Mario Merz, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Luke Samaras, Gilberto Zorio, Giulio Paolini, Marisa Merz, Wolfgang Laib , Richard Long, Michael Buthe, and Bruce Nauman. In 1979 he participates in the " Von Schlemmer zu Max Ernst " exhibition at the Museum der Kunst in Hannover.		1977
1981		He collaborates with Daniel Lomel on the production of "Le Bateau Ivre" a dance theater based on the the poem of Arthur Rimbaud.
He participates in the presentation of the Alexander Iolas Collection in an exhibition establishing the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, in Thessaloniki, the first museum of contemporary art in Greece.		1984
1986		He works together with the artist Giorgos Lappas on a series of drawings under the theme of circus. This idiosyncratic collaboration is presented at the Artio Gallery in Athens.
A series of drawings are presented at the Zalokosta 7 Gallery in Athens under the title “My flowers for my suicide friends".		1990
1993		His last solo exhibition takes place at the Ileana Tounta Gallery in Athens. His health is damaged from his turbulent and bohemian life. He spents a short time in Dromokaitio hospital where he produces a dramatic series of small scale drawings depicting patients of the hospital.
Alexis Akrithakis dies on September 18th after a heart attack and is buried in the cemetary of Neo Iraklio in Athens.		1994
1997		A large retrospective exhibition is organised, presenting a large part of his work at the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art in Thessaloniki.
Retrospective exhibition at the National Art Gallery-Alexandros Soutzos Museum in Athens.		1998
2003 Alexis Akrithakis survived by his daughter Chloe Geitmann-Akrithaki, who is the sole owner of all copyrights in and to all the works of Alexis Akrithakis.		The “Neue Nationalgalerie” in Berlin honors Alexis Akrithakis with a large scale retrospective show running at the same time with an exhibition of works of Pablo Picasso in the same museum.