On Thursday the 5 th of October , open in the art space of « ASTROLAVOS dexameni » (Xanthippou 11, Kolonaki, tel no: 210 72 94 342, 3, fax: 210 72 93 317, www.astrolavos.gr opening hours: Tues-Fr: 10.30-14.00 and 18.00- 21.00, Sat: 10.30-14.30) two personal exhibitions: a painting exhibition entitled: ' Utopias 'by Fani Damianaki (in the lower gallery level) and an exhibition of wall-mounted artifacts and video animation by Eri Sourouni (in the middle gallery level).

Fani Damianaki will present a selection of mixed medium works of large dimensions and a selection of drawings, with a common thematic axis, which could be characterized as part of Contemporary Scenery Writing. The artist's works can be read as a mixture of surrealism and representation. F.Damianaki emits to the background of the scenery a strong atmosphere and a dream-like character by allowing the impressionistic colors to diffuse in one another. The above technique refers to works of early impressionists, dating from the beginning of the 19 th C, but also to works by contemporary artists like Cherel.

The buildings, painted with charcoal, are often hard to discern for they are allusions of imaginary spaces. Miniatures details but also half-painted elements make these places seem part of cyber-space or remnants of ancient, mythical, dream-like epochs.

The interesting point in the landscapes of Fani Damianaki, isn't the 'what' or the 'how' even though the artists work is characterized by aesthetic completeness and painting skill. The main strength of these works is the sentiment, the sensation, the feeling, which they create to the viewer. Lonely routes, vibrating realities, the unknown or some untouchable calmness, unreal worlds creating different 'Utopias'.

Do they touch the limits of dreams? Of fairytale? Trains and bridges suspending high above the ground, castles and towers or cities barely visible haunting distant hills, never-ending staircases that no on knows where they begin or end, arched windows and doors in ambivalent internal- external spaces. What is reality and what fantasy? The artist does not attempt to provide the answer. Her works are here to show that even within the certainty of our world exists a hidden dilemma.

Eri Sourouni will present a unit of wall-mounted wire manufactures and a video installation. Both of these different expressive means constitute different sides of the artists quest, which has as a starting point the design, the line, the mark; the primary stages of depiction and expression. In the manufactures the wire line, which the artist uses, has acquired a 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional character. The drawing comes off the paper, canvas, wall into the space, according to the light any alterations are more vivid. The drawing exides the canvas with simplicity and strength. The lines movement the freedom and the fluidity refer to a quick etching which can be compared to a one-line sketch. Meaning is found in the substance of the drawn object and by no means its detailed depiction. Primary concern is the game of the line and not the realistic representation. Some compare the lines in Sourounis works with hand-painted ideograms. The main difference is that ideograms demand discipline and calligraphy, where as here the drawing is a quick and anarchic note. Different axis-lines create web-like designs, liquid, temporary which look as if they are ready to transform into something else. The movement and the alterations of the line, the drawing and the form render more obvious the video-projection exhibited by the artist. In these images, the cohesive connection of different sides of a motif creates the illusion of a sometimes imperceptible and other times stronger movement-alteration. In the first one is depicted a bicycles diagonal movement, where as in the second one an alternating scenery. In the History of Art there have been a lot of artists, amongst which A. Calder and P.Picasso, who have diligently used this simple, at first sight, design, which refers to the one-line sketch. Eri Sourounis work, is animated by a totally contemporary spirit and a deeply personal style.

Duration of exhibition: 27th of October 2006