Panagiotidis Aggelos
Short biography
Angelos Panagiotidis was born in Amphilochia in 1950. He held his first exhibition at his studio in 1990 after twenty years of experimenting with all the different metals used in sculpture. He had also dedicated much study to the natural world, particularly the structure and forms of trees, throughout all various stages of their lives and the various changes they undergo at different times and in different seasons. His research was conducted with the accuracy of a ...
He held his first exhibition at his studio in 1990 after twenty years of experimenting with all the different metals used in sculpture. He had also dedicated much study to the natural world, particularly the structure and forms of trees, throughout all various stages of their lives and the various changes they undergo at different times and in different seasons. His research was conducted with the accuracy of a natural scientist, the passion of the cultivator and the style and taste of the poet. His profound knowledge of his materials, acquired over these many years of study, led him to create tree sculptures which hardly seem made by human hand. Now, after a series of exhibitions commencing in 1995, they are not only instantly recognizable but have come to be seen as classic representations of the tree in sculpture.The culmination of his creative career was the exhibition staged at the Titanium Yiayiannos Gallery as well as his participation at the same period in important exhibitions organized as a part of Olympiad: The World of the Olive exhibition at the Theofilos Museum in Vareia, Mytilene and at the Basilica St. Mark in Heraklion, Crete; the exhibition at the Olive Museumin Sparta; the “In Praise of the Olive” (Elaias Egkomion) exhibition at the Athens Academy and the event staged at the Plateia Nerou Esplanada (Delta Falirou) as part of the Coca Cola sponsorship of the Athens 2004 Olympics. With his artworks have been honored the Olympic Champions: Pyrros Dimas and Nikos Kaklamanakis, as well as the former chairman of parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis & Anna Psarouda-Benaki and the Greek National Polo Women Team. In May 2005 during the visit of Greek prime minister Karamanlis to the U.S. was given a bronze olive tree as a gift to President Bush.During the Olympic Games of Athens 2004 with gold olive wreaths awarded all three of the first Olympic Champions of the Marathon (the Italian, Stefano Baldini, the American, Keflezighi Mebrahtom and the Brazilian Lima Vanderlei). With the same wreath has been honored and the Slovak Matanin Marcel, whose entering to the Panathenaiko Stadium became a symbol of the end of the Games in Athens and an exponent of “fair play” (30/09/2004). Additionally, the Municipality of Amfilochia has honored with gold wreath the bronze Medal Champion in the 100 meters and fourth in the 200 meters, Paraskevi Katza. With olive branches honored the runner citizens of the City (10/16/2004). During the Olympic Games, the former Greek prime Minister Karamanlis offered to the President of Olympic Committee, Mr Jacques Rogge, a bronze olive tree, as well as in many other Presidents of countries.Angelos Panagiotidis is the creator of the “olive tree of Athens” which is made by bronze and copper, height 3.30 meters, consisting of 5,000 brass leaves which has been exposed throughout the duration of the Olympic Games in Athens in the Park Donor (Water Plaza) at the Palaio Faliro, where 5,000 guests put their signature on each of the 5,000 leaves of the tree. The art work permanently exhibited at Technopolis in Gazi. This was sponsored by the Coca Cola Hellas in the Municipality of Athens as a memorial tribute to the Olympic Games. Finally all the Paralympians were honored with a small copy of the “Olive Tree, the tree of Athens.
Works by the artist can be seen in the National Bank of Greece, the Bank of Piraeus, the Alpha Bank, the Center of Arts and Letters “Diexodos” in Messolongi, the Olive Museum in Sparta, the Olive Museum in Mytiline, the Olive factory in Dromonero, Chania, the Christos and Sophia Moschandreou Gallery in Messolonghi and in the headquarters of Coca Cola in Athens and in Atlanta. Also copies of artworks of the “Olive Tree, the tree of Athens” offered by the Sponsor of the Olympic Games, Coca Cola to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne and the Olympic Committee in Beijing.
His works are still in the Security Council of the United Nations and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
The Goulandris Museum (Cycladic Art) permanently display and sell original works from the artist. Additionally artist’s works could be found in private collections in Greece and abroad. In 2003-2004 the artist has cooperated with the Greek Post Office and his works included in the collection of art objects.
One-man Exhibition
1995 TITANIUM Gallery
1996 TITANIUM Gallery
1998 TITANIUM Gallery,
1998 KOYROS Gallery, Tripoli
1999 KIVOTOS Gallery
2000 ECLECTIC Gallery, Melissia
2001 ANNY BALTA Gallery, Thessaloniki
2001 Athens Concert Hall organization Contemporary Art Centre, Chania
2001 KIVOTOS Gallery
2001 POLYEDRO Gallery, Patra
2003 TITANIUM YIAYIANNOS GALLERY
2004 TITANIUM YIAYIANNOS GALLERY
2006 AMYMONE Gallery, Ioannina, Greece Argo Gallery
2007 FINE ARTS KAPOPOULOS Gallery, Mykonos
2008 IKASTIKOS KIKLOS,
2009 METAMORFOSIS Gallery, Thessaloniki
2009 CRYSA Gallery, Katerini
2011 IKASTIKOS KIKLOS
2018 IKASTIKOS KIKLOS SIANTI “The tree we hurt”
Group Exhibitions
- 1996: Ephemeral Event- TITANIUM Gallery / Nocturno 96 – TITANIUM Gallery
- 1997: Summer 97 – TITANIUM/ KIVOTOS Gallery / KIVOTOS Gallery
- 1998: ARTFORUM Gallery, Thessaloniki/ KIVOTOS Gallery/ Christmas 98 KIVOTOS Gallery
- 1999: KIVOTOS Gallery/Artquake Benaki Museum / POLYEDRO Gallery, Patra/ Art Forum Vilka Gallery/AGRONET Greek-German Education/ KYDONEIOS Museum,Andros/ Summer ASTIR OF PAROS, Paros/Summer RARITY Gallery, Mykonos
- 2000: POLYEDRO Gallery, Patra/ Welcome 2000, KIVOTOS Gallery/ Dawn of 2000 KIVOTOS Gallery/January KOUROS Gallery, Tripoli/ RARITY Gallery, Mykonos/ ERGANI Gallery, Halkida/ KIVOTOS Gallery /ASTIR OF PAROS Gallery, Paros/ Art Space Gallery, Athens/WORLD FINE ART GALLERY, New Yor
- 2002: YIAYIANNOS GALLERY-KAPELA/ Spring KIVOTOS Gallery /ASTIR OF PAROS, Paros/ YIAYIANNOS GALLERY/ART CITY MICHALARIAS/YIAYIANNOS GALLERY-KAPELA/ Spring KIVOTOS Gallery/ASTIR OF PAROS, Paros
- 2001: KIVOTOS Gallery /ARTHOUSE Mylos, Thessaloniki/ MILLENNIUM, Patra/ YIAYIANNOS GALLERY/ KIVOTOS Gallery/ ASTIR OF PAROS, Paros / RODAVGI Gallery, St. Stefanos/KOUROS Gallery, Tripoli/ Amphilochia Cultural Center.
- 2003: BALAS Gallery Mykonos/Autom brushstrokes, KIVOTOS Gallery/ POLYEDRO Gallery, Patras/Museum of Cycladic Art
- 2004: Christmas IRIS Gallery /First of May, Municipality of Philothei/Spring IRIS Gallery /ARTFORUM, Mykonos/ the WORLD of OLIVE, Museum Theofilos/ the WORLD of OLIVE, Vasiliki of St. Markos, Heraklion/ CONTEMPORARY GREEK ARTISTS, TO MILO Arts Centre / 2nd International Festival of Art “Chania 2004” Athens Concert Hall organization Contemporary Art Centre, Chania OMMA/“Elaias Egkomion (In praise of the Olive)”,ATHENS ACADEMY BUILDING/ KIVOTOS Gallery /ART CITY MICHALARIAS/Marathon tour of world TITANIUM YIAYIANNOS GALLERY/Walk in Gallery, TITANIUM/ POLYEDRO Gallery, Patra.
- 2005: “Elaias Egkomion” (In praise of the Olive ) in the ancient Olive grove Academy Athens Municipality Peristeri/ In praise of the Olive ”, Museum G.I. Katsigra, Larissa/ 3rd International Festival of Art Chania 2005/TITANIUM YIAYIANNOS GALLERY/Art gallery Christos and Sophia Moschandreou- Mesologgi/ IRIS Gallery /Astir of Paros
- 2006: “ In praise of the Olive ” Panthessaliko Stadium, Volos/Astir of Paros, Paros/ Fine Arts KAPOPOYLOS, Mykonos /ARGO Gallery/ Space of Art IKASTIKOS KIKLOS/ TITANIUM YIAYIANNOS Gallery ‘“summer ascent”/METROntas the LOVE, Attiko Metro/ “Mary Alexiou’ Gallery/ /“Elaias Egkomion” (in praise of the olive) Building of General Assembly of United Nations, N.York USA/ Concession of artwork in the frame of attendance of Ministry of Culture in the 3rd International Exhibition of Book, Thessaloniki/ TRIGONO Gallery, Kifisia/Post Collection of (ELTA) GREEK POST, / Auction “Make A Wish”/Natassa Lavda Gallery/Gallery IRIS/Fish and Olive Gallery, Chalki, Naxos.
- 2007: Red Gallery, Psyrri, Athens/ “Elaias Egkomion” Museum of Ancient Olympia/ YRIS Gallery, Athens/ AMYMONI Gallery, Ioannina/ MILO Gallery, Athens/ Auctions of artworks by KAPOPOYLOS, Athens, Cyprus/ Natassa Lavda Gallery/IKASTIKOS KIKLOS “Sexual intercourses / IKASTIKOS KIKLOS ` Small drawings and sculptural’/Fine Arts KAPOPOYLOS, the Gift, Athens / IKASTIKOS KIKLOS ` Motive is a tree’/Hilton, Athens, assiduity of exhibition of Vicky Drakoy/ KAPOPOYLOS Fine Arts, Mykonos/TITANIUM YIAYIANNOS Gallery ”, “summer ascent”/Astir of Paros, Paros /Art Space, Santorini/Post Collection of (ELTA) GREEK POST, choice of artist’s artworks/Auction KAPOPOYLOS, Cyprus
- 2009: ART ATHINA, IKASTIKOS KIKLOS / “Stories of Landscape”, Vasiliki St Markos, Irakleio/ Ministry of Culture/ “Oil factory”, Factory of Art, Dromonero Chania/ “Stories of Landscape”, Loutra Aeridon, Plaka-Athens, Museum of Greek Art/Earth, Water and Air, Ichnilaton Gallery/Astir of Paros/SHOW MUST GO ON, MILO Technochoros /Celebrations of Artists, Kapsiotis Gallery /Small drawings and sculptural, IKASTIKOS KIKLOS/Art Space, Santorini.
- 2010: Art Bazaar, , IKASTIKOS KIKLOS/ARGO Gallery/ Astir Of Paros/Summer Ascent, Titanium/Aura Arboris, St.George Lycabetus Hotel/Oil factory, Art and Technology, Man And Machine, Dromonero Chania/ Art Space, Santorini/ Titanium Gallery, Christmas 2010/Labdas Gallery
- 2008: Five years solitary notes, MILO Technochoros/ Arte Cuadro, Kifisia/Astir Of Paros/ MILO Technochoros “FOR SALE»/ Kapsiotis Gallery, Piraeus/ “Talking” MILO Technochoros/ Small Drawings and Sculptural, IKASTIKOS KIKLOS, Athens / Kapsiotis Gallery / KIVOTOS Gallery/ “Sexual intercourses” IKASTIKOS KIKLO
- 2011: With one drachma in the art, TITANIUM Gallery /Bread, Wine, Oil. Feasts of exits 2011, Diexodos Museum, Mesologgi/TEM SANAT GALLERY, Istanbul, Natura 2011 – Eygenideio Institution
Reviews of the artist wrote:
• Manos Stefanidis, Art Historian
• Athina Shina, Art Historian & Art Critic
• Dr. Vicky Sarakatsianos-Art Historian
• Vivi Vassilopoulou, Archaeologist & Art Critic
• Dora Iliopoulos-Rogan, Dr. Art Historian, Art Critic
• Theodosis Tasios, Professor National Technical University of Athens •
•Caterina Drossopoulou, Art Critic
• Alexandra Tsolkas, Journalist
Awards of Distinction
Honored by UNESCO for his participation with artwork at the Olympic Games Athens 2004
Hosted by the artist’s works on hard copies magazines
• “KTIRIO” Magazine: Cover page & Interior page hosting artworks -October 2002
• “Doing Business in Greece by Grant Thornton: Cover page-May 2005
• “News of the Museum of Greek Nobel Collection”: Cover page-June 2008
• Calendar 2008 “Olympia” of the Ministry of Culture (distributed in Greece and China): Cover & Interior hosting works by the artist
• «The Tree of Life at Four Seasons”, Four-fold of the Ministry of Culture (distributed to all the archaeological museums of Greece): Indoor hosting the artist’s works – June 2008
• Regular edition of Medical News ‘Erroso’: Cover page-June 2010
• «The language we speak in Greece» Spyropoulou M – Th Theodoridou: Cover page
The emblematic olive tree decorates from 25/6/2019 the new Olympic house of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, which was inaugurated on the 125th anniversary of the founding of the IOCOlive tree
The olive tree was the sacred symbol of the ancient city of Athens. According to the legend, the god Poseidon and the goddess Athena became rivals for the protection of the city. They both offered to the Athenian people a special gift in order to win their favor. Poseidon hit the earth with his trident and water sprang from the ground. But the water was salty and of no use to the people. Athena, on the other hand, offered them an olive tree which could be used for nourishment (in the form of fruit and oil) and for timber.
Her gift was considered much more useful and she was named protector of the city. The olive tree played such a crucial role to the prosperity of Athens that the winners of the Panathenaic Games – held during the Panathenaea, a great festival in honor of the goddess which took place every four years – received amphorae filled with this valuable olive oil.
Furthermore, the olive tree had a special, symbolic value for Greek people, in general. During the Olympic Games, winners were awarded a “kotino”, a wreath made of branches cut from the sacred olive tree which stood outside Zeus’ temple. It was considered the highest prize an athlete could ever win.
Photo Gallery
