Velonis Kostis (1968)

He was born in Athens in 1968. He studied visual arts at the University of Paris VIII (Maitrise, D.E.A.) from 1994 to 1997, and then went to Birkbeck College, University of London (1999-2000) for a postgraduate course in cultural and critical studies (MRes). He was awarded an Onassis Foundation grant from 1996 to 1997. He presented his first solo exhibition in 2002 in Athens (The Breeder, in cooperation with AD gallery). In 2009 he received a PhD in Architecture from the Athens National Technical University.
Constructions of various materials (wood, plywood, metal, paperboard, fabric et. al) which usually form sculptural or architectural installations constitute the largest part of his oeuvre. His morphological and structural combinations, despite their outward simplicity, allude to a multifaceted, unconventional reading of historical cultural elements, ideas and artistic movements, associated with the social dimension of art and the avant-garde utopias. The subtle references to personal experiences coexist with theoretical reflections on the communication potential of the artistic act.
He has taught as an adjunct lecturer at the University of Thessaly (Department of Architecture) and has curated exhibitions in Athens.
He has presented his work in numerous solo exhibitions in Athens, Thessaloniki and other European cities (Rome, Cologne, Malmö, Vienna, et al.). He has participated in many group exhibitions in Greece and other European countries, as well as in Australia and the U.S.A. Among others, he participated in the 3rd Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art (2011), the 2nd Athens Biennale (2009), the 1st Brussels Biennial for Contemporary Art (2008), the 9th Lyon Biennial of Contemporary Art (2007), et al.