Lena Athanasopoulou (Thessaloniki, 1979) is a visual artist (collage, drawing, video, performance), a director and a filmmaker. She studied at Chelsea College of Art, The London Institute (BTEC Foundation in Fine Art, 1997-1998), and continued her studies in the Department of Visual Arts (BA Fine Art & Art History,1998-2001) and the Department of Media and Communications (MA Image and Communications, 2002-2003) at Goldsmiths College, University of London.
Teaching
University of Western Macedonia, Visual Arts department (2009-2013).
Lecturer at the following classes: Arts & Technology, New Media Art, Photography.
Residencies
Artist Resident / Fellow @ ZK/U Berlin for June & July 2015.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2015: NEWSREEL, Zina Athanassiadou Gallery, Solo exhibition, Thessaloniki.
2012: REPRESENTACIONES, Batagianni Gallery, Athens, Greece.
2006: LENA ATHANASOPOULOU, Batagianni Gallery, Athens, Greece.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2022:Zina Athanassiadou Gallery, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2021: Art Athina Virtual.
2021:Zina Athanassiadou Art Walk, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2021: Show Time, Athanassiadou Gallery, Logaras - Paros, Greece.
2020: Zina Athanassiadou Gallery, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2020: Pikap Community - Art in Thessaloniki Vol II, Casa Bianca, Municial Art Gallery, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2019: Zina Athanassiadou Gallery, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2019: Athanassiadou Gallery, Logaras - Paros, Greece.
2017: LAGOS BIENNIAL - MAIN EXHIBITION, Lagos Nigeria, 14th of October to 22th of October 2017.
2016: 33 Years Zina Athanassiadou Gallery.
2016: Action Field Kodra, Mind the Gap, curated by Maria Kenanidou.
2016: Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, Beyond Common Sense, participation with the commission work: An attempt to animate Letatlin.
2015: Dimitria Festival, 13th & 14th of October, curated by Thouli Misirloglou.
2015: Zina Athanassiadou Gallery, Thessaloniki.
2015: Feministics, ZK/FU @ ZK/U, Berlin.
2015: Open Hause / July, ZK/U Berlin.
2015: Orstermin Group Show / June, ZK/U Berlin.
2015: Art Athina, International Contemporary Art Fair.
2015: Skol, The Engine Room, Group exhibition curted by Stephanie Bertrand, Canada.
2014: Galerie in Kornerpark, Berlin, Tempus Rituals, Group Show, Curated by Christina Dimitriadis, Evanthia Tsandila, Christine Nippe.
2014: Dimitria Festival, outdoor group show curated by Thouli Misirloglou.
2014: State Museum of Contemporary Art, Visual March in Prespes, group show curated by Giannis Ziogas & Penelope Petsini.
2014: Contemporary Art Centre of Thessaloniki, Tempus Rituals, Group Show, Curated by Christina Dimitriadis, Evanthia Tsandila, Christine Nippe.
2013: Ethnologican and Folklife Museum of Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaloniki.
2012: Places of Memory-Fields of Vision, Contemporary Art Centre of Thessaloniki, Greece.
2012: Batagianni Gallery, Athens, Greece.
2012: FINE, Tint gallery, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2012: Municipal Gallery of Molyvos, Myteline, Greece.
2011: Kipi Suits, Zagori.
2011: ORIGINAL CERTIFIED COPY ONE, Tint Gallery, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2011: ORIGINAL CERTIFIED COPY ONE, Gallery 50 – 1, Lemesos, Cyprus.
2011: PLUS ONE, Moni Lazariston Festival,Thessaloniki, Greece.
2011: PAWNSHOP, Biennale 3, Dynamo Project Space, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2011: HOTEL ARISTON, XV Biennale de la Mediterranee, Symbiosis? Thessaloniki, Greece.
2011: THE COSMOS OF THE RUSSIAN AVANT GARDE: ART AND SPACE EXPLORATION, 1900-1930, State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2010: PICTOR, Action Field Kodra in collaboration with the Contemporary Art Centre of Thessaloniki, Greece.
2010: HULDA FESTIVAL, Art Box Creative Arts Management, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2010: RECOLLECTION 2010, Tint Gallery, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2010: DIMITRIS FATOUROS: A RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION OF HIS WORKS, Teloglion Foundation of Art, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2010: ART ATHINA, International Contemporary Art Fair of Athens, Greece.
2010: PUSH THE ENVELOPE, Dynamo Project Space, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2010: DAUMENKINO-THUMBCINEMA, Bookartbookshop, London, Greece.
2009: GAMMA, EPSILON, DELTA, Tint Gallery, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2009: DIMITRIS FATOUROS: A RETROSPECTIVE EXHIBITION OF HIS WORKS, Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece.
2008: COLLAGE, CUT // PASTE, State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2008: XIX. FESTIVAL FORFEST, Czech Republic.
2007: MILANO IN CONTRA LA GRECIA, Piccolo Teatro di Milano, Milan, Italy.
2007: MEATSPACE, Action Field Kodra, Thessaloniki Greece.
2007: OTHER PLACES, 1st Thessaloniki Biennial, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2006: DRAWING SCREEN, Museum of Photography & Tint Gallery, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2006: VISUAL ARTS IN GREECE, State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2006: UNESCO 3RD FESTIVAL, WOMEN AND TRADITION, Contemporary Art Centre of Thessaloniki, Greece.
2006: ARRIVALS – CONTEMPORARY GREEK ARTISTS, Vanguish Mio, Korce, Albania.
2006: POSITIVE CHARGES, Contemporary Art Centre, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2005: DRAWINGS, Batagianni Gallery, Athens, Greece.
2005: LIGHT AND COLOUR IN THE RUSSIAN AVANT GARDE, Museum Moderner Kunst, Vienna, Austria.
2004: LIGHT AND COLOUR IN THE RUSSIAN AVANT GARDE, Martin Gropius Bau, Berlin, Germany.
2003: F-ILM F-EST, 291 Gallery, London, UK.
2003: RESPONSE / ABILITY, OXO Tower Wharf, The Bargehouse Gallery, London, UK.
2003: 11TH BIENNIAL OF YOUNG ARTISTS OF EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN, International Biennial of young Visual Artists, Athens, Greece.
2003: IN>VISIBLE, 291 Gallery, London, UK.
2002: SIX ROOMS, Kappatos Gallery, Athens, Greece.
2001: IS IT FAIRLY HUMAN?, The Bear Project space, London, UK.
2001: THE FEAST OF THE EARTH FESTIVAL, Vlasti Village Greece.
2001: PANDEMONIUM BIENNIAL OF MOVING IMAGE, The Lux Centre, London, UK.
TALKS (selection)
2013: CHAMBER OF FINE ARTS OF GREECE, talk under the title: What does it mean to be a Video Artist working in Greece?
2011: PETCHAKUCHA, Thessaloniki, Greece.
INTERVIEWS
2021: Amis de Paros magazine, interview by Marina Athanasiadou.
2012: DYNAMO BROADCASTER, interview on the Radio.
2011: Interview at the 95.8 radio with the journalist Eleni Tsitouti.
2006: TA NEA newspaper, interview with the journalist Lena Evaggelou.
CONVENTIONS/SYMBOSIA
2013: Entefktirio - participation at Literature Festival, Thessaloniki.
2011: ARCHTHEO CONVENTION, Istanbul, Turkey.
2011: SOCIETE ANONYME in collaboration with the Project Space of the MACEDONIAN MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2010: PERFORMANCE NOW V. 1, Department of Visual and Applied Arts, University of Western Macedonia.
2006: PIXELDANCE II Video Art Festival, Thessaloniki, Greece.
VISITING ARTIST IN COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
2013: VISUAL MARCH IN PRESPES, Survival Procedures, Greece.
2012: VISUAL MARCH IN PRESPES, Borders & Beyond, Greece.
2011: VISUAL MARCH IN PRESPES, Political Topographies, Greece.
2010: VISUAL MARCH IN PRESPES, Extended | Absolute Fields, Greece.
WORKSHOPS & MASTERCLASSES
2014: Dimitria Festival & Peirama, Poetry Slam Workshop, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2013: Kuturkabinet KKT, participation at Poetry Slam Workshop, Stuttgart, Germany.
2009: DEMOCRACY IN THE MAKING: ATLANTIS. HIDDEN HISTORIES-NEW IDENTITIES. European Art 20 years after the Iron Curtain-workshop, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2009: 2nd Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art-Performance Festival Masterclasses, Greece.
PUBLICATIONS
2013: Twelve poems of K.P. Kavafis accompanied by drawings of Contemporary Artists, Artistic Director: Thouli Misirloglou, Nefeli Publications, Greece.
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
2001
Pandaemonium Biennial of Moving Images, The Lux Centre. [catalogue]
Communication and Design by Iordanis Stylides, University of Thessaly-Department of Architecture.
2002
6 Rooms, Kappatos Gallery text by Christopher Marinos.
2003
11th Biennale of young artists of Europe and the Mediterranean countries [catalogue]
2006
Visual Arts in Greece – Crossing the Borders, State Museum of Contemporary Art [catalogue]
Possibilities: Interviews with young Greek artists, future / GAP Files #2 by Christopher Marinos.
Positive Charges, Thessaloniki Centre of Contemporary Art [catalogue]
Highlights # 21 Magazine, Interviewed by Maria Aggeli.
Woman & tradition 3rd Festival, Thessaloniki Centre of Contemporary Art, text by Efthymia Georgiadou-Koundoura & Areti Leopoulou.
Action Field Kodra, Rooms to Let [catalogue]
Drawing Screen, futura publications [catalogue]
2007
The Nose by Nikolai Gogol, Korotzi publications.
Meatspace at Action Field Kodra text by Christopher Marinos.
2008
Collage: Cut//Paste, State Museum of Contemporary Art [catalogue]
Text for Kaput Magazine written from L.A Issue 01
Text for Kaput Magazine written from L.A Issue 03
2010
Deamocracy in the making: Atlantis hidden histories-New identities. European Art 20 years after the Iron Curtain [catalogue]
Pictor-Exploring the familiar ( I walk in the city when the city is not here ) at Action field Kodra [catalogue]
2011
Kaput Mgazine: A discussion between Lena Athanasopoulou and Yannis Ziogas, Issue 10
ArchTheo Istanbul Turkey.
2013
Thessalonikeon Polis magazine no. 23.
2014
Thessaloniki, a hospitable cosmopolis, Folklife and Ethnological Museum of Macedonia-Thrace publications.
COMMISSIONS
2016: Municipality of Thessaloniki.
For: Public art project, "Light and Frame", collage - photoframe.
2015: Dimitria Festival, Thessaloniki.
For: "Theft", HDV, 2015.
2013: Ethnologican and Folklife Museum of Macedonia and Thrace, Thessaloniki.
For: "The Cloud", HDV, 6'35'', 2013.
2005: State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki.
For: "An attempt to animate Letatlin", animation, 2005.
AWARDS
Thess Poetry Slam 2013 - 1st Award
COLLECTIONS
STATE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, Thessaloniki, Greece.
MACEDONIAN MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, Thessaloniki Greece.
ETHONOGICAL AND FOLKLIFE MUSEUM OF MACEDONIA AND THRACE, Thessaloniki, Greece.
COPELOUZOS FAMILY ART MUSEUM, Athens, Greece.
Private Collections in Greece and abroad.
FILM FESTIVALS
2015: 17th Thessaloniki Documentary Film Festival, Thessaloniki, Greece.
2001: The Lux Centre, Pandemonium Biennial of Moving Image, London, UK.
FILM WORKS [selection]
1998: At the port, 1min., Video, Color, Sound.
1999: At the station, 1min., Video, Color, Sound.
2000: Tango, 3min., Video, Color, Sound.
2000: Birds, 1min., Video, Color, Sound.
2003: Fake, 1min 30sec, Video, Color, Sound.
2003: Change in B&W, 1min., Video, B&W, Sound.
2007: Fight or Flight, 3min. 33sec. HDV Color, Sound.
2009: Incomprehensible, 1min 30sec., HDV Color, Sound.
2013: The Cloud, 3min. 33 sec., HDV Color, Sound.
2014: Drink and be Merry, Documentary Film, 29' DCP Color, Sound.
2015: Theft, 6min., HDV Color, Sound.
CURATORIAL [selection]
2011: BIENNALE 3, ‘Photography as a means of creating or subverting stereotypes’ exhibition which was part of the project Roaming Images, organized by the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art for the Biennale 3, Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art.