March 13, 2025 – April 12, 2025
The Breeder presents “Day and Night, Then Day Again”, an exhibition dedicated to the acclaimed Greek artist Kostas Paniaras (1934–2014). Over a career spanning fifty-five years, Paniaras developed an impressive and multifaceted body of work, consistently challenging the boundaries of artistic mediums.
This exhibition brings renewed attention to a pivotal moment in his practice, showcasing a selection from his iconic “Day and Night” series, created in the 1980s. First presented at Galerie Samy Kinge in Paris (1982) and the Iolas-Jackson Gallery in New York (1983), these works exemplify Paniaras’ long-standing collaboration with visionary gallerist and collector Alexander Iolas. Defying traditional painting methods, Paniaras worked with industrial materials, using vinyl sheets that he carefully pleated to create dynamic tensions. His approach was both radical and poetic, embodying a minimalist sensibility that emphasized the possibilities of abstraction.
The “Day and Night” series unfolds like a chromatic journey, where colors evolve gradually—from dark to light, warm to cool—often punctuated by shimmering gold and silver elements. This interplay of hues mirrors the passing of time, evoking the eternal rhythm of day fading into night. Through his meticulous process, Paniaras transformed his personal observations of light, landscape, and the metamorphosis of nature into an evocative visual language.
Returning to these historical works nearly forty years after their creation, “Day and Night, Then Day Again” reintroduces their enduring relevance. Paniaras envisioned art as an open-ended dialogue, stating, “I use my art to predict new images… Once a work of art leaves the hands of its creator, it begins an independent journey, shaped each time by the need and aesthetic perspective of the one who sees and experiences it.”
This exhibition highlights the timeless force of his vision—balancing sensitivity and tension, abstraction and mythology—while celebrating his legacy as a Greek artist of significant international presence. More than a physical journey, his work invites an emotional and existential exploration of time, memory, and transformation. Through the show, The Breeder reaffirms the gallery’s commitment to showcasing pivotal artistic voices and historical narratives within contemporary discourse. Paniaras experimented with a wide range of media and techniques, following the international trends of his time. In his paintings, color is the dominant element, contributing to the creation of compositions with large surfaces, while the use of pleated plastic breaks the traditional flatness, adding a textured and undulating quality. With the same approach, he employed color in his sculptures and installations, intervening in the forms of well-known classical works, offering a different interpretation of them.
Photos by Athanasios Gatos