Giorgos Zongolopoulos

George Zongolopoulos (Greek: Γιώργος Ζογγολόπουλος (1 March 1903, Athens – 11 May 2004, Athens) ) was a Greek sculptor, painter and architect. Zongolopoulos, who was often called the “eternal teenager” was a representative of the so-called “Generation of 1930s” while his work extends from the 1920s until his late life.

Biography

Early years and studies Zongolopoulos was born on 1 March 1903, in Omonoia, Athens. His family hailed from Markasi (nowadays Manna) in Corinthia. The same year he participated in the first Hellenic National Art Exhibition. Throughout that decade, his works and his abilities received positive reviews by critics such as Kalligas, and Kokkinos.

In 1940, Zongolopoulos' work was exposed in the Greek pavilion during Venice Biennale. where he was honoured with a silver medal for his plaster-made sculpture, depicting Ariadne.

Some of Zongolopoulos' notable works during the 1950s are the monuments of the fallen of Zalongo (15 metres high and 18 metres long) in Epirus and Kokkinia in Nikaia, Piraeus. The same year he received the second prize for his study in the national contest for the construction of a monument in memory of the victims of Kalavryta's massacre while he served as an executive member of the European Culture Society from 1960 till 1968. Moreover, Zongolopoulos was a regular columnist of society's magazine Comprendre. which is placed at the north entrance of the exhibition's site. The same year he was honoured by king Constantine for his contribution in Greek Art but he kindly avoided to attend the reception and to receive the medal. The same period (1970s) Zongolopoulos created a series of artworks (like The Gifts, The Egg, Lens & Nest, etc.) with symbolic content using magnifying lenses in order to achieve visual tricks. In 1977 Zongolopoulos got a retirement pension from the Greek state as a recognition for his attribution in Art. The following years (1978/1979) he participated in a group exhibition of 22 Greek painters and sculptors at Grand Palais complex in Paris. The same period he also organised solo exhibitions in Athens, where he presented various artworks throughout his career, Thessaloniki and Paris (at Grands et Jeunes d`Aujourd Hui). ) and Palaio Psychiko, where the artist is also commemorated by the sculpture park, or glyptotheque, named after him.

Zongolopoulos' Umbrellas sculpture in Thessaloniki has become one of the city's most important landmarks and is now, according to Nicos Theodoridis, head of the George Zongolopoulos Foundation, the most important point of reference for contemporary art in the public space of Greece.

Other artworks In 1997 Zongolopoulos created Tel - Néant, an artwork made by stainless steel and plexiglas presented in that year's Venice Biennale and in 1999 exhibitions held in Berlin (Wittenbergplatz) and Weimar. In 1998, Zongolopoulos created another sculpture from stainless steel under the name Composition of Circles or Olympic Circles

Zongolopoulos died on 11 May 2004. He was buried at Kifissia's cemetery.

Personal life

In 1933 Zongolopoulos met Eleni Paschalidou, a Greek from Moda region of Kadıköy in Istanbul who was a painter and student of Konstantinos Parthenis. They were married in 1936 and they lived together in the Athenian suburb of Psychiko until Eleni's death in 1991.

According to Zongolopoulos himself, his wife was the most important thing I've had in the world. Although the couple was married for almost 60 years they were childless by their own choice.