A solo painting exhibition at Zoumboulakis Gallery
Issue 734 — 12.02.2020
By Eleni Bezirianoglou
Interview: Nikos Moschos talks to Athens Voice about his new exhibition “Conditions of Adaptation” at Zoumboulakis Gallery.
The central axis of Nikos Moschos’ work is the process of adapting to new circumstances—constant transition, the reconstitution of matter, notons, and even of the psyche itself. This theme unfolds through sub-themes or triggers that have preoccupied artists (and not only) for centuries. Fear of death, love, vanity, the imposition of power, among others, appear as facets—episodes within a broader contemporary narrative, whose foundation lies in the effort to adapt to an ever-changing condition.
The speed of current developments has created a flow of information that is difficult to manage, offering little room for reaction or for grasping the essence. In its passage, it sweeps along and ultimately redefines all those familiar questions that have long occupied humankind. The idea of progress and evolution has been almost universally commodified, with the result that technology, once a means, has become an end in itself—no longer simply standing beside humanity, but defining it. Knowledge no longer strengthens self-awareness, but is used purely as a tool for profit-making and the imposition of power.
Just before the opening of “Conditions of Adaptation” at Zoumboulakis Gallery, we spoke with the artist.
AT– When and how did you first become involved in painting?
– My contact with it started early. There are photos in old family albums showing me scribbling on papers, books, etc., when I was about a year old. Over the years, my interest intensified and my engagement became increasingly systematic, so it seemed like the only path forward from an early stage.
AT– Your father, Takis Moschos, is also an artist. Do you believe artistic expression was in your DNA?
– Certainly, the environment I grew up in encouraged and reinforced my choice, and to it I owe the respect I have for art and its history in general. Beyond the fact that my father was my first teacher, he had built in his studio a rather rich library. I would spend hours every day absorbed in those books; they became a refuge from school, which I disliked intensely.
AT– Who are your influences?
– There are many artists I admire, though I can’t measure the degree to which they’ve influenced me. Often, we recognize certain influences on our style only much later. If I were to take a brief stroll through my imaginary museum, I could mention Tintoretto, Goya, then Dix, Beckmann, Ernst, Nam June Paik, Anthony Caro, Sigmar Polke, R.B. Kitaj, and, in more recent times, Kerry J. Marshall and Thomas Scheibitz. To be honest, though, I think an artist, by definition, cannot answer this question entirely objectively.
AT– You have a distinctive technique. How did it come about?
– Developing a style comes through consistent work, a critical stance toward oneself, and, more broadly, mental evolution. It’s a constant “cooking” of the same elements that forge our personality.
AT– Tell us about your exhibition “Conditions of Adaptation.” What message do you want to convey with this series of works?
– The body of work on view—and indeed my work of recent years—centers on the ever-changing environment and our attempt to adapt to it. The paradox is that we, as a species, are largely the ones causing these changes, while at the same time feeding ourselves with the anxiety of adaptation.
Adaptability to one’s environment and its changes, according to the Theory of Evolution, is the most decisive factor for the survival and transformation of a species—the ability to respond to an abnormal (until then) condition in order to survive. Regarding human adaptability in the modern world, moral codes are inevitably put to the test, and the values of a profit-driven society are re-examined. It’s easy to see that the center of gravity of the issues that have concerned us for centuries has shifted.
AT– Which, for you, is the greatest fear: death, love, or vanity?
– I wouldn’t place love among fears—unless it takes the form of self-love. Nevertheless, these anxieties are an inseparable part of humanity at large (regardless of era or culture), and we’ve always tried to tame them with the means we’ve developed. At the same time, they motivate us to evolve—yet we forget our nature’s uniqueness and end up serving them again. Personally, I try to make peace with them.
AT– Many artists become more expressive when they experience difficulties in life. Does this apply to you?
– Difficulties mature us and help us get to know ourselves better. So, if an artist consistently decodes life through their work, it’s likely that the work will take on an even more personal dimension.
AT– Do social conditions influence your work?
– Whether we like it or not, they leave their mark. As I mentioned at the beginning, constant engagement with painting from a very young age helped me develop a relationship with the medium that, in a sense, makes me feel like a reporter processing external stimuli through my own personal syntax. The works function as an allegorical timeline, and in the process of creating them I always try to maintain the intensity of their initial conception.
AT– I once read a slogan on a wall that said: “Your civilization ends when the power goes out.” Do you believe modern humans are prisoners of technology?
– The role technology plays in a person’s life depends solely on the person and the limits they impose on themselves. Returning to the eternal anxieties of our species, we can see that technology satisfies many of our insecurities—insecurities that have, in turn, been heightened by technology itself and the relationship of dependency we have developed with it. A vicious circle. It’s almost impossible for someone to go at their own pace against the speed of modern society.
Of course, it would be naive and narrow-minded to demonize technology, even the forms that are easily targeted. We could, for example, write endless lines about how much safer we feel today in complex surgical operations, about the astonishing space discoveries that influence knowledge across so many fields, or even about how much simpler daily life has become thanks to electronic communication.
AT– Are you preparing anything else at the moment?
– My exhibition at Zoumboulakis Gallery will mark a period of rest, as it takes place just a few months after my retrospective in Heraklion, Crete, for which I worked intensely. I also need this time gap to comfortably process new ideas that have been on my mind since the summer.
Athens Voice is the media sponsor.
Info: Opening: Thursday, 13 February, 20:00. Duration: 13/2–7/3. Zoumboulakis Gallery, 20 Kolonaki Square.