George Zongolopoulos: Works Sound Like Music

Thessaloniki Concert Hall, Greece

George Zongolopoulos’ works, the majority of which are non-figurative, constitute extracts of mental and poetic processes that refer to universal notions and concepts. Among these are time, space, memory, rhythm, harmony, balance, which, while not described, become universally perceptible, as they are defined and emerge from the realm of ideas and the observation of nature and the universe. The artist approached the idea of the World through opposing dipoles that regulate our life and perception, such as light and darkness, void and completeness, which, not coincidentally, is the main principle of sculpture.

For G. Zongolopoulos, space was a determining factor and a vital element of his work. The placement of his works in space aims to integrate them into the "large landscape", both the physical and the mental one. The placement of a sculpture into a space, be it small or large, indoor or outdoor, requires experience, as well as perception and thoughtfulness, since the artist is well aware that the space is not a mere participant in the completion of his work, but rather it cooperates with the sculpture, it is signified by it, as the sculpture often “seals” and bestows with meaning the space where it is placed.

The relationship of the works with the outdoor space, especially the public one, is not only to do with their placement in a point of public view, but mainly with their integration in nature and the utilization of its elements, as they contribute to the artworks’ activation. The flow of the liquid element that the sculptor incorporates in a mechanical or constructional way into his works, the rustling of the air and the sounds of the materials as they move, the change of colors and form in the hydrokinetic or photokinetic works, turn them into "living" sculptures, with movement and sound.

According to G. Zongolopoulos, art needs to have a social dimension. When it triggers memory, as well as when it is timelessly imposed. Any artwork, especially a monument, requires messages and characteristics that withstand the test of time. His sculptures, with the stature of their monumentality, often independent of their size, hold a special place in the history of sculpture. They reveal the relationship between art and nature and allow us to listen to the subconsciously familiar, although we may call it eerie, music of the timeless World, where we originate from and return to.