Zoumboulakis Galleries presents the new solo exhibition by Achilleas Papacostas, titled “Ideal Condition.” The exhibition features works representative of the artist’s last five years, including oil paintings on linen, wood, and paper.
At the core of the exhibition lies the constant tension between subject and medium. Dreamlike, enigmatic images dramatically shift the subject, while simultaneously commenting on the relationship between humanity and nature, constructed space and natural landscape, and the ceaseless wandering of the solitary figure in an unfamiliar place.
In these works, the subject ceases to exist as protagonist and instead becomes the mechanism that organizes the painterly means. Papacostas does not paint the subject itself — rather, he uses the subject as a vehicle for painting. His works reveal a distinctive personal style, where tonalities, strict boundaries, clear juxtapositions, compositional balance, rhythm, and counterpoint create a calming effect. The reading of the works is free from harsh tonal contrasts, noise, or fragmentation, preserving instead an image that is almost healing in its serenity.
Writer and philosopher Nikitas Siniossoglou notes:
“In all of Papacostas’ works, abstraction is marginal, never absolute. It halts at a crucial point: one step further would dissolve the subject entirely; one step less would burden it with unnecessary representational detail. This balance between representation and abstraction constitutes a non plus ultra, where materiality’s imprint is preserved without the weight of matter itself. Papacostas’ question seems to be this: can one reach the zenith of light without annihilating materiality altogether? Whether or not art has a ‘purpose’ in this world, such works recall an origin long forgotten — a world we suspect truly exists, one we cannot invent artificially.”
Writer Dimitris Alibertis adds:
“Here you will not find dimly lit backdrops reminiscent of childhood memories, because the ego is absent. The lines do not converge in depth but open outward toward the viewer. Two lines must intersect somewhere to define a plane. In Papacostas, the plane is the pursuit itself, arriving only through the dismantling of form — that is, perspective. Perhaps he is right, because two dimensions grant greater access to openness — and thus, to the Other. Then forms lose volume, and light no longer produces shadow, for light has no matter, and through matter we are bound to meet. Papacostas knows this; that is why he insists on painting in a relatively dark studio, only to be surprised himself when seeing his works in natural light.”
Opening: Thursday, November 13, 2025 | 18:00 – 21:00
Duration: November 13 – December 6, 2025
