The bestowal of the honorary distinctions MATAROA AWARDS for the fourth consecutive year, held on Saturday May 25th, called it a wrap for this year’s MATAROA 2024 | Visual Arts Awards, an institution that sprang from the collaboration between the Cultural Society and Art Thessaloniki-International Contemporary Art Fair, and within the framework of the MATAROA project for the promotion of contemporary artistic creation in Greece. A total of 100 artists responded to the open call launched this year, submitting proposals that were evaluated by a five-member jury leading to the selection of the 10 artists who had the chance of showcasing their works in the context of the 7th Art-Thessaloniki Fair.

The President of the Cultural Society, Mr. Stavros Andreadis, highlighting the importance of the institution of MATAROA AWARDS, mentioned that “the project MATAROA and the bestowal of awards in the fields of visual arts, photography and design is concretely and directly targeted at turning the spotlight on all these upcoming artists in their first steps of a greatly promising career. After all, what do young artists need for their work to take center stage? Someone to introduce them, so that they can embark on the boat of art, both within and beyond borders.”

The first prize at this year’s MATAROA AWARDS was bestowed to Konstantinos Xanthis, for whom these awards “are a guideline that opens doors and offers recognition to young artists. A chance for our visual art research to gain prominence and our work to be presented before new listeners and viewers.” The work of Konstantinos Xanthis focuses on the creation of interactive constructions, which bring the audience in a state of astonishment urging them to contemplate on their nature and their own stance with regard to them.”

A special mention was granted to artist Nikos Karakolis, who reconstitutes images mostly from frames and snapshots of the 1950s and 1960s films, endowing them with a new dimension. “My goal is to connect the narrative part with the evoking of nostalgic images from the unconscious, puzzling the viewers with regard to the emotions they experience upon seeing the work,” he mentions. As for the MATAROA AWARDS, he points out that“they give the opportunity to young artists to showcase their work, offering them a chance to converse with the audience with the aim of generating an osmosis between the artist and the viewer.”

Pavlos Kostilev also received a special mention for his work, through which he explores man as a multifaceted being, intertwining the physical and the mental aspect. Through his art he seeks to portray “the complexity and the essence of the human being, triggering thoughts on an introspective dialogue on the role of human nature and the unexplored and intricate world of the soul.” As for the MATAROA AWARDS, he added that “it’s a getaway from the troubled times we’re living in, opening up doors to a better future, providing young artists with the possibility to make a living of their art.”

The list of the MATAROA AWARDS finalists, supported this year by Yorgos and Zoe Papageorgiou, also includes: Yorgos Georgiou, Yannis Efthymiou, Stefanos Zafeiriou, Katerina Karatzaferi, Vassiliki Pechlidou, Ismini Teligioridou, Thodoros Fragkos. The awards were handed out by Mr. Stavros Andreadis, President of the Cultural Society, Ms. Zoe Papageorgiou, Board Member of the Cultural Society, and Mr. Pantelis Tsatsis, Art Director of Art Thessaloniki.