Vassilis Karkatselis

Born in Athens in 1952, he attended several painting and engraving classes and presented his engravings and paintings in 11 solo exhibitions and in more than 50 exhibitions in Greece and abroad. Participated in more than 100 group photography exhibitions and held 22 solo exhibitions (some of them are in tour around the world). He took part in numerous happenings, installations and group actions with the purpose of broadening the communication of public with works of art. One of the founding members of the wall painting group of EEDYE, from 1979 he participated in 28 mural paintings in common areas of several cities.

In the past, he was occupied with the production of radio programs about culture while he published numerous articles for photography, aesthetics, art and culture in magazines and cultural journals. He organized several art seminars, lectures and exhibitions for Greek and foreign artists. From 1982 he is elected Municipal councilor at the municipality of Paleo Faliro in Attica. From 1984 he moves to Thessaloniki and works mainly with engravings and "artistic" photography. In 1984 he founds the "Photography Group of Triandria", in 1995 the group "Praxis- Photographers Initiative" in 1998 the multiform group "FOTODRAMA", and in 2001 the "Hellenic Lomographic Society". In the past, he published 23 issues of the magazine with title "pages about photography" which was a theoretical magazine for "photography beyond bounds", standing behind the photographers of Thessaloniki all the way. Member of the consultative committee of the Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, of the committee for photography of the Organization "Thessaloniki Cultural Capital of Europe 1997", and art consultant of the Gallery "Artistic Creation".

Today, he is president of the artistic committee of the Photography Center of Thessaloniki and member of numerous groups of art, working for the diffusion of arts. He teaches photography in various schools and is occupied with artistic photography. He is interested in the "traditional" conception of photography as well as in the "journey that goes beyond limitations and boundaries".

Numerous publications and exhibition catalogues present the volume of his work.

SOLO PHOTO EXHIBITIONS

(a selection)

•  1983- Double exhibition at the "Cultural Association and Art Showroom" of the Municipality of Paleo Faliro in Athens
•  1984- Cultural Centre "MICHALIS PAPADOPOULOS", Ano Poli Thessaloniki
•  1985- Cultural Centre « MICHALIS PAPADOPOULOS », Thessaloniki
•  1985- Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Triandria, Thessaloniki
•  1986- Caf e -theatre "ANTIGONIDON 13", Thessaloniki
•  1990- Caf e - Gallery "ERODOS", Thessaloniki
•  1991- Giannis Papazoglou's "Garage", Thessaloniki
•  1993- French Institute of Thessaloniki
•  1994- HOUSE SELECTIONS, Thessaloniki
•  1994- Town Hall of Triandria, Thessaloniki
•  1994- Town Hall of Sykeon, Thessaloniki
•  1995- Cultural Centre "Chroma", Thessaloniki
•  1995- Gallery "Artistic Creation:, Thessaloniki
•  1996- Macedonian Cultural Society "Techni", Kilkis
•  1997- Photography Centre of Thessaloniki
•  1998- "The Dam" Kalochori Thessaloniki and following presented in Stockholm, Kavala, Serres, Athens, Lesvos, Thessaloniki, Ardas
•  1999- Gallery "Paratiritis", Thessaloniki
•  2002- "Never-ending cities", Photography Centre of Thessaloniki, and following presented Kilkis, Serres
•  "For a new space" (New Balkan Photography- Thessaloniki 2002) and following, presented in Patras.
•  2003- "From the after-dada to chaos", Photography Centre of Thessaloniki
•  2003- "Photographs of the least", Artget Garerisa, Beograd
•  2005 "The nullification of anti-Summit 2003" caf e -bar De Facto, Thessaloniki
•  2005 // Dipolars // ARTIST`S MUSEUM,Foundation of Visual Edukation, Lotz, Poland.
•  2005``Dipolars``F Galerija, Kaunas, Lituania.

SELECTED PARTICIPATIONS IN RECENT GROUP EXHIBITIONS

1997 "1 st Exhibition for Chaos in Art", Thessaloniki
"Photographers' self-portraits", Thessaloniki
"Aphrodite, the naissance of beauty", Art Village in Vertisko and
following, presented in Thessaloniki
"Shadows", Hungary

1998 "The ragoutsaria of Kastoria", Thessaloniki, Aegina, Veria, Thermi
"Clock plus photo", experimentation on the film "A Clockwork
Orange", FOTODRAMA, installation, happenings, Thessaloniki

1999 "New York", Thessaloniki, Lamia
"3 rd Multiform Chaotic Night", Thessaloniki
"The Scarlet Death's Mask", a multiform exhibition in cooperation with the group "Alma Kalma", Thessaloniki

2000 "At the turn of the century", Thessaloniki, Alexandroupolis, Kilkis

2001 "Parade to Glory", Antiwar art exhibition, Thessaloniki
"Cuba Siempre"- 33 photographers for Cuba, Thessaloniki, Syros, Xanthi
"The idols of.", Installation, environment, and at the opening, a multifaceted theatrical action for photography within the frame of the experimentations of "FOTODRAMA".

2002 "Cheap Art- Cheap Photo", Thessaloniki. Participated in the same exhibition in 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004
"Lomo Walls" and "Lomo Life", "Lomo Cooperation" and "Art House Lomo" of the Lomographic Society of Thessaloniki
"El Carneval El Va", Italian Institute of Thessaloniki, and Bulgaria in Primorsko (Photovacation) and Bourgas (Mariaraphia).

2003 "Photography against war", 26 th Book Festival, Athens
"Anti-Summit, Thessaloniki 2003"- multiple actions- various showrooms, Thessaloniki
"Two moons in Thassos", Monastic
"For hope", Paratiritis, Thessaloniki
"Beyond walls", 8 th Congress of Cultural Actors of Thessaloniki, Neochorouda
"Re-placements", Foyer of the Conventional Centre of Kilkis
"Highlighted photographs", Photography Centre of Thessaloniki

2004 "Reflections -the echo of colours and shadows", Entechnon, Thessaloniki
"About Olympic Truce" Municipality of Agios Pavlos- Tour
"15 Photographers from the Balkans", Vafopoulio Cultural Centre, Thessaloniki
"Descent", Mad Polystage, Athens
"Anapsis", Museum of Folklore Art- Makrinitsa Pylio
"The Thassos Workshop", Monastic, Limenas Thassos and then tour at Goethe Institute of Thessaloniki
"The next generation", Photovacation 2004- Primorsko Bulgaria
"Contemporary Balkan Photography" Balkan Square- Neapoli Thessaloniki

2005 "Artists for the 50 years of EEDYE" Thessaloniki
"Thessaloniki Liberated City- Anti-Summit 2003", Thessaloniki
// Inclinations and acceptances in the contemperary Greek photography // Xanthi, Volos, Kavala, Drama, Thessaloniki.