ARTIST PROFILE

Spyros Kouvaras

  • Greece (b. 1979 in Patras)
  • Currently in Paris, France.
  • My work have been exhibited and performed in theaters, galleries, museums and festivals in various countries and has been referenced in international contemporary art publications.

REPRESENTATION

ARTIST STATEMENT

I practice a research that focuses on the relation between body, sound and image and I am interested in the sculpture tangibility of the bodies, the prolonged duration and the aesthetic precision.

It is about a study of abstraction where its strength consists on the intensity between human subject and visual object, between time and space, movement and sound. An important area of creation is the approach of art and philosophy as well as art and science.

The choreographic research consists on a mechanistic approach of movement using at the same time the body as a canvas, as an abstract surface, so that the movement can be in the image and the movement can vibrates the image.

The kinetic vocabulary of the company focuses on the development of a personal choreographic language which deviates from the recognizable forms of contemporary dance and usually takes a hybrid form.

My performances do not tell a story. The scenic installations that always make up the starting point of the global composition are characterized by the creation of timeless spaces, by the creation of situations and fields which are interpreted more by the unconscious and less by the logic.

My works, often like choreographic installations in movement, approaches the scenic space like an exhibition room, the performance itself like an exposed object and propose to the audience the role of the visitor. I could say that my pieces are more likely « performances that dance » than dance performances »

ART WORKS

2020: SISS / PHUSS: while you carry time our bodies hold history

Choreographic Installation for 5 dancers, musical composition and expanded scenography

Coproduction - Support: Ministry of Culture (GR), National Dance Center of France in Paris (FR), John F. Costopoulos Foundation (GR)

2019: MEMORIA FUTURA

Long duration Choreographic Performance, for 1 dancer, 23 objects and sound design

Coproduction - Support: Kappatos gallery (GR)

2018: WASTE LAND-AFTER

Choreographic Installation for 5 dancers and musical composition

Coproduction - Support: John F. Costopoulos Foundation (GR), Ministry of Culture (GR)

2017: AEQUAM

Choreographic Performance for 1 dancer, stone, nails, painting color, text and sonic environment

Coproduction - Support: Owl Art Space gallery (GR), National Museum of Contemporary Art (GR), Performance Philosophy Network

2016: 3 MOUNTAINS NOT TO CLIMB

Choreographic Installation for 3 dancers, 14 objects and musical composition

Coproduction - Support: John F. Costopoulos Foundation (GR), National Dance Center of France in Paris (FR), Michael Cacoyannis Foundation (GR)

2016: 10-22 sec

Choreographic Performance for 1 dancer, video projection, movement sensors and musical composition

Coproduction - Support: art@CMS – programme of the CMS Experiment at CERN (CH), Athens Science Festival (GR), Science View (GR)

2015: ANASKAMMA # 1: UNTITLED (MEMORY)

Site-specific choreography for 3 dancers in an archaeological location

Coproduction - Support: Owl Art Space gallery (GR)

2015: OPUS I # TEMPORALITY

Choreographic performance for 1 dancer, 15 mixed media installations and live music

Coproduction - Support: Owl Art Space gallery (GR), National Dance Center of France in Paris (FR)

2014: NOVA AETAS

Choreographic Installation for 2 dancers, 1000 dry logs, 400 gr. of yellow sand, 250 gr. of blue gravel, musical composition and video art

Coproduction - Support: Espace André Malraux (FR), National Dance Center of France in Paris (FR), Athens National School of Fine Arts (GR), Institute of France in Athens (GR)

2012: YOU CANNOT ENTER TWICE THE SAME RIVER

Video dance project for 2 dancers and musical composition in natural environment

Support: National Dance Center of France in Paris (FR)

2010: L’ISOLEMENT DANS UN ESPACE INFINI

Choreographic Installation for 1 naked dancer wrapped in 11 meters of gelatin, musical composition and video art

Coproduction - Support: Ministry of Culture (FR), National Dance Center of France in Paris (FR), City of Ivry Sur Seine City (FR)



BIOGRAPHY

SPYROS KOUVARAS

Choreographer, Dancer, Performer

Spyros Kouvaras was born in Greece and he is choreographer, performer and artist based in Paris and in Athens. He studied Graphic Design and History of Art at AKTO-ART AND DESIGN College in Athens, contemporary dance and choreography at the National Dance Center of France and he also graduated from the European Academy of Physical Theatre in Paris.

In 2008 in Paris, he established Synthesis 748 Company and in 2010, at the           International Visual Theatre, Spyros Kouvaras powered by the Ministry of Culture of France and by the National Dance Center of France, creates the solo dance             performance «L’Isolement dans un Espace Infini», a piece for a naked body and 100 meters of gelatin, which was performed in France, in Greece, in Germany and in Sweden.

In 2012 Spyros Kouvaras, powered by the National Dance Center of France in Paris, creates the «You cannot enter twice the same river», a video dance project for 2 bodies and musical composition in natural environment. This video dance is already exhibited and projected in France, in Greece, in Italy, in Belgium, in Argentina and in Colombia.

In 2014, coproduced by Espace André Malraux in Paris and powered by the National Dance Center of France in Paris, creates at the the Athens School of Fine Arts, the duet «Nova Aetas», a choreographic installation for 2 bodies, 3 cubic meters of dry logs, 400 gr. of yellow sand, 250 gr. of blue gravel, musical composition and video art. The project was already exhibited and performed in Germany, in Greece and in France.

In 2015, coproduced by Owl Art Space gallery in Athens, Spyros Kouvaras creates and performs «OPUS I # temporality», a choreographic performance for the visual project MetroLogos, curated by A. Nasioula and S. Kyriakou. «OPUS I # temporality», is a dance piece for 1 body, musical composition and 15 visual, mixed media installations and has already been exhibited and performed in Greece, in Germany and in Biennale of Colombia.

On the same year, again coproduced by Owl Art Space gallery, creates the site       specific performance, «Anaskamma # 1: Untitled (Memory)», a choreography for 3 bodies in an archaeological location. The performance was created based on the thematic Transitions / Space – Time, for the visual project MetroLogos of Owl Art Space gallery, curated by A. Nasioula and A. Skourtis.

In February 2016, the art@CMS-programme of the CMS Experiment at CERN (CH), invites Spyros Kouvaras to create a choreographic performance for the audio-visual installation of INFN, The Gift of the Mass, based on the Higgs particle. So thus, Kouvaras created «10-22 sec», an interactive solo choreography for 1 body, 3 movement sensors and musical composition, which has been exhibited and performed in Athens International Science and Art Festival, in April 2016.

In July 2016, Synthesis 748 Company and Spyros Kouvaras, coproduced by John F. Costopoulos Foundation in Greece as well as by the National Dance Center of France in Paris, created «3 mountains not to climb», a choreographic installation for 3  bodies, musical composition and 14 objects. The piece had its premiere at Roman Odium in Greece, has also been performed in Athens at Michael Cacoyannis Foundation and during 2017-2018 will be performed in various countries in Europe.

In April 2017, Owl Art Space gallery invites Spyros Kouvaras to co-curate the 6th thematic exhibition of the visual project MetroLogos, in which choreographers,       performers, composers and visual artists create and present their works at the gallery. During the exhibition, Spyros Kouvaras creates and performs «Aequam», a             choreographic performance for 1 body, stone, nails, painting color, text and musical environment. «Aequam» has also been performed in Athens at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in the frame of the Performance Philosophy School of Athens Symposium II, which was co-organized by the National Museum of Contemporary Art and by the Performance Philosophy International Network.

In April 2018, Spyros Kouvaras creates «Waste Land-AFTER», a choreographic installation for 5 dancers and musical composition. The project was funded by the Greek Ministry of Culture and by John F. Costopoulos Foundation as well. "Waste Land-AFTER" had its premiere at Contemporary Theatre in Athens the 13th of April.

In July 2018, he was commissioned by Valletta 2018-European Capital of Culture, to create a site specific, choreography for the project Kazin Barokk of Elli Papakonstantinou and ODC Ensemble, at Notre Dame Gate in Malta.

In Janyary 2019, Spyros Kouvaras was commissioned by Kappatos gallery in Athens to create, «memOria futUra», a solo choreographic performance, curated by Adonis Volanakis. The performance has been realized 8 times in a room of the St George Lycabettus hotel in Athens, as a part of the Performance Rooms Exhibition, produced by Kappatos gallery.

In March 2019, his work «OPUS I # temporality», has been performed and exhibited at CICA Museum in South Korea, in the frame of the collective   exhibition, Abstract Mind.

Spyros Kouvaras is selected, contemporary artist, of the International Network, Pépinières Européennes and he also collaborates with the art@CMS, an artistic program of the CERN Experiment in Switzerland and with the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens as well.


PRESS