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"Monogramma" has uniquely recorded the individuals who have marked the intellectual, cultural, and artistic trajectory of our country with their presence and work. It has been characterized as a "National Archive" by the press, and for the first time in 2012, the Academy of Athens recognized and awarded audiovisual work, awarding producers and directors George and Ero Sgourakis the Academy of Athens Award for their entire body of work, particularly for "Monogramma." The reasoning behind this was that "…their biographical programs constitute a valuable portrait of Greeks who acted in the past but also in our era and created, as it was characterized, a work "for the next generations".
The idea of creating this series came from producer-director George Sgourakis, to present the life, work, and worldview of individuals who act in the intellectual, cultural, artistic, social, and public spheres, in an autobiographical format so that there is no interference and the cinematic document is preserved in its purest form.
The format of each episode aims at presenting the autobiographical (visual and audio recording) of an individual who operates in the intellectual, artistic, cultural, political, social, and public life, in a way that engages the interest of contemporary viewers.
Today:
"Kostas Tsoklis" Part I
Kostas Tsoklis is one of the leading Greek visual artists of the first post-war generation, who was exposed to contemporary art and techniques in the place of their origin. After studying at the Athens School of Fine Arts, he initially lived in Rome and, from 1960, in Paris for 24 years, and later in Berlin for two years. However, he never severed ties with his homeland. Born in Athens in 1930, Tsoklis was introduced to colors, brushes, and reproduction techniques at an early age, as his father was an amateur painter. He lived through the grim periods of war, occupation, and civil war, doing odd jobs to contribute to the family finances. At the same time, he painted with passion. After completing elementary school, he entered the workshop of Stefanos Almaliotis, who painted movie posters. He was later hired as an assistant in the workshop of Vangelis Fainos, where he met the painter Giorgos Vakirtzis, who created high-quality movie poster mock-ups, which fascinated the young Kostas Tsoklis. Tsoklis studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts, where his teacher during his preliminary year was the then-young Giannis Moralis. In 1957, with a scholarship from IKY, he went to Rome, where he joined the artistic group Gruppo Sigma with Vlassis Kaniaris, Giannis Gaitis, Nikos Kessanlis, and Dimitris Kontos. He later settled in Paris and Berlin.
He returned to Greece after 27 years, in 1984, having already established himself in the international art scene. His work gained international recognition in the late 1960s when he began exhibiting his "Perspective Objects." A significant moment in his continuous exploration was his participation in the 1986 Venice Biennale, where he represented Greece with "The Fish with Hooks" and "Portraits." Tsoklis continued to experiment tirelessly and systematically with diverse and avant-garde mediums of expression in painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, audiovisuals, light, and water, seeking new ways to approach the objects of nature, myths, and, of course, social issues.
Kostas Tsoklis's autobiographical film will be broadcast in two parts. It was filmed on the island of Tinos (where he created the "Kostas Tsoklis Museum" in the village of Kambos and a theater in the Kounaros area) and at his studio in Athens. The film includes many rare documents from his exhibitions in Greece and abroad.
Direction: Iro Sgouraki
Cinematography: Stathis Govas
Sound: Nikos Panagoyiopoulos
Editing: Stamatios Margitis
Production Management: Stelios Sgourakis
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