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Dimitra Charamandas (*1988 in Solothurn CH) is Swiss-Greek artist working across painting, video, text, sculpture, and food. Her practice foregrounds the sensory and the tactile, using different visual languages to convey the tension between fragility and force, care and abuse; beauty and brutality. Her curiosity for the interactions of body, mind and psyche under the influence of socio-political and ecological realities forms the driving force behind her work.
In her vast paintings, sculptures and smaller mixed-media works, the artist approaches landscapes as a series of bodies: A jagged coastline path that traces the extremities of an island; a gentle slope that leads to a smoking crater; a body of water that divides continents and enables or inhibits the flow of real, human bodies.
Through slow travel and the observation of minute, cyclical changes, Charamandas’s practice embodies an ecofeminist worldview that challenges a prevalent value system of speed and efficiency in the name of productivity. In her her artistic gatherings centered around food and community exchange, she invokes a politics of care, boldly embarking on traditionally “nurturing” endeavors in a context that would see them sidelined or devalued.
Charamandas received an MA in Fine Arts at the Institute Art Gender Nature, Basel (2022) and a BA of Arts at Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Recent solo presentations include Tides, Kunstmuseum Solothurn (2023), Little inlets, Helvetia Art Foyer Basel (2023), Body of Water, Body of Stone, Gypsum Gallery, Cairo (2022), Do not take me for granite, Ann Mazzotti Gallery, Basel (2022), Bassa Marea, Museo Castello San Materno, Ascona (2022). She has organized food gatherings in Frankfurt, Athens, Lucerne and Basel and is co-founder and part of the artist collectives Espacio Pacha with Irene Trujillo and Quince Collective with Johanna Schaible. In 2021 she co-published Amphorea Me Kéfi (self-published), in 2023 Pale Shapes Of Livers And Kidneys (Kunstmuseum Solothurn). Her work is held in institutional and private collections. She lives and works in between Solothurn and Athens.
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exhibitions
| 03/2024 | Duo booth alongside Ralph Buergin, Livie Gallery, Arco Madrid |
| 09/2023 | Tides, Kunstmuseum Solothurn, Solothurn CH – Solo |
| 06/2023 | A Coloured Blanket Over Invisible Things, mit Marcel Freymond, Galerie König Büro Zürich CH - Duo |
| 05/2023 | Little inlets, Helvetia Art Foyer, Basel CH - Solo |
| 11/2022 | Do not take me for granite, Gallery Ann Mazzotti, Basel CH – Solo |
| 10/2022 | Body of Water, Body of Stone, Gypsum Gallery, Cairo EG – Solo |
| 09/2022 | Bassa Marea, Museo Castello San Materno, Ascona CH – Solo |
| 08/2022 | Peace or Never, graduation show of Institute Art Gender Nature, curated by Fernanda Brenner and Chus Martínez, Kunsthaus Baselland, Muttens CH |
| 10/2021 | Fragility - Surreal reality, vivid dreams, with Oliver Krähenbühl, Haus der Kunst St. Josef, Solothurn CH - Duo |
| 06/2021 | Konferenz #2 – Lernen von Lust, speakers — contributors: anaïs stein & gabi soliman / luststreifen, ingo niermann / army of love, tying with friends / fabian/ropunawa, faye/freyahellesdim, isith, me kefi / dimitra charamandas, pina haas, sol & angel, adrian notz, steve valentin, sebastian gebhard, juice & rispetta, marcel freymond, johannes willi, olivier rossel, Pilz Welle Lust Art Space, Basel CH |
| 11/2020 | Freispiel 2020, curation in collaboration with Gergana Mantscheva for Kunstverein Solothurn, with works by Franziska Baumgartner, Matthias Wyss and Roshan Adhihetty, Graphisches Kabinett Kunstmuseum Solothurn CH |
| 11/2019 | 35. Annual exhibition of the Canton of Solothurn, Kunstmuseum Olten CH |
| 10/2019 | Spirit of Exploration, Ad Hoc group show with works by Dimitra Charamandas, Adrian Falkner, Nadja Kirschgarten, Andrea Nottaris und Filib Schürmann, curated by Christoph Oeschger, Nomadic Art Projects, Ex-Herrenglobus, Olten CH |
| 10/2019 | Unfrozen Education - Or how to Relearn, curation of the group show in collabortion with Yota Tsotra, with works by Dawn Nilo, Tassos Tataroglou, Johanna Schaible, Susanna Asp, Panos Chasapis, Maria Glyka, Vassilis Vlastaras, Adonis Volanakis, Dimitris Rentoumis, Jonan Svensson, Irene Trujillo, Yota Tsotra and Dimitra Charamandas, Rethymno, Crete GR |
| 11/2018 | Brasserie St. Jo, Haus der Kunst St. Josef, Solothurn CH |
| 11/2018 | 34. Annual exhibition of the Canton of Solothurn, Kunstmuseum Solothurn CH |
| 10/2018 | An der Kante (Solo), Salon Mondial, Christoph Merian Stiftung, Münchenstein CH |
| 10/2018 | The lands we Know, organized in cooperation with A-1 publishers and Remo Krieg, with work by Seraphin Lenoir, Laura Locher, Gergana Mantscheva, Zuri Camille de Souza, Jimmy Granger, Konstantinos Stratis, Johanna Schaible, Dimitra Charamandas, Project Space Sfera, Athens GR |
| 10/2018 | Frozen Education, curated by Yota Tsotra, together with Panos Chasapis, Maria Glyka, Aspasia Krystalla, Dimitris Rentoumis, Tassos Tataroglou, Yota Tsotra, Vassilis Vlastaras, Kathrin Siegrist, Adonis Volanakis, with the Xeniseum Museum of Education (MoE-X) of the University of Crete with Prof. Anthony Hourdakis and Dr. Kostas Christidis, Kasko Basel CH |
| 03/2018 | S H O W, together with Christoph Grill, Andreas Heller, Cinthia Mitterhuber, Alfons Pressnitz, Lisa Reiter, Christoph Srb und Roswitha Weingrill, Galerie Schnitzler und Lindsberger, Graz AUT |
| 12/2017 | Crib II., with Claudia Comte, Mitchell Andersen, Tobias Nussbaumer, Jennifer Scherer, Mathis Pfäffli, Pascal Zobrist, Dominique Wyss, Julian Jakob Kneer, Stella, Oliver Roth, Nico Müller – Kuratiert von Yves Scherer, Galerie95, Biel CH |
| 11/2017 | Bis ich über den Tellerrand falle, performance in cooperation with Barbara Gasser, Cello, Schloss Waldegg, Feldbrunnen CH |
| 03/2017 | Protagonisten in experimentellen Reichen, with Gergana Mantscheva, Nora Mesaros, Anja Sei, Galerie Bueffelfish, Dresden DE |
| 02/2017 | SECHSUNDDREISSIGMINUS, with Grégory Sugnaux, Maude Schneider, Tanja Laeri, Sarina Walter, Sebastian Utzni, Irene Bisang, Flurina Badel & Jérémie Sarbach, Laurina Fässler, Laura Lazura, Kunsthalle Luzern CH |
| 11/2016 | Freispiel with Maja Rieder and Lex Vögtli, Graphisches Kabinett, Kunstmuseum Solothurn CH |
| 09/2016 | Uncertain ground (solo), Galerie Schnitzler und Lindsberger, Graz AUT |
| 08/2016 | 20m2, Fenster ins Atelier von Dimitra Charamandas, |
| 04/2016 | Uncertain ground (solo), Galerie Soon, Zurich CH |
| 03/2016 | Opening Galerie Rigassi by Soon, Bern CH |
| 12/2015 | All the noise, performance in cooperation with Laura Maj and |
| 11/2015 | Following structures, Schlösschen Bleichenberg, Biberist CH |
| 07/2015 | Bohren in Welt - Tonto Sweatshop, with Frédéric Guille, Vera Hagemann, Igor Hofbauer, Simon Häußle, Max Höfler, Michael Jordan, Helmut Kaplan, Klaus Meßner, Kai Pfeiffer, Bernhard Raschl, Léo Quiévreux and Edda Strobl, Forum Stadtpark, Graz AUT |
| 05/2015 | Vorher/Nachher, with Simon Häussle, A.M.Jehle, Henc van Maarseveen, Alice Milani, Dace Sietina and Ingeborg Strobl, Forum Stadtpark Graz AUT |
| 05/2015 | Mind the gap in between oder: Affektgedanken, videoinstallation |
| 03/2015 | Tengo no tengo (by human nature) (solo), Galerie Rössli, Balsthal CH |
| 12/2014 | Tengo, no tengo, (solo) |
| 12/2014 | 30. annual exhibition of the canton of Solothurn, |
| 11/2014 | Nuit Blanche, in cooperation with Johanna Schaible, |
| 06/2014 | Aujourd`hui était hier était auhourd`hui, Bannières au Baby Plage, |
| 04/2014 | Nuit blanche, Fumetto Schleuder with Johanna Schaible, Galerie Tutti Art, |
| 12/2013 | Annäherungen, together with Gergana Mantscheva, |
| 09/2013 | Exhibition Förderpreisträger 2013 of the canton of Solothurn, Künstlerhaus S11, |
| 06/2013 | Werkschau, Lucerne University of applied Science and Arts, |
| 05/2012 | Galerie Näijerehuus (Solo), Hersiwil CH |
| 12/2011 | 27. Annual exhibition of the Canton of Solothurn, Kunstmuseum Olten CH |
| 07/2010 | Pädagogische Hochschule Solothurn CH |
Harvesting Tears, Swiss Art Awards, Messehalle Basel |
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Harvesting Tears, Swiss Art Awards, Messehalle Basel |
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Harvesting Tears |
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grants
| 2024 | Travel grant Latin America, |
| 2017 | Grant for Art, Kurt und Barbara Alten Stiftung |
| 2016 | Travel grant Greece, |
| 2015 | Grant for Painting, Art and Culture, Regiobank Solothurn |
| 2014 | Fumetto-Schleuder Fumetto Festival Lucerne, with Johanna Schaible |
| 2013 | Grant for Art, Canton of Solothurn |
residencies
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10 – 12/ 2024 |
Latin America, travel grant Atelier Mondial, Christoph Merian Stiftung |
| 07/2018 | A-1 publishers, Mytiline, Greece |
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04 – 10/2017 |
Athens, Greece, travel grant Atelier Mondial, Christoph Merian Stiftung |
| 10/2015 | Artists House Fokionos Negri, Athens, Greece |
| 05/2015 | Forum Stadtpark, Graz, Austria |
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09 – 11/2014 |
Espacio de Arte y Cultura El Mentidero, Bogotà, Colombia |
acquisitions
| 2024 | Five works from the series As the sun breaks into the day (ongoing), |
| 2023 | My eye is a lake (2023), Helvetia Art Collection |
| 2023 | Caldera, Heat (2023), Kunstmuseum Solothurn |
| 2021 | A painting from the series Brute Fragility (2021), Kanton Solothurn |
| 2018 | Particles: Nightfall, 150/100cm, oil on cotton, 2018 |
| 2017 | Draussen wirft jetzt jemand Steine ins Wasser (2016), 3 paintings from the series Die andere Hälfte für das Risiko (2016), Iron, from the series Split (2016), Art Collection Migros Aare Nocturne (2016), Kunstverein Solothurn Red powder (2016), Kunstverein Solothurn |
| 2015 | Laughing heirs (2015), Canton of Solothurn |
| 2014 | Promesa (2014), Canton of Solothurn Tres chicas (2014), Canton of Solothurn Madre (2014), Canton of Solothurn |
Baby pond (2024), Shifting alliances (2023), Collection Juan and Patricia Vergez, Madrid |
publications
| 2023 | Pale Shapes Of Livers And Kidneys, with texts by Lara El Gibaly and Eleni Riga, published by Kunstmuseum Solothurn |
| 2021 | Amphorea Me Kéfi, 292 pages, self-published in collaboration with Regula, Stelios and Pavlos Charamandas, Martina Meier and Johanna Schaible |
| 2018 | On the edge / Στην άκρη / An der Kante, a trilingual publication, A-1 publishers |
| 2014 | Nuit blanche, 52 pages, Edition Fumetto, with Johanna Schaible |
| 2013 | Das Meer der Anderen, 96 pages, self - published |