Opening Reception:
Friday 29/11/2024, 19:00
Duration : 29/11/2024 – 17/01/2025

The Eye Altering is pleased to announce GZPRM GOPNIK SKG, the first solo show of artist and art theorist Kostis Stafylakis in Thessaloniki. In this exhibition, Stafylakis delves into the “Gopnik” trope, a quite recognisable and often vastly exaggerated figure, dramatically amplified through its memefication. The Gopnik figure serves as an emblematic representation of post-Soviet, urban, working-class youth, distinguished by an identifiable attire (such as Adidas tracksuits and flat caps), behaviours (like squatting in groups), and cultural practices (listening to techno music, eating sunflower seeds) that have permeated popular and digital culture.

Stafylakis, known for intertwining theoretical perspectives with experimental visual practices, uses mimetic adaptation of digital and social realities to push the boundaries of contemporary narratives.
In GZPRM GOPNIK SKG, the artist investigates the subcultural imagery of Gopnik within global and local contexts, positioning art as a critical medium for exploring the intersections of identity and representation. Furthermore, he demystifies the intricate dynamics between self-representation and external cultural perception, prompting a critical reassessment of identity construction within the contemporary visual and digital context framework.

Challenging the uniform, polished visual language promulgated by social media platforms and mainstream digital design, the artist fully indulges in the early, static, and DIY characteristics of the web iconography that the meme culture still carries. His works incorporate an intricate combination of unsettling elements and media, such as glitch-inspired lighting, cryptic symbols, reused commercial items, raw materials and disorienting post-media arrangements. These comprehensive installations are designed to fully engage the viewer’s senses, transcending the limitations of traditional observation and dissolving the boundary between the artwork and the audience.
The exhibition was initially presented at KEIV, Athens, in 2023 and subsequently at K-Gold Temporary Gallery, Lesvos, in 2024; however, Thessaloniki’s historical and cultural connections to the Balkans and Slavic countries may intensify the resonance of the exhibition. After the fall of communism, the city emerged as a significant centre for Greek immigrants from former Soviet territories, enriching the local landscape with practices and customs reflective of post-Soviet cultural influences. Stafylakis reinvents and reinterprets GZPRM GOPNIK within the framework of Thessaloniki (SKG).

Participants: Alekos Bourelias, Christos Bourelias, Vassilis Vlastaras, Tassos Papatsoris, Despoina Foskolou, Vassilis Bakalis
Artistic Assistance: Konstantinos Lianos, Orestis Karalis, Veronika Špundová, Semina Milarokosta
RayRay suits: Semina Milarokosta
Filming: Alekos Bourelias, Christos Bourelias, Alexis Charitakis
Editing: Eva Koutsoupaki

Sound design: Agatha
3D modelling & prints: Christos Fousekis
Special thanks to Mike Boukas, Theo Triantafyllidis, Semina Milarokosta, Christos Christodoulou, Miltos Digkas