Carousel for the children of Vietnam
Akrithakis Alexis (1939-1994)
1969 | 22 x 37.5 x 37.5 cm
Cardboard, acrylics, wood
Museum of Contemporary Art
MCA.MMCA.C616
Donation of Fofi Akrithaki
ARTWORK DETAILS
Type: Construction
Subject: Vietnam, War, Social-political subject, Contemporary art
ARTWORK DESCRIPTION
n 1969 Akrithakis created a symbolic construction - a protest against the Vietnam War and against the brutality of war in general. The painted wooden construction, which brings together many elements and characteristic techniques of the artist, takes the form of a toy, a carousel. Unlike the familiar children's toy, however, the construction features colourful coffins floating on a red base. Akrithakis attempts to visualize the frightening in a world of color and seemingly joyful, while the Vietnamese children, representing all children, state the artist's anxiety about the future, the future of children and the world.
CREATOR
Alexis Akrithakis was born in 1939 in Athens. In 1958, he moved to Paris, where he studied and came into contact with personalities such as Alberto Giacometti and Jean Seberg. He returned to Greece in 1960 and began his exhibition activity, while at the same time, he made illustrations, drew covers and sets for experimental performances, and developed his characteristic black and white "chiki chiki" script, which dominates the works of this period.<br />In 1968, with a scholarship from the Academic Exchange Service, he travelled to Berlin, where he created a significant body of artwork. His pieces incorporated various motifs, such as aeroplanes, arrows, hearts, suitcases, etc., which played a substantial role in his artwork. He returned to Greece permanently in 1984 in poor health, which is reflected in his painting, which is more melancholic and sarcastic. During his hospitalization at Dromokaiteio Hospital, he created " Notebook of the Dromokaiteion". He passed away in Athens in 1994.