Mataroa Gallery in Athens is set to host a new group painting exhibition titled The Silence of the World, bringing together the work of five contemporary Greek artists: Angeliki Antonea, Andreas Ventouris, Filippos Koutrikas, Thodoris Bargiotas, and Dimitris Papadopoulos.
Curated by Niovi Kritiki, with artistic direction by Nikos Papadopoulos, the exhibition focuses on painting not as narrative or representation, but as a space of reflection, research, and lived experience. Despite their distinct visual languages, the artists are united by a shared commitment to the painting process itself and to the questions that arise through the act of painting.
Rather than suggesting absence, the concept of “silence” is presented as a deliberate pause—an invitation to slow down and engage more deeply with the image. Light, material, restrained gestures, and formal simplicity function not to tell stories, but to reveal meaning through concentration and inner tension. The works emerge as condensed experiences shaped by personal confrontation and introspection.
Across the exhibition, painting becomes a site where the visible transforms into experience. The surfaces operate as demanding visual fields—sometimes subtle, sometimes severe—asking the viewer for time, attention, and active participation. Silence is treated as a meaningful presence, encouraging contemplation and sustained observation.
The Silence of the World stands as a clear statement in favor of painting that embraces difficulty, slowness, and uncertainty as essential elements of a contemporary artistic experience.
The exhibition opens on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm, and runs until February 28, 2026. It will be hosted at Mataroa Gallery, located in central Athens. The gallery is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm, and Wednesday and Saturday from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
