Maria Tsagkari was born in Pireaus, she lives and works in Athens, Greece.
She studied Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art at the Technological Εducational Institute [TEI], graduating in 2005; her graduation dissertation was on the work of Alexis Akrithakis. She worked as art restorer at the National Gallery of Athens and for private collections. In 2006 she enrolled at Athens School of Fine Arts. In 2007-2008 she attended the Facultad de Βellas Αrtes in Madrid on a state scholarship. She graduated from the ASFA in 2010 and continued at the at the two-year postgratuade course in Visual Arts in Visual Arts, graduating in 2012. Since 2015, she is employed as an adjunct professor at the Athens School of Fine Arts.
Her works have been exhibited internationally receiving awards such as 2019 Artworks artist Fellowship and the 2014 HYam award for the young Mediterranean artistic scene (Paris). Selected exhibitions: «AQUA», Contemporary Artists and Water Issues, SESC Belenzinho, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Château de Penthes, Geneve; «STANDART», 1st Triennial of Contemporary Art in Armenia; «Coup de Ville», Triennial of Contemporary Architecture, Belgium; 4th Biennale of Contemporary Art, «Everywhere but now», Thessaloniki; «A fresh, A new generation of Greek Artists», National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens. She lives and works in Athens, Greece.
Η Μαρία Τσάγκαρη γεννήθηκε στον Πειραιά, ζει και εργάζεται στην Αθήνα, Ελλάδα. Σπούδασε Συντήρηση και Αποκατάσταση Αρχαιοτήτων και Έργων Τέχνης, στο ΤΕΙ Αθηνών και αποφοίτησε το 2005, εκπονώντας την πτυχιακή της εργασία πάνω στο έργο του Αλέξη Ακριθάκη. Εργάστηκε ως συντηρήτρια στην Εθνική Πινακοθήκη Αθηνών και σε ιδιωτικές συλλογές και το 2006 συνέχισε τις σπουδές της στην Ανωτάτη Σχολή Καλών Τεχνών Αθήνας. Το 2007-2008 με υποτροφία του ιδρύματος ΙΚΥ φοίτησε στο Facultad de Βellas Αrtes στην Μαδρίτη. Αποφοίτησε από την Α.Σ.Κ.Τ. το 2010 και συνέχισε τις σπουδές της στο Μεταπτυχιακό πρόγραμμα Εικαστικών Τεχνών, αποφοιτώντας το 2012. Από το 2012 εκτελεί διδακτικό έργο στην Ανωτάτη Σχολή Καλών Τεχνών της Αθήνας καθώς και στον τομέα της ιδιωτικής εκπαίδευσης.
Η δουλειά της έχει παρουσιαστεί σε διεθνείς εκθέσεις και έχει κερδίσει τέσσερα βραβεία, μεταξύ των οποίων την υποτροφία της ARTWORKS το 2019 και το βραβείο του Γαλλο-Ελληνικού οργανισμού HYam για την Νέα Καλλιτεχνική σκηνή της Μεσογείου (Παρίσι, 2014). Μεταξύ των εκθέσεων που έχει συμμετάσχει συγκαταλέγονται: AQUA, Contemporary Artists and Water Issues στο SESC Belenzinho, São Paulo, Βραζιλία και στην Γενεύη, STANDART, 1st Triennial of Contemporary Art στη Αρμενία, Coup de Ville, Triennial of Contemporary Architecture στο Βέλγιο, 4th Biennale of Contemporary Art, Everywhere but now, Θεσσαλονίκη, A fresh, Μια νέα γενιά Ελλήνων καλλιτεχνών, Εθνικό Μουσείο Σύγχρονης Τέχνης, Αθήνα.
Awards/ Fellowships
2020 - Grant from the Ministry of Culture for developing a proposal in the area of interdisciplinary projects.
2019 - 2020 Shortlisted for the Art Award of the G & A Mamidakis Foundation.
2019 - ARTWORKS, 2nd Stavros Niarchos Foundation Artist Fellowship Program.
2014 - HYam (Hydra for artists of the Mediterranean), 1st Prize, The first Young Mediterranean Artistic Scene Prize in partnership with the Jean-Luc Lagardere Foundation, ArtcurialParis.
2012 - 100 years since the Balkan Wars, War Museum, Athens; 1st Prize, awarded by the National Defence General Staff.
2010 - Art & the city, Citylink Attica, Athens; 2nd prize in the competition organized by Piraeus Bank.
2007 - Hellenic State Scholarship Foundation; Erasmus program, offered a nine-month course at the Facultad de Βellas Αrtes in Madrid, Spain.
Residencies
2021- 5th Artists In Residence Program by Eagles Palace, curated by Aliki Tsirliagkou in collaboration with Artworks, Photography Edition, Chalkidiki.
2016 – ETAC, Le Lait, Center of Contemporary Art, Albi, France.
2015 – WARP, Contemporary Art Platform, Belgium, within the context of Art and Architecture Triennial.
Art Collections
National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens, Greece.
ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen)
State Museum of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Selected Exhibitions
- 2023 - EVROVISION. Crossing stories and spaces. Curated by Sabina Klemm and Sanja Kojić Mladenov. In cooperation with Goethe-Institut Zypern, and NiMAC [Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre, Associated with the Pierides Foundation], Nicosia, Cyprus.
- 2023 - 11th Chania Film Festival, Official Selection of the short film “The man on the left”, Crete, Greece.
- 2023 - Modern Love Festival, Organised and curated by Katerina Gregos, Anna Mykoniati and loli Tzanetaki. EMΣT National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens, Athens, Greece.
- 2023 - CINE REX, screening “The man on the left” in the context of the exhibition Τhe Way We Were: A Photo Album from Carlovassia and Beyond presented at Schwartz Foundation, curated by Katerina Gregos, Ioli Tzanetaki, Samos, Greece.
- 2023 - Elefsina Mon Amour: In Search of the Third Paradise, curated by Katerina Gregos. 2023 Eleusis European Capital of Culture, Old Olive Mill, Greece.
- 2023 -My Past is a Foreign Country, curated by Akis Kokkinos, Temenos Hamidiye & Ottoman Baths, Chios Castle, Greece.
- 2023 -EVROVISION. Crossing stories and spaces, Curated by Sabina Klemm and Sanja Kojić Mladenov. Travelling exhibition. Local curator: Ioli Tzanetaki. A project by ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen) in cooperation with Goethe-Institut Athen and EMΣT National Museum of Contemporary Art Athens, Goethe-Institut, Athens, Greece.
- 2023 - 25th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival, Official Selection and premiere of the short film “The man on the left”.
- 2022 - Rebetiko, curated by Christoforos Marinos, Athens Municipality Arts Center, Athens.
- 2022 - Athens SYN II: Going Viral, Exhibition and Symposium for Contemporary Greek art in Berlin, curated by Sotirios Bahtsetzis and Katja Erhardt, Steinzeit Gallery, Berlin.
- 2021 - The First and Last and Always Psiloritis Biennale, curated by Stamatis Schizakis, Heraklion Museum of Visual Arts, Crete.
- 2021 - Miracle, Immanence Centre of Contemporary art, curated by Caroline Perré, Paris, France.
- 2021 - The right to breath, Undercurrent, Greece in USA, curated by Sozita Goudouna, New York.
- 2021 - CC Cinematic Cabinets, Back to Athens, 8th International Arts Festival, curated by Konstantinos Argianas, Isiah Mansion, Athens.
- 2020 - Unhappy monuments, 14 of the visual artists awarded the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Artist Fellowship 2019 by ARTWORKS, curated by Christoforos Marinos, Eleftherias Park, Greece.
- 2019 - Into my Garden come, Primarolia Festival, Aigion, Greece.
- 2017 - AQUA, Contemporary Artists and Water Issues, curated by Adelina Von Fürstenberg, SESC Belenzinho, São Paulo, Brazil.
- 2017 - Taking Roots: 14 Movies, 14 Inceptions, 14 Roots of the Soul, 58th Thessaloniki
International Film festival, curated by Orestis Andreadakis, Military Warehouse, Thessaloniki. - 2017 - STANDART 2017, Triennial of Contemporary Art in Armenia, The Mount Analogue, curated by Adelina Von Fürstenberg, Sergey Merkurov Museum, Gyumri, Armenia
- 2017 - The Garden sees, Concert Hall of Athens, curated by Anna Kafetsi, Athens.
- 2017 - Re-emergence - Suspended Spaces, Le Lait Art Center, curated by Jackie-Ruth Meyer, Albi, France.
- 2017 - THREAD, curated by Areti Leopoulou, Kalfayan Galleries, Athens, Greece.
- 2017 - On The Way, Cultuur centrum Zwaneberg, curator Willem Vermeersch, Belgium.
- 2017 - AQUA, Contemporary Artists and Water Issues, curated by Adelina Von Fürstenberg, Chateau de Penthes, Geneva, Switzerland.
- 2017 - Higher by Spinning, 33rd International Festival of Sarajevo, curated by Jessy Theo Rahman, Sarajevo.
- 2016 - Coup de Ville, Triennial in Belgium, organized by WARP, curated by Stef Van Bellingen, Belgium.
- 2016 - Part Two/The expectation, a commission by HYam association for a work at the public space in Hydra island, Greece.
- 2016 - Remember the present, Le Lait-Center of Contemporary Art, curated by Jackie-Ruth Meyer, Albi, France.
- 2016 - War Party, Royal Military Museum, Brussels.
- 2016 - Erotimatiko, exhibition of the four finalists of HYam award, Artcurial, Paris.
- 2015 - Αntallaxima, Sin, Georgiadis manor House, Curator: Panagis Koutsokostas, Lesvos Island.
- 2015 - London Art Fair, Art Projects, Gallery Tint, London.
- 2014 - Presentation of the 20 selected artists for Hyam award, (Hydra for the Mediterranean Artists), Artcurial, Paris.
- 2014 - A fresh, A new generation of Greek artists, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Curated by Dafni Vitali, Dafni Dragona, Tina Pandi, Athens.
- 2013 - 4th Biennale of Contemporary Art, Thessaloniki, Everywhere but now, Curated by Adelina Von Fürstenberg, Thessaloniki.
- 2013 - It seems like a flower, Gallery Tint, Thessaloniki.
- 2013 - International Contemporary Art Fair of Athens, invitation: Vassiliea Stylianidou for the Open Studio project.
- 2013 - Rooms 2013, St. George Lycabettus Hotel, Curated by Charis Kanellopoulou, Gallery Kappatos, Athens.
- 2013 - Subproducts, Curated by Alexandros Psychoulis, Technopolis Gazi, Athens.
- 2012 - Salon des Artistes Indépendants, Grand Palais de Champs-Élysées, Paris,France.
- 2012 - Generation of the 30's, The Aggelos & Leto Katakouzenos Foundation,Athens.
- 2012 - Heterodox, Stopover, 12th exhibition of contemporary art, Action Field Kodra, Curated by Nikos Mykoniatis, Thessaloniki.
- 2012 - 30 x 30 x 30, Contemporary Art Chiaki Kamikawa, Cyprus.
- 2011 - Illustrations for the novel “A song for Orpheus” by Nikos Sideris, Publications: Metaichmio, 2011.
- 2011 - Visual design and creation of two works for the play This Child, performed at the Foundation of the Hellenic World in the summer and at the Badminton theatre in the autumn. Director: Frosso Lytra. Head of stage design: Manolis Pantelidakis.
- 2011 - A-projects, TAF (the art foundation), Athens.
- 2010 - Tracing Istanbul, Holy Theological School of Halki & Sismanoglion Megaron General Consulate of Greece, Istanbul; Technopolis, Municipality of Athens.
- 2010 - Sweet summer, Municipal Historical & Folklore Museum, Aegina.