CONSTANTINOPLE – On Wednesday, April 29, the opening of a painting exhibition by acclaimed artist Giorgos Kevrekidis, titled “Come Back Often…,” took place at the Sismanoglio Megaro of the Consulate General of Greece in Constantinople.
Welcoming a large audience, Ambassador Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General of Greece in Constantinople, referred to the artist’s career and body of work. He emphasized the significance of hosting the exhibition at the Sismanoglio Megaro, underscoring the role of art as a medium for intercultural dialogue and the strengthening of mutual understanding.
He also highlighted the exhibition’s thematic focus, noting that Kevrekidis’ works draw inspiration from the poetry of Cavafy, whose enduring relevance continues to inform contemporary artistic expression.
Assistant Professor Aslı Damar Çakmak, lecturer in the Department of Modern Greek Philology at the University of Constantinople. Photo: Consulate General of Greece in Constantinople
Also participating in the event was Aslı Damar Çakmak, Assistant Professor in the Department of Modern Greek Philology at the University of Constantinople, who spoke in Greek about Cavafy’s relationship with the city and emphasized the international dimension of his work.
For his part, Kevrekidis expressed his gratitude to Ambassador Koutras for hosting the exhibition and spoke about his approach to interpreting Cavafy’s poetry through painting, exploring its philosophical and conceptual dimensions. He noted that his work draws on Cavafy’s dialectic of time, memory, and identity, shaping a visual space in which the poet’s themes—self-knowledge, desire as identity, decline as aesthetic, and historical reflection as lived experience—are reimagined.
From the opening of the painting exhibition by artist Giorgos Kevrekidis, titled “Return often…,” at the Consulate General of Greece in Constantinople. Photo: Consulate General of Greece in Constantinople
He further emphasized that the exhibition engages in a dynamic dialogue between representation and abstraction, drawing on elements of performative painting as developed in contemporary European artistic practice.
The “Official Air Transport Sponsor” of the event was the airline SKY express.
The exhibition will be open to the public through May 22, 2026, from 12:00 to 16:00, offering visitors in Constantinople the opportunity to engage with the artist’s work and contemporary Greek artistic expression.
