 Racism (2010): Poster against racism. Designed for GGDA (Greek Graphic Design Association). |  Labels (2010): Proposals for the 9th Ithaca Poster Competition, Ithaca. Selected for exhibition. |  Giannis Ritsos - 100 years from his birth (2009): Poster celebrating 100 years from the birth of the great poet Giannis Ritsos. Designed for GGDA (Greek Graphic Design Association). Text on poster (in greek): Ποιος είναι λοιπόν ο Ρίτσος; Ο βάρδος των λαϊκών αγώνων ή ο μοναχικός σκεπτικιστής, ο "απαρηγόρητος παρηγορητής του κόσμου"; (...) Ο ερωτικός, που σκιρτά σ' όλα τα αγγίγματα των σωμάτων και των αγαλμάτων, ή ο ασκητής που "απωθεί" και "θεώνεται"; Ή μήπως ο φύσει υπαρξιακός που εκθέτει την αγωνία του στον ψιθυριστό διάλογό του με το χρόνο και το θάνατο; Ο "διχασμένος και διπλός", μας λέει ο ίδιος, επιβεβαιώνοντας τον υπερβατικό λόγο της ποίησης.[ΧΡΥΣΑ ΠΡΟΚΟΠΑΚΗ, πηγή: εφ. Τα Νέα, 25.10.1999] |  Freedom of expression (2009): Poster for Poster 4 Tomorrow International competition for freedom of expression (not shortlisted). The selected posters were going to be exhibited in a number of cities around the world. Thus, one of the initial design decisions for this poster was that it should communicate a simple, straightforward message in a universal language, without the use of text. The "greater than or equal to" symbol is a universally used mathematical sign and, thus, provides an appropriate way of communicating the poster's message. |  Accessibility (2009): Poster for International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Designed for GGDA (Greek Graphic Design Association). |
 International Children's Day (2009): Poster for GGDA (Greek Graphic Design Association). Documentation (in greek): Με διάθεση κριτική, απέναντι στον τρόπο με τον οποίο αντιμετωπίζονται κάποια παιδιά στον δυτικό κόσμο, και δη στον κόσμο του θεάματος, η εικόνα του παιδιού Michael Jackson θα μπορούσε δυνητικά να προταχθεί ως σύμβολο. Σύμβολο ενός τραγικού ήρωα/παιδιού που οι επιλογές και οι αποφάσεις τρίτων καθόρισαν στο σύνολό του τον ψυχισμό και προδιέγραψαν μέχρι το τέλος την πορεία της "ενήλικης" ζωής του, υπογραμμίζοντας έτσι με τον πιο έντονο τρόπο τη σημασία του δικαιώματος του κάθε παιδιού στην "παιδικότητα", στον σεβασμό της προσωπικότητας, στην προστασία της προσωπικής τους ζωής, στο παιχνίδι, στη μη εκμετάλλευση. Από την άλλη, η ίδια εικόνα στο πλαίσιο της παγκόσμιας ημέρας δικαιωμάτων του παιδιού, προβάλλει ελαφρώς ειρωνική, επισημαίνοντας την απόσταση που χωρίζει το δυτικό κόσμο από ουσιαστικότερα προβλήματα άλλης υφής και τάξης μεγέθους. Προβλήματα υπαρκτά, που εν τούτοις απασχολούν λιγότερο από ότι τα προβλήματα «λαμπερών» παιδιών του μικρόκοσμού μας. Εν κατακλείδι, ίσως η εικόνα του παιδιού Michael Jackson να μην αποτελεί καθολικό σύμβολο για τα δικαιώματα του παιδιού. Πάρα ταύτα καταφέρνει να αναδείξει μια βαθιά διαστρεβλωμένη αντίληψη του δυτικού (και επί της ουσίας, καπιταλιστικού) κόσμου για την αξία της παιδικότητας και να επισημάνει την αναπόφευκτη προβολή των χειρότερων αδυναμιών μας επάνω της. |  Road (2009): Poster for an exhibition during the 2nd International Jazz Meeting Kostas Kouvidis. |  emdy live (2009): Poster for a concert (illustration: Konstantinos Chaidalis brittle.gr). |  World Refugee Day (2009): Poster for GGDA (Greek Graphic Design Association). |  I (2009): Proposals for the 8th Ithaca Poster Competition, Ithaca. Selected for exhibition. |
 Freedom (2009): Poster for a GGDA (Greek Graphic Design Association) exhibition during the 3rd Design Walk in Athens, Greece. |  myN.Y. (2008): Promotional poster for myN.Y. |  Remember Alexis Grigoropoulos (2008): Memorial poster for Alexis Grigoropoulos (shot in cold blood by police officer in Exarhia - Athens, Greece - on the 6th of December 2008). |  Dream (2008): Proposals for the 7th Ithaka Poster Competition, Ithaca. Not selected. |  +design magazine 10 years anniversary poster (2008): Poster for a special issue of +design magazine celebrating its first 10 years. |
 alt.days[skg]fest.08 (2008): Poster for an alternative music weekend festival in Thessaloniki. |  I am OK! (2006): A poster to remember. On it you can read: 4th of March 2006, 03:35 am. Half an hour ago, I've been robbed. Three young men stopped me near the entrance of a building and pushed me inside. They asked for my money. I gave them 20 euros I had on me. Then they asked for my cell phone. I said I don't have one and they punched me in the left cheek. I told them I am telling them the truth and that,if they want, they can search me. They asked for my wallet instead. I said that I don't have a wallet either and I showed them the small plastic folder where I keep my ID and student card. They took it, had a look at it and gave it back. They told me to leave and that if I screamed for help they would come after me and hit me. I left without saying a word. I felt terrified and relieved at the same time. Now I am home and I am making this poster. This is a rememberance poster. |  Multimedia lab (2007): Poster for the promotion of the Multimedia lab of the Computer Science Department in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. |  Remember Toni Onouha (2007): Memorial poster for Toni Onouha (died on Saturday August 18, 2007 in Thessaloniki being chased by the police). |  Mind (2007): Proposal for the 6th Ithaka Poster Competition, Ithaca. Selected for exhibition.
Play: Playing a role. Living an experience outside but at the same time inside my mind. My mental status is augmented and, with it, my physical as well. I float beyond and above time and space in a deterministic world governed by interaction rules, subset of the reality. A world trying to eliminate reality's chaos through "non-useful", "non-productive" and "non-real" processes. |
 Children festival (2007): Poster for a two-day show for children in Thessaloniki. |  mapping (europe) (2007): 1. Is there actually such a thing as "european design" or merely an assembly of diverse frameworks and approaches (eg. Polish, French, German or Swiss)?
2. Do we really need to think in such holistic terms? Do we really want to? Is such an attempt feasible?
3. Assuming that we follow the holistic approach of "european design", what are the aesthetic interrelations, influences and interactions between the former and well established, non-European approaches, such as those of North American, Japanese and Iranian design? What are their differences? Are there any differences? Do we wish for them to exist (or disappear all the same)?
The abstract, conceptual schema on the first poster is an attempt to visualize the above (inevitably subjective) thoughts and give an incomplete answer to the first of the questions. Each circle represents a European country. The size of each circle is proportionate to the number of designers from each corresponding country, as it was documented in the catalog of the Golden Bee, International Biennale of Graphic Design το 2004. The selection of the Golden Bee biennale as an arbitrary reference point offered a rather simplified estimation of the current status quo in the graphic design domain (one that I trust to be very close to reality). The largest circles correspond to: Russia, Poland, Germany, France, and Switzerland (countries with a prevalent design tradition in Europe), while the space and the overlapping between the circles, maps the aesthetic influences, kinships and diversity among the corresponding countries. The resulting schema is a unity (the notion of "european design" maybe?) and a cluster of detached and autonomous entities all at once.
The second poster, as an extension of the first one, places this mental schema among the most well established non-European approaches - that of North America, Japan and Iran - in an attempt to answer the first part of the third question.
The second question and the rest of the third question remain unanswered.
(15/03/2007) |  Let's Dance! (new) (2007): Poster for a dance instructor/performer friend in Amsterdam. |  Baby Trafficking (2006): Poster for Epsilon magazine - see "2 posters for Epsilon" project (not used). |  Russians in Aegean (2006): Poster for Epsilon magazine - see "2 posters for Epsilon" project. |
 Remember Carlo Giuliani (2006): Memorial poster for Carlo Giuliani (murdered on Friday July 20, 2001) |  Woman On Cross (2006): Proposal for the Quanto? project (there is nothing wrong with the resolution - the image is deliberately pixelized) // In a conceptual level:
1. Any kind of sexual violence/abuse/mistreat represents a form of enforced punishment. Although the image of a naked woman being crucified might not be ethically approved in several cultures and/or religions, it describes in the most truthful and accurate way the psychological and physical pain that the victims of such acts are subjected to.
2. Sexual violence is sustained and infinitely reproduced within the virtual and parallel world of the net. Moreover, the medium's nature is such that (almost) everyone is a prospective victimizer (and in several cases, victim).
In a semiotics level:
1. The suggested imagery is minimalistic but fairly concise/descriptive. Thus, the use of further justifications in the form of text was considered redundant (and consequently taking the risk the result to be characterized as being closer to a work of art rather than an actual poster).
2. The imagery was created by magnifying to a great extent a low resolution image. As a result the final image is pixilated and therefore not clear. This aspect serves two diverse objectives: (a) the violation of the exposed character's identity (in the same way as, during an act of sexual abuse, the victim stops being treated as a subject and is being treated as an object) and (b) the simulation of a computer screen (see above).
Eventually:
On first sight, the poster strikes as unable to refer to the whole of the situations or characters that might be involved in a sexual abuse incident (e.g. inner-family violence, children molestation etc.) as it focuses mainly on the woman abuse and exploitation paradigm. Even so, the imagery of the crucified naked woman functions as a pure symbol (in the same way as a cross does) and thus explores the given theme in a more holistic way. |  Design Quotes #2 (2007): For a hegrade project initiated by Aggelos Mpakas |  Design Quotes #1 (2006): For a hegrade project initiated by Aggelos Mpakas |  Future (2006): Proposal for the 5th Ithaka Poster Competition, Ithaca. Selected for exhibition |
 J' aime les affiches de Phillipe Apeloig (2003): A tribute poster for Phillipe Apeloig |  Typography - It's a mess (2003): A tribute poster for Alan Fletcher |  Informatics Postgraduate Program (2006): Poster for the promotion of the Informatics Department's Postgraduate Program |  Mesogeios (2005): Proposal fot the 4th Ithaka Poster Competition, Ithaca |  Chernobyl (2006): Chernobyl 20 years memorial poster |
 I see (2005): Poster for a GDA (Greek Graphic Design Association) exhibition (personal work - not used) |  10 years of the Design Museum of Thessaloniki (2003): Proposal for an exhibition celebrating the first 10 years of the museum (not used) |  10 years of the Design Museum of Thessaloniki (2003): Proposal for an exhibition celebrating the first 10 years of the museum (not used) |  World Books Day (2006): Poster for World Books Day |  Garde la! C' est fragile. (2005): Message graphique pour l' environment |
 Remember Steven Biko (2005): Tribute poster for Steven Biko - Victim of police violence |  Shigeo Fukuda (2003): A tribute to poster master Shigeo Fukuda |  Refugees (2005): For Amnesty International |  Amnesty International (2005): For Amnesty International |  Informatics Department Student's Cinema Group 1999 - 2002 (2002): Poster for the first 3 years |
 New Orleans 29 August 2005 (2005): Personal work |  Emergency (2004): Graphic message (warning) for ecology |  European Union expands (2003): 1st award in panhellenic poster design competition for the expansion of the european union |  Secret, no more (2005): Proposal for a conference poster on the theme of sexual abuse |  Time (2004): Distinction in the 3rd Ithaka Poster Competition, Ithaca |
 Journey (2003): Distinction in the 2nd Ithaka Poster Competition, Ithaca |  Happy new year (2005): Poster for new year's day 2005 // Presented in Rene Wanner's poster page |  Remember the '80 party (2004): Poster for an '80 party |  British Invasion (2005): Poster for a presentation by the Cinema Group of the Informatics Department in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki |  I see (2005): Poster for a GDA (Greek Graphic Design Association) exhibition (personal work - not used) |
 Affichiste (2005): For Henryk Tomaszewski (1914-2005) |  "Arsinoi" jeweler's (2005): Poster for the opening of a friend's jeweler's |  I' m so glad I met you (2006): Poster for a friend |  The next species to extinct (WWF campaign) (2003): Proposal for the GGDA 2003 New Designers Category // Participated in the Ekoplakat International Poster Triennale, Zilina, Slovakia, 2005 |  Nature's revenge (2005): Graphic message (warning) for ecology // Participated in the Ekoplakat International Poster Triennale, Zilina, Slovakia, 2005 |
 Music Day 2004 (2004): Proposal for the celebration of Music Day, Athens (not used) |  The work of directors: Michel Gondry, Chris Cunningham and Spike Jonze (2005): Poster for a screening of the Cinema Group of the Informatics Department in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki |  Cinema 16 - european short films (2004): Poster for a screening of the Cinema Group of the Informatics Department in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki |  100 years of the American Association of Museums (2005): Proposal for a poster celebrating 100 years of the AAM (not used) |  10 years of the Design Museum of Thessaloniki (2003): Proposal for an exhibition celebrating the first 10 years of the museum (not used) |
 Control Arms (2005): 2nd prize in the GGDA 2005 New Designers Category // Participated in an Amnesty International exhibition, Thessaloniki, December 2005 |  Rebuilding life with safety and dignity (UNHCR campaign) (2004): 2nd prize in the GGDA 2004 New Designers Category // Participated in the 6th Golden Bee International Poster Biennalle, Moscow, 2004 |  Be yourself (2004): 1st dinstiction in the first annual competition for new designers of Adobe Magazine |