CMYK Series: The Collection, 1999-2013

Ileana Tounta Gallery, Athens, Greece, 2013

In his new solo show, Dimitris Ioannou presents his extensive collection of calibration marks that one finds on the packages of various products. These images are used in order to control colour quality of printers that are used for packaging using the offset method. They originate from a wide range of retail products, such as cigarettes, food as well as electronic devices.

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In his new solo show, Dimitris Ioannou presents his extensive collection of calibration marks that one finds on the packages of various products. These images are used in order to control colour quality of printers that are used for packaging using the offset method. They originate from a wide range of retail products, such as cigarettes, food as well as electronic devices.

The calibration marks are usually hidden inside the package, since they are made to be “read’’ and not to be looked at. However, the artist initially focused his interest on the calibration marks for aesthetic reasons.

The process of creating the collection started in 1999 and continues to this day. The packages, where he removes the calibration marks from, have been consumed either by the artist himself or by a broader cycle of his social contacts (people that act as “donors” in the collection).

The use/appropriation of readymade images and objects and their transformation through the change of context is a primary element in Ioannou’s work. Their juxtaposition, in a way in which stamps, coins or botanical samples could be displayed, creates a narrative that demonstrates the process of collecting.

This show is a “remix” of the CMYK Series project, which he presented in 2005 at his first solo show. At the time, he had presented a series of oversized calibration marks as Lambda prints, with references to the relationship between the Model and the Series and abstract painting. This time, the collection itself is present.

Texts by Maria Konti, Dora Economou, Dimitris Foutris and Theodoros Chiotis accompany the show.