George Zongolopoulos: The Vision of Public Sculpture

Spirals

Spirals, 1976

Here, at the SNFCC’s Rear Agora, you are standing in front of the sculpture Spirals, created in 1976 and showcased at the sculptor’s solo exhibition at Campo Pisani, Venice, the same year. It now belongs to the Portalakis Collection. Made of stainless steel, with a 3.25m diameter, the kinetic sculpture consists of 100 spiraling metal sheets. Their motion is affected by the wind, thus different weather conditions make it emanate different sounds. Zongolopoulos used to say that the spirals could be interpreted as tree foliage. Maybe this was his way to render a tree in abstraction. Moving on from here, and while strolling around the rest of the sculptures, make sure you notice that motion and sound are integral elements of most of the artist’s work. They offer the rhythm needed so that the sculpture can converse with the observer as well as with its surroundings.

The ‘’Poseidon’’ in Washington DC

Poseidon, 1957

In 2014, Poseidon was finally installed in Washington DC, being the first public space sculpture by a Greek artist in the US capital. It is located in front of George Washington University’s School of Public Health building.

The Symbol of the Games

Olympic Circles, 2001

Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894, and his contribution to the revival of the first Olympic Games in Athens, in 1896, was crucial. The Olympic Circles, or Rings, became the symbol of the modern Olympic Games in 1914, on the occasion of the IOC’s 20th anniversary. The Games’ new symbol was to be presented at the Berlin Games in 1916, but due to the outbreak of World War I the Games were suspended. The symbol was eventually introduced at the Antwerp Games in 1920.