Athens exhibition reinterprets George Costakis's rescued Soviet avant-garde collection through environmental lens

A significant exhibition showcasing Soviet avant-garde pieces from George Costakis's collection will be presented at the National Gallery in Athens, commencing on April 15 and continuing until September 27. Born in Moscow in 1913, Costakis began his mission in 1946 by rescuing numerous artworks that had been suppressed by Soviet authorities, starting with Olga Rozanova's 'Green Stripe' (1917). While employed at the Canadian embassy in Russia, he leveraged his position to uncover hidden artworks, often selling personal possessions to finance his acquisitions. The exhibition, entitled 'The Avant-Garde World: City, Nature, Universe, Human,' features notable artists such as Gustav Klucis and Kazimir Malevich, delving into Soviet futurism and underscoring Costakis's pivotal influence on Greece's Museum of Modern Art in Thessaloniki.