The Onassis Foundation scholarship holder Vassilis Zidianakis participated in the exhibition “Bull’s Eye Special 2008” that opened on January 25th in Tokyo, with an installation entitled "Op, the Cyclops". The exhibition, that took place at the pioneering exhibition space of the Issey Miyake Foundation in the capital of Japan, investigates the meaning of vision and optics, as well as the way that they influence our perception of the world. It includes works by internationally renowned artists such as Katsuhiko Hibino (Japan), Tokujin Yoshioka (Japan), Tony Oursler and Tim Hawkinson (USA), Francis Giacobetti (France) and James Auger (U.K.).
This was the first time that a Greek artist was invited to present his work. Vassilis Zidianakis created the character “Op, the Cyclops", in the form of a gigantic, one-eyed figure. The name is inspired from the ancient Greek radical op from which derives the word opsis as well as the verb optevo (to look, to see). The figure’s body is a huge "eye-talisman”, the blue eye typical in Mediterranean civilizations and its mission, according to the artist, is to protect the 21_21 Design Sight exhibition centre from the “evil eye”! On January 27th 2008, the artist gave a speech at the centre, entitled: “Look me in the eye – I am OP, THE CYCLOPS”.
More information about the research and experimentation centre for global contemporary design, 21_21 Design Sight, can be found at www.2121designsight.jp.
