The Sotiris Felios Collection

Founded in the 1980s, The Sotiris Felios Collection, based in Athens, is a unique collection of contemporary art focused on the human figure. The Collection belongs to “The other Arcadia” Foundation and offers a rich overview of the most important contemporary artists living and working in Greece, as well as leading artists whose creations forge a link between the past century and the present day.

The Collection has so far brought together over 1,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, reliefs, constructions and drawings by 137 artists, such as the painters Yannis Moralis, Chronis Botsoglou, Christos Bokoros, Giorgos Rorris, Tassos Mantzavinos, Alecos Levidis, Kalliopi Asargiotaki, Michalis Manoussakis, Kostas Papanikolaou, Maria Filopoulou, Edouard Sacaillan, Maria Giannakaki, Anna-Maria Tsakali and Emmanouil Bitsakis, and the sculptors Takis, George Lappas, Natalia Mela, Pantelis Chandris, Michalis Kallimopoulos, Vally Nomidou, Kostas Lales, and Andreas Lolis – to name but a few. In addition, its Library and Archives include over 3,000 artist monographs, exhibition catalogues, rare publications and periodicals, and extensive individual files.

With a collection as extensive and as eclectic as this one, it is almost impossible to pick out any of the artworks that comprise it over the others, let alone present any kind of indicative selection that does justice to the artists, individually and collectively.

With that caveat, a tentative list of highlights would include Yannis Moralis’ “Summer” (1999), Takis’ “Oedipus and Antigone” (1954), Chronis Botsoglou’s “Nekyia” (1993-2000), George Lappas’ “Acrobats" (1982-1987), Giorgos Rorris’ “Blue Alexandra” (2005-2006), Alecos Levidis’ “Models in the Studio” (2010-2013), Michalis Manoussakis’ “Untitled” (2013), Edouard Sacaillan’s “Nocturnal Walk” (2002-2003), Maria Filopoulou’s “Initiates” (2011), Emmanouil Bitsakis’ “Aphrodite of Knidos” (2015), Maria Giannakaki’s “Jealousy” (2020) and Kalliopi Asargiotaki’s “Shades of Gold” (2010). This selection is by no means exhaustive, and the joy of the Collection lies in each visitor delving into its wealth and discovering for themselves the beauty of all of its artworks and the remarkable talent of each of their creators, whether they are named above or not.

In the interest of making the Collection accessible to the wider public, “The other Arcadia” Foundation organises exhibitions of the Collection’s works both within and outside of Greece, produces the respective catalogues and liaises with other institutions to lend out the Collection’s works for various exhibitions. Furthermore, The Sotiris Felios Collection maintains an online digital archive of all the artworks belonging to Collection, as well as the exhibitions and publications produced by “The other Arcadia” Foundation.

In addition to “The other Arcadia” Foundation, the collector has created the art space '16 Fokionos Negri', as a venue to host art exhibitions, organise cultural events and develop collaboration networks, partnerships and exchanges with other cultural organisations.

Designed by acclaimed architects Maria Kokkinou and Andreas Kourkoulas, the art space '16 Fokionos Negri' presents an active schedule of contemporary art exhibitions and educational programming, from artist talks to family workshops.