DEO Projects, the first contemporary art platform on Chios island, invites the Brazilian visual artist Paulo Nimer Pjota to develop, produce and exhibit a new body of work as part of its inaugural Commission Series programme.

Opening on the 10th of July, the exhibition at the old slaughterhouse of Chios island will mark the first Greek presentation of the São Paulo-based artist Paulo Nimer Pjota. The show will be a result of a two-month on-site research of the artist in Chios, curated by Akis Kokkinos, founder of DEO projects.

Commission series support an international artist to develop, produce, and exhibit a new body of work in Chios. On an annual basis, the Commission series is supported by a dedicated patron who actively participates in all the project stages, enabling diverse practices in the arts ecology to connect and achieve ambitious goals together. Local museums, non-institutional spaces, or the public realm will become a showcase for the commissioned works allowing audiences to explore polyphonic artistic voices across the globe.

Pjota unites art history with the complexity of contemporary social imagery to create a multi-layered assemblage of visual narratives. His large-scale un-stretched canvases, highly influenced by ancient Greek culture, have been exhibited across major cultural institutions worldwide. For the first time, the Brazilian painter will spend two months in Chios to explore the island's history and heritage from ancient times till the present day and produce a new body of work.

The artist will have the opportunity to explore the island's archaeological artefacts and sites (Archaeological Museum of Chios, the temple of Athena at Emporios, the temple of Phanaios Apollo), its recent history as well as the contemporary social textures that have shaped the island's current state and identity. The artist will also meet and work closely with contemporary local craftsmen and artists, integrating local materials and techniques into his practice.

The exhibition will mark a unique moment for the island's local cultural scene and present an enormous opportunity for local and international audiences to experience Pjota's work. The old slaughterhouse of Chios holds the features and traits of the past and preserves the space's social memories and histories. Akis Kokkinos believes that presenting Paulo Nimer Pjota's work within the context of the old slaughterhouse will enable the audience to produce new narratives of what was perceived as familiar and known until now.

Commission Series x 2021 is fully funded by the collector and patron Jessica Cinel.

The old slaughterhouse of Chios is a courtesy of the Chios Voluntary Action Team, OMIKRON.