Stefanos Tsivopoulos is an interdisciplinary visual artist, filmmaker, writer, and educator who divides his time between Amsterdam, New York, and Athens.
Known for his research-based work on archives and the unique visual style of his films, which blend found footage with cinematic sequences, Tsivopoulos is motivated by a pressing need to delve into the anthropological aspects of contemporary global crises. These include ecological, economic, political, social, and cultural issues. His body of work focuses on personal and collective histories, examining their influence on present-day socio-political discourses.
Throughout his 15-year career, Tsivopoulos has written, directed, and produced over 30 short and medium-length films across different countries.
Exhibitions
Tsivopoulos’ films and video installations have been showcased in renowned periodical exhibitions, including the 55th Venice Biennale (2013); Documenta 14, Kassel (2017); Manifesta 8, Murcia (2010); 2nd Beijing Biennial (2014); as well as, the 6th Industrial Biennale, Istria (2023); Thessaloniki Photo Biennial (2023); 6th Fotobiennale, Mannheim (2015); EVA Limerick Biennial (2014, 2009); 2nd Xinjiang Biennale (2014); 5th Bucharest Biennial (2012); the 4th Riga Quadrennial (2012); and the 1st Athens Biennial (2007).
Tsivopoulos represented Greece in the 55th Venice Biennial (2013), with History Zero, a film in three episodes, an architectural installation, an archive, and a publication. Created for the Greek Pavilion, "History Zero" has since been featured in numerous exhibitions, festival screenings, lectures, and publications.
His work has been the subject of solo exhibitions in art institutions such as the Bellas Artes Projects Bataan, Manila (2017); Staatsgalerie Stuttgart (2015); MuCEM, Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean, Marseilles (2014); Cycladic Museum, Athens (2014); MOMUS State Museum of Thessaloniki (2014); Stella Art Foundation, Moscow (2013); Art Basel Miami (2013); ISCP, New York (2011); SMART Project Space Amsterdam (2010); Belgrade Museum of Contemporary Art (2008).
Group exhibitions in contemporary art institutions include the MAXXI, Museum of Contemporary Art, Rome (2020); MUKHA, Museum of Contemporary Art, Antwerp (2017); Bundeskunsthalle Contemporary Art Museum, Bonn (2016); LEEUM, Samsung Museum of Art, Seoul (2016); MACBA, Museum of Contemporary Art Barcelona (2015); Kunsthaus Zurich, National Museum of Art, Zurich (2015); The Israel Museum of Art, Jerusalem (2015); Tate Modern, London (2014); Centre Pompidou, National Museum of Modern Art, Paris (2011, 2010).
Film festivals include TIFF, Thessaloniki International Film Festival; Rencontres Internationales, Paris/ Berlin/ Madrid; AIFF, Athens International Film Festival; SIFF, Syros International Film Festival.
Honors
Tsivopoulos is the recipient of multiple international awards and fellowships. Some of these include the Mondriaan Foundation Grant (2021, 2017, 2015, 2012, 2010, 2008, 2006); the Onassis Cultural Foundation New York Grant (2020, 2016); the NEON Foundation Grant (2016, 2013), the Greek Ministry of Culture Award for National Representation in Venice Biennial (2013); OUTSET Grant (2014, 2013); Kostopoulos Foundation Grant (2009); the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Fellowship (2006); Niarchos Foundation Grant (2009), Van Bijneveld Fellowship (2006); Loudon Fellowship (2005).
He won the Golden Cube Award for the best art film at the 25th Documentary Festival in Kassel, Germany (2008). He was shortlisted for the 7th edition of the Future of Europe Award, Leipzig (2010), and shortlisted for the DESTE Foundation Award, Athens (2005).
His work is in prominent public and private collections, including the FRAC Alsace France, Beatrice Bulgari Collection, EMST Greek National Museum, State Museum Thessaloniki, and private collections in Belgium, Greece, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and the USA.
Publications
Numerous publications of internationally leading art magazines have written extensively about his works, including Artforum, Art In America, Frieze Art magazine, Flash Art, Artnews, and newspapers such as the New York Times, The Guardian, The Economist, Wall Street Journal, The Independent. The news. artnet considered Tsivopoulos' contribution The Precarious Archive to Documenta 14 in Kassel, as one "The 8 Unmissable Artworks of Documenta 14 in Kassel."
Lectures and Teaching
Tsivopoulos is a core faculty member at the Lens Based Art (MFA) program of the Piet Zwart Institute in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He is also an adjunct faculty at The New School in New York (2019-).
He is the founder and co-director of the Artists-for-Artists Masterclass program, an online pedagogical non-profit organization that works with leading international artists and early-career artists from the Global South.
Tsivopoulos is often invited as a public speaker and visiting lecturer across international institutions.
More specifically, in the USA, he lectured at the MIT Media In Transition (Keynote speaker), Boston (2019); Old Westbury, Long Island, New York (2019); New School Parsons University (International Visiting Artists Series), New York (2017); the Bard College Curatorial Department (MFA Program) (2016); School of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (2016, 2014); Princeton University, Seeger Center for Hellenic Studies (2016, 2015); Columbia University (department of Hellenic Studies), (2015); Cooper Union (IDS Lecture Series) (2014).
He delivers lectures and is a visiting professor in international art academies, including the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, Amsterdam, in 2020, 2019, and 2013 (Honorary speaker at the inauguration of the academic year); Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam (2016); Ha Midrasha University, Tel Aviv (MFA) (2014); and MASS, Alexandria, Egypt (2019).
Biographical Note
Stefanos Zebarjadi Tsivopoulos was born in Prague (Czech Republic) in 1973 to a Greek father and an Iranian mother and was raised in Greece. He currently splits his time between Amsterdam and New York.
Tsivopoulos studied painting at the Fine Arts Academy of Athens (BFA 1996). After completing his compulsory military service (1997-99), he moved to the Netherlands and continued his studies at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Media and Video-Art (BFA 2000-02). He completed his MFA at the Sandberg Institute Department of New Media (MFA 2002-04).
Tsivopoulos went on to participate at the Rijksakademie van beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam (2005-06), and other renowned artists-residencies including Platform Garanti, Istanbul (2009); IASPIS, Stockholm, (2010); ISCP, New York (2011).