Sofia Koukoulioti: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Art
Sofia Koukoulioti is a multidisciplinary artist whose work operates at the vital intersection of photography, artificial intelligence, and digital media. Her practice explores the threshold between technology and art, frequently blurring the boundaries between the physical and virtual worlds to challenge our perceptions of reality.
Academic Foundation and Artistic Evolution
Koukoulioti’s unique perspective is rooted in a dual mastery of the aesthetic and the technical. She began her formal training at the School of Photography and Audiovisual Arts in Athens, studying under professors whose work defined the course of photography in Greece. This deep grounding in classical photographic tradition was subsequently augmented by a Master of Science (MSc) in Interactive Multimedia from the University of Westminster in London.
While she began her career as a photographer, Koukoulioti quickly became fascinated by the possibilities of digital manipulation and, much later, artificial intelligence. This rare combination of a "painterly" eye and a deep understanding of algorithms allows her to navigate diverse disciplines—including augmented reality (AR), digital collage, and virtual reality (VR)—refusing to adhere to a single style in favor of constant experimentation.
Notable Works and Themes
Her work is characterized by a "visual silence" and an atmospheric quality that invites deep contemplation. In her acclaimed series "Stilliving" (2001–2012), she utilized macro photography and translucent light to transform wild flora into abstract, breathing entities. The series gained recognition for its ability to evoke reflection, moving beyond mere botanical documentation into the realm of intellectual stimulation.
In subsequent series such as "Gea" and "Sea Algae", her work continues to explore threshold states—liminal spaces between land and sea, light and shadow, and the ephemeral and the enduring. Whether capturing the "chromatic respiration" of marine life or the "haunting presence" of dystopian urban environments in "Elegy of the Future", she functions as a witness to impermanence. Her work suggests that the digital and the natural are not opposites, but partners in an eternal cycle of creation and decay.
Ultimately, her art is more than a visual experience; it is a psychological projection. It reflects a deliberate search for beauty, pattern, and peace in a chaotic world, proving that what we choose to see determines what we choose to preserve.
Selected Exhibitions
November 26, 2022: Group exhibition at the "Theodoros Stamos" Art Gallery, Lefkada, Greece.
January 17, 2013: "Protect the Wild Flowers," Gallery 3.14, 3 Lebesi & Makrigianni St.
July 13, 2012: "WILD - Animals in Contemporary Photography," curated by Matthias Harder and Maren Polte, Artist Cooperative, Omaha, USA.
April 7 – June 24, 2012: Tokyo Art Museum, "Beauty | Flowers in Contemporary Photography." Curator: Matthias Harder, Helmut Newton Foundation Berlin. Participating Artists: Nobuyoshi Araki, Eliška Bartek, Wilfried Bauer, Jessica Backhaus, Amin El Dib, Stephan Erfurt, Hans Hansen, Gerhard Kassner, Sofia Koukoulioti, Vera Mercer, Mika Ninagawa, Christian Rothmann, Miron Schmückle, Margriet Smulders, Luzia Simons, Michael Wesely.
2011: Group exhibition at FO.KU.S Fotokunst Stadtforum, BTV Stadtforum, Innsbruck, Austria.
2011: Group exhibition "Flowers - Contemporary Photography," ALFRED EHRHARDT STIFTUNG Foundation, Berlin, curated by Dr. Matthias Harder.
These exhibitions were accompanied by the publication of the book Flower Power, ed. Matthias Harder, DuMont, Cologne 2010, which features her photographs alongside those of renowned artists such as David Lynch, Nobuyoshi Araki, Vera Mercer, and many others.2010: Group exhibition at the Artists' Cooperative Gallery, Omaha, USA, titled "Time, Death and Beauty," curated by Dr. Matthias Harder (Helmut Newton Museum).
1997: Exhibition "Paths" at the Melina Merkouris Museum during the "International Month of Photography '97," Athens.
Curated by Matthias Harder:
Alfred Ehrhardt Foundation, 2011
Tokyo Museum of Art, 2012