Dimitris Kalokyris PDF print email
Documentation Centre on Capitals of Culture - Touring Expo
GRAPHIC DESIGNER, WRITER

He was born in 1948 in Rethymno (Crete). He studied Modern Greek Philology at the University of Thessaloniki. He is a founding member of the “Hellenic Author’s Society”, where he served as Secretary General and Vice.

HE HAS PUBLISHED more than 40 books on poetry, prose, essays, translations, photography, many which have been translated in other languages. As a writer, he has been honored two times with the NATIONAL SHORT STORY AWARD (1996 and 2002). He participated in many Poetry Festivals (Malmo/Sweden, Romapoesia/Italy, Malaga/Spain, Lodeve/France).

HE HAS TRANSLATED works of Prevert, Garcia Lorca (for the National Theatre) and he especially engaged in the work of Borges, translating six of his books.

He has realized collage exhibitions and illustrated many children’s books and he has worked for newspapers and various Greek and foreign magazines on Literature, Photography and Art.

AS A GRAPHICS DESIGNER, he has designed over 2.500 book covers and many magazines for most of the publishing houses in Greece. He has designed many artistic publications, voluminous albums (Hellenica, Delos, The Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum, The Heraklion Archaeological Museum, Greek architects in the Ottoman Empire, The Delphi Archaeological Museum, The National Archaeological Museum, The Olympia Archaeological Museum, The Ioannina Archaeological Museum, The History of Coinage/Numismatic Museum, Marathon and the Archaeological Museum and more).

Even more, he has designed the covers of music albums, CDs and a large number of various publications for private individuals, advertising agencies or bodies and organizations, Universities, Ministries, the National Tourism Organisation of Greece, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation, the Greek National Opera, the Prespes Festival, Municipalities, the National Book Centre et.c. He has also designed the final artistic layout of the application File for the 2004 Olympic Games bid.

CAPITAL OF CULTURE; In 1996 and 1997, he worked in Thessaloniki as special advisor to the Artistic Manager of the European Capital of Culture and Head of the Field of Arts and the Field of Publications. He also has participated in the preparation of the application File for the nomination of Patras as a European Capital of Culture 2006.

In parallel to that, he had worked for the many EXHIBITIONS:
  • International Exhibition of Child Book in Bologna (1996)
  • Grand exhibition “Odysseas Elytis” (Thessaloniki, 1997)
  • Exhibitions by the National Book Centre (1998 & 1999)
  • Designed and organized the touring exhibition “Andreas Embeirikos” (2001) by the Ministry of Culture as well as the touring exhibitions: “Kostis Palamas”, “Nikos Kazantzakis” (Hellenic Culture Organization), “Odysseas Elytis” (Prespes Festival), “Games in Antiquity” (Intralot)
  • Exhibition on Greek Literature in Litteraturhaus, Munich (National Book Centre 2001)
  • Member of the Executive Committee for the participation of Greece as Guest of Honor country at the International Book Exhibition in Frankfurt (2001) and Artistic Director of the central Forum of culture (National Book Centre)
  • Member of the Committee for the celebration of the Year dedicated to the poet Andreas Embeirikos and Artistic Manager of the grand exhibition “Amour Amour” at the City of Athens “Technopolis” (2001)
  • Exhibition “Diplomacy and Writing” (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2002)
  • Production supervisor of the National Literature Awards 2003 ceremony at the Athens Concert Hall
  • CULTURAL OLYMPIAD: In 2003 he was assigned the direction of the Program “Kazantzakis 2004” by the Cultural Olympiad which he carried out as Project Manager, in charge of a team of architects, university teachers et.c which reached its highest point with the grand exhibition “Kazantzakis: an Odyssey” at the Saint Marcus Basilica in Heraklion, an exhibition attended by more than 100.000 visitors
  • Artistic Supervisor in the re-exhibition of the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum (2006)
  • Artistic Supervisor in the re-exhibition of the Historical Museum of Crete (2007)
  • Designed the touring exhibition “Kazantzakis, Travelling by Light and Darkness” (Historical Museum of Crete, 2007)
  • Designed the permanent exhibition “World War II” (Historical Museum of Crete, 2009)
  • Artistic and museum supervisor at the re-exhibition of the Kazantzakis Museum (Myrtia, Heraklion 2009).
  • Designed the exhibition “In memoriam: Cavafy” (Gennadius Library, Athens, 2008)
  • Designed the exhibition “Cavafy: Coins & Poetry” (Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt, 2009)