Halepas

• Offspring of a renowned marble sculptors’ family from Pyrgos, Tinos, he grew up amidst the hammers, the chisels, and the marble-dust clouds of the family workshop. In the second half of the nineteenth century, his father ran one of the most notable marble sculpture workshops in Greece.
• In 1869, the whole Halepas family moves to Athens when Yanoulis comes to study at the School of Arts. He graduates with honors in 1872 and pursues his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich.
• In 1876, Yanoulis launches his Athens workshop. The following year, he makes “The Sleeping Beauty” for Sofia Afentaki’s tomb at the Athens First Cemetery, who died at the age of eighteen from tuberculosis.
• At about the same period, he works on the ‘Medea’ sculpture complex and proposes to his youthful love from Tinos, Marigo. When her parents reject the proposal, Halepas has a mental breakdown. He destroys his works and makes suicidal attempts.
• In 1888, he is admitted at the Mental Hospital of Corfu, “suffering from dementia.” And in 1902, at the age of fifty-one, he is considered “quiet” enough to be discharged. His mother takes him at their house in Tinos. However, she blames his mental illness on sculpture and therefore, forbids him to engage in any artistic activity; either Yanoulis or his mother destroy all his sculptures.
• For nearly fifteen years Halepas lives at Pyrgos, Tinos, where he is considered the ‘madman’ of the village and works as a water carrier or shepherd. As the renowned Greek poet Kostis Palamas wrote in the newspaper ‘Embros’ in 1915, “Yanoulis is like a living dead, herding goats. The light of art has ceased to shine on his path.”
• At the age of sixty-five, after almost forty years away from sculpture, he resumes his art. His mother’s death is considered crucial for this decision. On the day of her funeral Halepas allegedly said: “Silence, now I will make art.”
• In 1930, his niece, Irini Halepas, relocates him to Athens. He is already seventy-six when at last he is widely recognized and regains his position among the intellectuals. “Everything comes late,” he allegedly said shortly before his death.

Exhibition: “Yanoulis Halepas: Credit and Debit”

The Teloglion Fine Arts Foundation of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in production partnership with Onassis Culture, presents the exhibition “Yanoulis Halepas: Credit and Debit”. This major retrospective of Halepas’ life and work (curated by Alexandra Goulaki-Voutira and designed by Pavlos Thanopoulos) was made possible by the Onassis Foundation’s recent acquisition of a major body of his sculptures and drawings that constitute the most extensive collection relating to the artist, with pieces drawn from all three phases of his artistic output and in the main from his final period. The exhibition is to include more than 150 works (sculptures, drawings, and accounting ledgers used as sketchbooks) taken from the Onassis Collection and on loan from other organizations, private collectors, and museums. The accompanying bilingual (Greek–English) exhibition catalog – produced by Onassis Publications, the Onassis Foundation’s publications arm, and designed by Grid Office – will be available to buy from Onassis Stegi and the Teloglion Fine Arts Foundation, as well as in bookstores.

“HALEPAS” – A short film

The short film “HALEPAS”, made by The Boy and Argyro Chioti, will be premiering on the Onassis Channel on YouTube on February 2 at 21:00. The film was shot as part of an Onassis Stegi artistic fellowship. During the course of their research, the creative team traveled to the island of Tinos and entered into the universe of the legendary artist that was Halepas. Their trip resulted in a first draft of the libretto, the production’s first scores, and this short film starring Georgina Chriskioti, Simos Kakalas, and Maria Panourgia.

Saturday 26 February

After performance talk

Yanoulis Halepas was born into a famous family of marble sculptors on the Greek island of Tinos. At the age of 24, he created the most famous grave monument in modern Greek art – the “Sleeping Maiden”, found in the First Cemetery of Athens. Directly after that, he had a nervous breakdown that incapacitated him for 40 years. Only after the death of his domineering mother was he “resurrected”, returning to his art and to life. By then, he was 65 years old.

The Onassis Foundation owns a large body of sculptures, drawings, models, and casts of pieces by Yanoulis Halepas, drawn from the most important collection of his work – that of his niece and nephew, Irene and Vassilis Halepas. Furthermore, the marble fireplaces at the Onassis Library, as well as the sculpture titled “Hecatoncheira” (“The Hundred-Handed One”), were created by the sculptor.

A retrospective exhibition covering the life and work of Yanoulis Halepas, and an accompanying publication, are currently being prepared by the scholar, archeologist and art historian Alexandra Goulaki-Voutira as part of a collaboration between the Onassis Foundation and the Teloglion Fine Arts Foundation of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. This major tribute also incorporates this theater production by Argyro Chioti on the life of Yanoulis Halepas.

In the fall of 2018, Argyro Chioti found herself on the island of Tinos and stayed in Pyrgos, Yanoulis Halepas’ village. This was when she began researching his life and work, with a view to it culminating in an Onassis Stegi production, presented as part of the 2020-2021 season. The pandemic put paid to this plan.

In an attempt to make the most of the dead time brought on by lockdown, Onassis Stegi awarded an artistic fellowship to the “Halepas” creative team. This allowed for a research trip that took them into the mountains and quarries of the island, and to the Pyrgos School of Marble Sculpture. As a result of this support, Alexandros Voulgaris completed a first draft of the libretto, and Giannis Angelopoulos prepared the first scores based on the sounds of marble being quarried.

“Halepas” is the third production to be directed by Argyro Chioti for Onassis Stegi. It follows Efthimis Filippou’s “Bloods” (2014) and Dante’s “The Divine Comedy” (2017). Both these productions were also presented on stages in France.

Thanasis Chatzopoulos, poet, child psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst, for our fruitful discussion.

Leonidas Halepas, Director of the Preparatory and Vocational School of Fine Arts of Panormos, Tinos, for his confidence.

Giorgos Sylikos, Professor of the Preparatory and Vocational School of Fine Arts of Panormos, Tinos, for introducing us to the world of marble.

The School of Fine Arts (marble sculpture) of Panormos, Tinos, and all its students, for letting us listen to their work.

The Cultural Foundation of Tinos and Markos Vidalis, the Community of Panormos and Nicoletta Triantafyllou, and Fast Ferries (ferry company), for their valuable support during our research and stay period on Tinos.

Kyriaki Orianou (Yanoulis Halepas Museum), for her so personal tour to the house and the work of Yanoulis Halepas.

Stamata Koliou (Panormos Artists Museum) and the Museum of Marble Crafts in Pyrgos, Tinos.

Alexandra Goulaki-Voutyra, Director of Teloglion Foundation of Arts, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Professor Emerita at the School of Fine Arts, AUTh, for generously communicating her knowledge on Yanoulis Halepas.

Lazaros Arathymos, former marble craftsman and resident of Pyrgos, and Eleni Dinioti, resident of Pyrgos, for sharing their stories.

Zoi Mouschi, for the reception of our trees.