Greek/Italian artist Angelo Plessas uses the internet as his preferred medium to explore the virtual realities and virtual lives composed and conducted by real people in a real world. Plessas: "The internet could be called a monument to an ever-changing present. (It) appropriates time in an interesting way, and I am fascinated by (how humans behave in order to deal with this appropriation)."
A large part of Plessas' oeuvre consists of interactive websites whose domain names serve simultaneously as titles and a reference to physical locations. These websites are designed in a stark graphic style of bold geometric forms and shapes. They are typical of the artist's aesthetic - whether virtual or visible in a gallery space. By making the virtual sites interactive, Plessas opens them up to constant change and expansion through the engagement and activity of the site visitors. Plessas extends the boundaries of digital aesthetics and our perception of what the internet can be, playing with geographic locations and temporal expectations, and extending his practice into the real world through performance, portraiture, installation, video, and self-publishing.
In 2007, Plessas founded The Angelo Foundation, a series of ongoing projects focused on the relationship between the internet and culture. In 2009, Plessas was awarded the prestigious Fulbright scholarship to create new work for Rhizome in New York. In June 2012, Plessas had his first solo show in London, Twilight of The Idols, at Cell Project Space. In 2013, he designed the Family Space at London's Frieze Art Fair and turned it into an all-encompassing artwork for the visitors to engage with. Plessas has exhibited internationally including at The 3rd Thessaloniki Biennale, 2011; The 3rd Athens Biennale, 2011; The National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens, 2011; Triennale Bovisa, Milan, 2011; Jeu De Paume, Paris, 2009; and Yama Project, Istanbul, 2007.
Angelo Plessas lives and works in Athens, Greece.
