In his solo exhibition Perception Exercises II, Konstantinos Kantartzis explores the multiple intersections between body, biology, knowledge, perception and power. The title of the exhibition emerges from the titles of the artworks, as they are called Perception Exercise 1, Perception Exercise 2, etc.  

The human body is at the center of Kantartzis’ drawings and sculptures, and especially its non-visible side, what exists under the skin, such as the vertebrae, the lungs, and the brain, perhaps due to his parallel capacity as Dermatologist-Venereologist. The science of medicine offers him the ability to look beyond the flesh and extract legible forms of the internal chaos of the human body. His forms, however, do not resemble the brutality found in depictions of the anatomy of a corpse, as he is interested in “playing” with the multiple readings that arise from the phenomenon of Pareidolia. 

The core center of perception is the area of the brain called Island of Reil (Insula). The Island of Reil is the most important part of the brain regarding the gathering and processing of information that our senses collect from the environment. The processing of all these information leads to the realization of the state of our body and feelings, resulting in the development of empathy and the conversion of thoughts and feelings to intentions and actions. Additionally, Pareidolia, which is a type of perception, evolves in the Island of Reil. The term comes from the ancient Greek words “para” (parallel, side by side) and “eidolon” (idol, effigy and image) and was first used scientifically by the psychiatrist and neurologist Klaus Conrad in 1958 in order to describe the psychological phenomenon in which a random inconspicuous external stimulus/pattern can be perceived as recognizable and significant. Pareidolia is a form of Apophenia, which is the tendency of the brain to find meaningful connections in vague and meaningless data and information (such as objects and ideas), derived from previous experiences.

We come across the phenomenon of Pareidolia in the work of artists from different periods in the history of art, as we can discover secondary images, created consciously or subconsciously. In the “Treatise on Painting,” Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519) argued that if we look at walls stained by dampness, we can discover landscapes, remains, rocks, battles, strange forms and other images. 

The Perception Exercises II sound like a way of training to stimulate and enhance perception, as Kantartzis almost obsessively produces a large number of works with dedication and passion. With this “practice,” it is as if he is constantly attempting to respond to the stimuli around him and with all his energy, he is trying to render what he sees and perceives. At the same time, he invites us to give our own interpretations to his works, make our personal connections to the International Museum of Surgical Science’s collections as our appreciation and perception are influenced by our personal inclinations and prejudices, our cultural background and taste.

Dr. Stratis Pantazis
Art Historian and Curator