1969-1999 “Oeuvre in White”
1969-1970
Simossi smooths and refines the surfaces of her sculptures. Her use of fragments intensifies, with anatomical parts of the human body presented as cut and isolated pieces.
In 1970, she exhibits at the Schneider Gallery in Rome and sculpts three large panels for Jean-Marie Drot’s house in Ios.
1971
She participates in the exhibition 120 Paintings and Sculptures at the Arts-Contacts Gallery in Paris.
1972
Reading Samuel Beckett inspires her work Aristotle, designed as an architectural sculpture meant to be created on a large scale. She writes: “Sculpture inhabits my mind. I inhabit the mind of a sculpture.”
She exhibits at the Salon des Grands et Jeunes d’aujourd’hui at the Grand Palais and receives an award at the international Biennale Morgan’s Paint, held at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ravenna.
She participates in a group exhibition at the Iris Clert Gallery, a Parisian gallery owner of Greek origin known for promoting avant-garde art in France.
1973
The book Simossi, with a preface by José Pierre, is published by Tram Editions.
1974
She participates in the Salon de Mai, where she exhibits consistently until 1983, at the micro-salon Grandes Femmes – Petits Formats hosted by Iris Clert, and at the Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris.
The French Ministry of Cultural Affairs acquires her bronze sculpture The Block.
She creates cement sculptural furniture for the interior of Jean-Marie Drot’s house on Ios.
After the end of the military junta in Greece, Yannis Gaïtis permanently resettles in Greece. Despite being separated, Yannis and Gabriella remain closely connected and supportive to their only daughter, Loretta.
1976
She participates in the Salon de sculpture contemporaine, where she exhibits in 1977, 1978 and 1981.
1977
She begins creating works on paper, photographic collages. The unusual combination of carefully cut images results in enigmatic and poetic representations.
Her solo exhibition at the Polyplano Gallery receives enthusiastic reviews.
She participates with nine sculptures in the exhibition Some Aspects of Contemporary Greek Art held at the Zacheta Gallery in Warsaw.
In Paris, she takes part in the 4th FIAC, as well as in the Féminie Dialogue 77 at UNESCO.
1978
The French Ministry of Culture acquires three photographic collages for the National Fund of Contemporary Art.
She participates in the International Salon International d’Art de Bâle for two consecutive years. She exhibits in Paris at Le Balcon des Arts Gallery, Galerie Paul Facchetti, and Galerie Robert Clarence. Additionally, her work is featured at the National Pinacothèque in Budapest in the exhibition Some Aspects of Contemporary Greek Art.
The large-format album In the Absence of Evidence, the Wind Testifies, the result of her collaboration with the poet Dimitri Analis, is published by the Polyplano Gallery and presented at their space. Many of the artist’s photographic collages are featured in the album.
1980
The Polyplano Gallery hosts a major solo exhibition of her work. The Athenian audience has the opportunity to discover, for the first time, works derived from collages: eleven large plaster sculptures inspired by certain collages, and twenty photographic collages.
1981
She exhibits in Paris at the Salon de Mai and at 100 Small Bronzes at the Galerie Berthe.
She is invited to the “Day of Contemporary Greek Poetry” of the Revue parlée of the Centre Georges Pompidou. Prints of her photographic collages are displayed.
She participates in the International Art Exhibition in Stockholm and represents Greece at the 5th International Exhibition of Small Sculpture at the Mücsarnok Exhibition Hall in Budapest.
1982
She presents works inspired by German expressionist poetry at the German Bookstore in Paris, Le Roi des Aulnes, for the exhibition Reflections of Georg Heym, Else-Schuler, Georg Trakl.
1983
The model for the work The Wings is selected for the commission of a monumental sculpture to be installed in Montsinery, French Guiana. The sculpture, three meters in height, will be made of polyester.
1984
The death of Yannis Gaïtis on Sunday 22 July 1984 affects her profoundly. She writes: “Death has come… I am completely unhinged… And to find some balance within me, I begin to sculpt Goya in clay.”
A major solo exhibition of Simossi is organised at the French Institute in Athens.
1985
She takes part in the exhibition Freedom at the Breteau Gallery in Paris.
Maria Papaliou dedicates to her one of her Women’s Portrait, filmed with the participation of Giuliano Serafini.
1987
The Cultural Centre of the Athens Municipality commissions The Birds, a monumental work that is two meters in height, created in marble from Tinos. The work is installed in Karaïskaki Square in Athens and inaugurated in 1989.
1988
Her works illustrate the text of Georges Seferis in the magazine Poésie 88, founded by Pierre Seghers.
1990
She exhibits at the Salon SAGA at the Grand Palais.
1991
Her sculpture The Wings is selected for the decoration of the Greek Embassy in Stockholm.
1992
Jack Lang, the Minister of Culture in France, awards her the title of Knight in the Order of Arts and Letters.
1994
She participates in Greek Painters and Sculptors in France, the first exhibition organised by the Greek Embassy at the Maison de l’Europe, as part of the Greek Presidency of the European Union.
She exhibits in Germany, at the Galerie de Paris in Giessen.
1998-1999
The project of the future Gaïtis-Simossi Museum on Ios is presented by Loretta Gaïtis, the museum’s architect, at the Galerie Samy Kinge in Paris. Simossi attends the presentation.
Thanks to subsidies from the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, ten sculptures are enlarged in polyester for the grand retrospective exhibition dedicated to her work at the Cordeliers Convent in Paris. Loretta Gaïtis supervises the project and designs the exhibition’s layout. Giuliano Serafini writes the catalogue text.
Gabriella Simossi passes away on May 27 1999, two months before the opening of her major retrospective exhibition. Fortunately, she had the time and the ultimate joy of seeing her sculptures enlarged.
These works are displayed at the Gaïtis-Simossi Museum on Ios.