ABOUT
Dr. Ioannis Galanopoulos-Papavasileiou, also known as Yiannis Galanopoulos, is an Associate Professor of Art at Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates. As a contemporary interdisciplinary visual artist, Ioannis has become a pivotal figure in the global photography and visual arts community. His photographic and multimedia work has been showcased in prestigious galleries and art institutions across the UAE, Europe, North America, Australia, China, Japan, and beyond. Notable venues include the Athens Photo Festival, the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts in Japan, the Venice Biennale, the Florence Biennale, and the Pingyao International Photography Festival in China. His work has also been featured at the Czong Institute for Contemporary Art in Korea and the Eyes on Main Street Festival in the USA. His unique visual approach has led to his art acquisitions by private collectors and public institutions, further cementing his position as a leading artist in his field.
Ioannis’ practice primarily revolves around expanded photography, delving into the interplay between ideated, geographic, and virtual spaces. His work explores how these notions of place intertwine and intersect, unravelling the complex connections between objects, artists, media, viewers, and society. Ioannis crafts narratives that speak to the fluid nature of identity and perception in contemporary life by dissecting how these elements communicate and coalesce. His thought-provoking work captures the visual aesthetics of transient environments and evokes deep reflections on human relationships with spaces—both physical and imagined.
In addition to his visual art practice, Ioannis is an active scholar and writer. He regularly contributes to academic journals and publications such as Taylor and Francis, The Journal of Visual Practice Research, CGRNet’s On the Image, and the Canadian Review of Comparative Literature. Through his writing, he extends his exploration of photography and film, offering critical insights into the intersections of media, culture, and contemporary art. His interdisciplinary approach, bridging the visual and written form, showcases his commitment to expanding the boundaries of visual arts scholarship.
Ioannis’s latest creative research is based on the project Views of Expatria, an exploration of the condition of expatriation and its representation through views of place and expanded photography. The project reveals through pictorial auto-ethnography the social and psychological complexities associated with the global phenomenon of expatriation. Using expanded photography as a methodology, venturing beyond the concepts of forced migration and refugee displacement, his works argue that expatriation has an impact on the identity of expatriates and their perception of place. This theme, which is highly relevant to the UAE, where a vast majority of the population experiences expatriation, has supported the production of many exhibitions, articles and presentations in various institutions.
Dr Ioannis has produced 7 solo shows and numerous group exhibitions throughout his career, most of them being juried and highly competitive. His research is extensive, covering not only exhibitions, but scholarly papers, presentations, and lectures with a wide variety of organizations as well. His numerous creative research disseminations are of international scope with outcomes that have reached large audiences.
Now in his tenth year of teaching in the UAE, Ioannis has educated over 3,500 local and international students at Zayed University. Known for his enthusiasm and dedication to teaching, he is celebrated for his practical and accessible approach to visual arts education. His commitment to fostering talent extends beyond the classroom, as he continuously works to create opportunities for his students to exhibit their work. Since 2013, Ioannis has organized and curated 31 student exhibitions and events across various venues, including Zayed University’s galleries in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as off-campus locations like The Youth Hub in Abu Dhabi, the Galleria Mall, the Alley at MiZa, and other esteemed galleries throughout the UAE.
A champion of student development, he believes in the importance of nurturing emerging voices in the arts. By facilitating these exhibitions, Ioannis not only showcases the artistic talents of his students but also bridges connections between young artists and the broader art community in the region. His role as a mentor has had a lasting impact, as he continues to inspire the next generation of visual artists through education and exhibition opportunities.
Solo Exhibitions
2023: Architectura Transtopica, Zayed University Gallery, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
2021: Views from Expatria, Foundry Cultural Space, Dubai, UAE.
2021: Views from Expatria: Photographing Place and the Self In Transience, Online, 3D exhibition.
2019: Transient Places, Pingyao International Photography Festival, Pingyao, China.
2018: Reduction to Absurdity, Muzikos Gallery, Vilnius, Lithuania.
2014: A World of Immaterial Objects, Selden Arcade, Norfolk, VA, USA.
2013: A World of Immaterial Objects, La Petite Vivienne Gallery, Paris, France.
Group Exhibitions
2023: Photography Now, juried exhibition, the Czong Institute for Contemporary Art in Korea.
2022: The Art of Photography, PH21 Gallery, Barcelona, Spain.
2021: Scapes 2021, PH21 Gallery, Budapest, Hungary, and Barcelona, Spain.
2021: Contemporary Landscape Exhibition
