April 19, 2021 - Condolences on the death of Dimitris Talaganis

The loss of the outstanding architect, sculptor and painter Dimitris Talaganis is heavy. In 1979 he honoured the CULTURAL SOCIETY LONGOS with an exhibition of his paintings, and since then his works and a piano have adorned our building as a donation. The Managing Committee, members and friends of the CULTURAL SOCIETY LONGOS extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Dimitrios Talaganis was born in Tripoli in 1945 and lived in Arcadia during his childhood. He then moved to Athens, where he lived until 1964, when he went abroad. He studied at the Moscow Institute of Architecture on a scholarship and received his diploma and master's degree in architecture in 1971. He received first prize there for the design of the new Lenin Museum. The study for it was exhibited for a year at the Exhibition of Achievements in Soviet Technology and Science, and Talaganis won the gold medal. In 1970, he won an award at the OSAKA EXPO 1970 for the design of a city with 40,000 inhabitants. In 1971 he carried out a study on the exploitation of Faliron Bay, proposing the construction of the new Athens Theatre. In 1971 he began to paint. His first exhibition of paintings was held in 1973 at the Salon d'automne in the Grand Palais des Champs Élysées in Paris. His work was inspired by George Seferis. He collaborated with the French writer and director Jacques Lacarier to stage the play Romiosini by Giannis Ritsos. An exhibition of his work was held at the Foyer Royal de l'Odéon in 1974. He returned to Greece in August 1974, where he continued to work as an architect. He also began to exhibit his works in various exhibitions in Greece. In 1987, he exhibited his works at the Metropolitan Museum Tokyo. In 1998, he was elected Deputy Mayor for Culture of Tripoli. Dimitris Talaganis was an honorary member of the CULTURAL SOCIETY LONGOS "LORD BYRON" since 1980. He died on 15 April 2021 after one month of treatment for Covid-19 in a hospital in Athens.