Memories in Motion: The Art of Denny Theocharakis
- Art Dealer Street
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
A Review of “Memories From A Family Car Factory” at Alessandro Berni Gallery
At Alessandro Berni Gallery in Chelsea, Denny Theocharakis presents Memories From A Family Car Factory, an exhibition that unfolds like a quiet recollection — layered, gentle, and deeply attentive to the way memory and experience shape one another over time. Running from November 6 to November 23, the show invites viewers into a world where personal history and global observation meet on the painted surface.
Where the Story Begins
The exhibition begins with a place rooted in the artist’s childhood:a family car factory — a world of metal textures, repeated gestures, and steady rhythms.
Rather than depicting the factory directly, the works carry the sensation of it.Brushstrokes echo mechanical movement; layered forms evoke materials being assembled and reassembled. What remains is not the image of a building, but the memory of living inside its sound and structure.
Travel as a Way of Seeing
Theocharakis’ practice is shaped by travel — by watching how daily life unfolds in different parts of the world.Her photographs from these journeys act as anchors of perception: a posture, a moment of quiet, a particular shade of afternoon light.
In the paintings, these impressions are not shown literally. They reappear as color relationships, spatial rhythms, and subtle shifts in mood. The work suggests that even across distance, cultures often share something tenderly common — the small gestures of being human.
Compositions That Invite Movement
Many of the works resemble maps without fixed destinations. Lines intersect, dissolve, and re-emerge.Forms overlap like memories that surface unexpectedly.
Each painting offers multiple possible entry points, allowing viewers to choose their own path through the image. No two viewers walk the same route; no single viewing is the same twice. The work acknowledges that memory is not linear — it revisits, loops, and reframes itself over time.
Material as Memory Language
Theocharakis embraces experimentation with materials and surfaces, allowing textures to suggest emotional tone.Some canvases feel open and light; others hold a denser gravity.
This constant evolution is not a shift in direction — it is the core of her practice.Her work does not settle, because memory does not settle. It continues to grow, respond, and transform.
Returning to New York
Showing this body of work in New York, at Alessandro Berni Gallery, carries its own resonance.Years earlier, the city shaped part of her intellectual life during her studies at NYU Stern. Now she returns not to recall the past, but to bridge it — bringing together her origins, her travels, and her ongoing artistic evolution. The exhibition feels like a fitting convergence of those paths.
What the Exhibition Leaves With Us
Memories From A Family Car Factory is not about looking back; it is about the quiet ways we keep carrying where we have been. These paintings suggest that identity is woven from the places that formed us, the places we wander into, and the choices we make about how to remember. Theocharakis turns those layers into images that feel lived-in, reflective, and quietly resonant—works that unfold slowly and leave a lasting sense of recognition.
You can learn more about Denny Theocharakis and her work via these links:
Website: @Denny Theocharakis Alessandro Berni Gallery: Denny Theocharakis - Memories From A Family Car Factory
Instagram: @dennytheo_art
Arsty: @Denny Theocharakis
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