One of the first important magazines on the visual arts created in Greece was the pocketsize bi-monthly Gallery Guide.

The modern, illustrated guide had as its primary purpose – and as an important feature of its identity – the multifaceted, thorough presentation of art activities and events on a nationwide scale.

From its very first issues, the magazine’s initiator and editor, George Zimarakis, wrote in its pages “Among the three papers, namely paper money, banknotes, and works of art, the last ones are to be taken for certain. In the difficult period we are going through, the GALLERY Guide has identified an unusual movement in the art market because, yes there is always the beauty of our environment and the cultural elevation and encouragement of unique talents of international prestige – they are the creations of Greek artists. It is the one area where Greece has become famous and admired around the world.

As a painter himself, Giorgos Zimarakis developed his talent and love for art from his school days in his hometown of Chios, apprenticing  painting under Professor Kostas Karagatsidis (an expressionist in Munich and collaborator of F. Kontoglou) and Nikos Gialouris. He then sought an international academic career in New York, studying at the Art Student’s League and the National Academy of Design. Upon graduation, he began a 20-year professional and artistic career in the metropolis of art.  He founded the artistic, advertising agency ZYMAdvertising. Inc. and after 20 years of a successful artistic career in New York with exhibitions and presentations, his return to Greece marked the launch of a landmark magazine for the fine arts of our time in Greece.

With the collaboration of his wife Kalliopi Volakis, he published Gallery Guide from 1989 for 25 years. In its colourful, well-illustrated pages, the interesting artistic side of the domestic scene was highlighted, with important tributes to established as well as emerging artists.

Γιώργος Ζυμαράκης κ Καλλιόπη Βολάκη Giorgos Zymarakis and Calliope Volaki

Through complete tributes per issue we got to know the great work of artists such as Theo Pantaleon, Paris Precas, Dimitris Mytaras, Stavros Hadjiyannou, Takis Katsoulidis and many others. And we also came into contact with art through special articles on private collections – such as the tribute to the Portalaki collection, or the Greek-American artists of the 2000s.

Through the listings of current gallery exhibitions, a condensed version of the country’s artistic landscape was presented.

In keeping with the pluralism in the presentation of all the exhibition spaces in Athens, Thessaloniki and other cities in Greece, the art-loving viewer was fully informed about the means of expression and artistic trends, with the aim of listening to the pulse of active visual creation. The guide map with the detailed exhibition programme gave a complete overview of the participating art galleries as well as important information on auctions and art events.

Gallery Guide 1991

George Zυμαrakis, true to his vision of demonstrating beauty and beauty in art and life, signed as Zym informative and deeply critical articles in the magazine such as the feature “The Magic of Art” in the Gallery issue of the Autumn-Winter 2002-2003 issue.

His wife, his partner, the archaeologist Dimitris Pantelidis and his brother Konstantinos Zymarakis, the famous expressionist artist who passed away in 2016, were always close to him in his multifaceted editorial work.

The atmosphere of celebration that this important art guide created for the public with articles, analyses on art and technology, with lists and records of exhibitions, events and happenings acquires nowadays its collector’s value in the field of periodical publications concerning the fine arts.

Zym continues to show his love of art and his admiration for the work of Leonardo da Vinci, Pieter Bruegel, Robert Campin, Georgedela Tour, the Impressionists and others through his personal paintings as well as through his writing:

In 2017 he published the book “LIFE IN THE CASTLE- Growing up in Chios”, illustrated with 20 of his own works and stories of the Castle based on his personal experiences.