The Teloglion Foundation is called upon to handle a case unprecedented in Greek history, involving the donation of highly valuable works from the collection of Christos and Eleni Zioga. As stated by the legal advisor to the Teloglion Foundation and the National Gallery, George Oikonomopoulos, during a press conference held at the Foundation, the Teloglion Foundation has initiated the necessary legal proceedings to protect the Collection it owns, following the extrajudicial notice received by the Foundation on December 28, 2025, from Ms. Zioga regarding the revocation of the donation.

“In 2017, Eleni and Christos Ziogas submitted a request to the Teloglion Foundation expressing their intention to donate their entire collection to the Foundation.

 Indeed, the Teloglion Foundation immediately accepted this offer by decision of its Board of Directors, and in April 2017, the Ziogas couple drew up a notarized deed of donation upon death of all the works in their collection, consisting of twenty paintings and eighteen sculptures,” recalled Mr. Oikonomopoulos.

 He added: “In 2021, Christos Ziogas passed away. Subsequently, in 2025, specifically on December 28, 2025, Eleni Zioga revoked this donation via a notarial deed.

She notified the Telloglou Foundation of this revocation via a formal notice, stating that she was revoking the donation for financial reasons, because she is ill, suffers from multiple sclerosis, has financial needs, that her income is insufficient to address her health issues, and that she has debts stemming from her husband’s estate; consequently, she has sold several works from the collection—which had been donated to the Teloglion Foundation—to third parties. In this extrajudicial notice, she further claimed that she was revoking the donation on the grounds that her husband’s works of art, had been donated by her husband during his lifetime, thereby making her the owner and holder of 100% of the works, including the 50% share of her husband’s works.

The Foundation responded to Eleni Zioga as follows.

This revocation of the donation is legally invalid; it is unlawful, because the donation was agreed to be irrevocable, meaning that none of the donors has the right to revoke the donation.

 Second, the donation of 50% of her husband’s estate to her, made shortly before his death and invoked by Eleni Zioga, is likewise void and invalid, because it cannot be separated from the donations made to the Foundation, since this donation was subject to the condition precedent of Ziogas’s predecease, and upon Ziogas’s death, full ownership of this 50% share passed to the Foundation.

 Thus, immediately upon the death of Christos Ziogas, the Foundation acquired 50% of the entire collection, namely 20 paintings and 18 sculptures.

The remaining 50% continues to belong to Eleni Zioga; however, the Foundation has a right of expectation regarding this 50% of the 100%, meaning it is entitled to acquire full ownership of this 50% upon the death of Eleni Zioga.”

According to Mr. Oikonomopoulos, “in light of this, the Teloglion Foundation, which has already taken legal action, filing for injunctive relief and a lawsuit, announces that any transfers to third parties of works from the collection donated to our Foundation are illegal and void, and calls upon, as a first step, anyone with knowledge regarding the whereabouts of the following works of art (paintings and sculptures) to contact our Foundation.” As he points out, “the Foundation has also been the victim of the offense of embezzlement regarding 50% of the co-ownership rights to the works in the collection, following the death of Christos Ziogas.”

“We usually invite you here for exceptional art exhibitions and various art-related events.

 Today we are gathered for a special occasion, during which we would like to bring to light a difficult situation we are called upon to address.

“The Teloglion Foundation is very pleased to receive donations from distinguished individuals, such as the collection of Christos and Eleni Zioga, which was formally transferred in accordance with all legal procedures some time ago,” noted Anestis Kalfas, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Teloglion Foundation and Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the School of Engineering of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, during the press conference. He also said that “we are currently in a unique situation where one of the two donors, Christos Ziogas, has passed away, and we are facing a unique situation where there are efforts to revoke part of this donation.

 That is why we sought the assistance of people such as our legal advisor, Mr. George Oikonomopoulos, who have extensive experience in this field—both in Thessaloniki and particularly in Athens with the National Gallery— both to advise us and to ensure we take all the necessary legal steps to protect both the memory of the people who donate their assets to the Teloglion Foundation and to preserve the artworks for future generations, but also to protect anyone who wishes to invest in art—something we have strongly supported all these years.”

The Foundation’s Executive Director and Professor Emerita at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Alexandra Goula-Voutyra, emphasized that “since we are here, I would like to say something special about this donation from Christos and Eleni Zioga, particularly regarding the character of Christos Zioga. 

An amazing man whom I had the pleasure and honor of meeting in person.

 We welcomed him here at the Teloglion in 2018 for a wonderful small exhibition we had organized for the children’s concert.

 The immense work of his collection, which reflected his desire to share what he had gathered and loved with the children and the educational community, and to donate it to the Teloglion Foundation. 

I believe it is the Telloglou Foundation’s duty to defend the reputation and the spirit of this exceptional donor so that the effort he made for those he loved and valued so deeply in his life is not so unjustly tarnished.”

These are the following works of art:

PAINTINGS

1. A painting by the artist Georgios Iakovidis, measuring 0.96 x 1.30 m, oil on canvas, depicting a children’s harmony or (dissonance), a composition of five (5) figures, published, signed lower right, framed.
2. Sketch attributed to Dalí, unsigned, dimensions 0.64 x 0.83, technique: crayon pastel carmina on cardboard, depicting “Fallen Angels” in a surrealist style, Loup frame with mat, probable date of execution: 1948.
3. Painting by the artist Mata, dimensions 2.00 x 1.90, oil on canvas, depicting an abstract composition.
4. Structure used as a panel (screen) by the painter-sculptor Pavlos, dimensions 2.00 x 3.00, technique: Plexiglas on marouflage paper on a frame, with a collage of small pieces of cardboard, depicting a “forest.”
5. Painting by the artist F. Leger, measuring 0.62 x 0.52, tempera on paper, with the theme “flower” in yellow, orange, and black, signed lower right F.L., with a wood-carved frame.
6. Painting by the artist I. Moralis, dated 1991, dimensions 1.65 x 1.14 m, oil on canvas, depicting a “female figure” in a three-color cubist style, signed lower right.
7. Painting by the artist Stamos, dimensions 1.53 x 1.27, oil on canvas, depicting an “infinity field.”
8. Painting by the artist Nikos Kessanlis, dated 1987, dimensions 1.85 x 0.95, oil with newspaper collage on canvas, with the theme “seals.”
9. Painting by artist Evangelia Charalambous, dimensions 2.05 x 1.85, acrylic and oil on canvas on a stretcher, with the theme “abstract figures.”
10. Painting by the artist Spyros Vassiliou, dated 1981, dimensions 0.20 x 0.60, oil on wood, with the theme “Zappeion Pigeons,” signed lower right.
11. Painting attributed to the artist A. Kontopoulos, dated 1956, dimensions 0.85 x 0.55, oil on canvas, with a possible theme of “metamorphosis,” signed lower left.
12. Painting by the artist Ballini, dimensions 1.07 x 2.15, oil on marufle paper mounted on stretched linen, with the theme “figure of a farmer,” signed lower left.
13. Painting by the artist Giorgos Ioannou, dimensions 1.00 x 0.70, oil on stretched canvas, depicting a “comic” or “anxious persistence,” signed lower right.
14. Painting by the artist Yannis Gaitis, dated 1953, dimensions 1.05 x 1.60 m, oil on hardboard, Cubist period, depicting the landscape “Santorini Houses,” signed lower right.
15. Painting by the artist Ramos, dimensions 1.20 x 1.50, acrylic on canvas, depicting a composition titled “Four Figures.”
16. Painting by the artist Gryspos, dimensions 0.50 x 0.45, oil on plywood, depicting a “bathing girl with a swan,” signed lower right.
17. Painting by the artist Hilaire, dimensions 0.80 x 0.80, acrylic on canvas, depicting “palm trees,” signed lower right.
18. Painting by the artist Michalis Vafeiadis, dimensions 0.70 x 0.93, oil on canvas, depicting a “female nude.”
19. Painting by Terry Winters, dimensions 1.05 x 0.76, untitled, dated 1983, technique: charcoal, chalk, and pencil.
20. Painting by the artist Ballini, dimensions 0.80 x 0.68, oil on paper, mounted, with the theme “child with a bird and a fish,” signed below and “Mykonos ’95.”

SCULPTURES

1. A bronze sculpture by Salvador Dalí, measuring 0.67 x 0.36 x 0.32, dated 1984, titled “Venus Spatiale”.
2. Sculpture by Giorgio de Chirico, dimensions 0.40 x 0.32 x 0.12, bronze, Horse with Rider.
3. Sculpture by Otto Eder, “Legende Figur,” edition 7+11, bronze, dated 1963.
4. Sculpture by Brown, Statue with plexiglass base, bronze, sitting girl.
5. Sculpture by Takis, bronze, “espace interieure”.
6. Sculpture by U. Papagianni, “Medusa”, stone structure serving as a panel – sculpture with a bronze Medusa added.
7. Sculpture by Novello Finotti, bronze, double male torso, nude, dimensions 0.30 x 0.36 x 0.37.
8. Small bronze statues by Kennedy:

• 2 female figures
• 2 roosters
• 1 cello play
• 1 seated bird
• 3 small female figures

9. Bronze standing female figure by Riganas, height 0.52 m.
10. Small seated figure with a lute by G. Georgiadis, bronze, dimensions 0.20 x 0.16 m.