Daniil (Panagopoulos) was born in Pyrgos, Elis, in 1924 and passed away in Rio in 2008.
He studied painting at the Athens School of Fine Arts under K. Parthenis (1944–1947). In 1954, he continued his studies in Paris on a three-year scholarship and settled there permanently until 1957.
Influenced by the abstraction movement and the prevailing trends of modern art at the time (optical art, kinetic art, neo-constructivism, minimalism, hard-edge, etc.), he created works using humble materials (boxes, plastic, burlap), either by incorporating technological elements (light, electricity, motion) or through drastic interventions, in order to express his concerns regarding political and artistic realignments and to challenge the principles of visual art practice. His Black Boxes (1961–1967) evolved into Electric Boxes, followed by optical-kinetic works (1968), and later, two-dimensional pieces featuring fabric cuts, color, and fraying—aligned with the Support-Surfaces movement—seeking to combine geometric formulas, ascetic colors, material texture, and the exploration of spatial relationships.
He was a member of the Committee of the Salon des Comparaisons in Paris and published studies and books. He presented his work in solo and significant group exhibitions, as well as international showcases in Paris, Vienna, London, New York, and elsewhere. He participated in the Venice Biennale (alongside Caniaris and Kessanlis in 1964), the São Paulo Art Biennial (1965), Europalia (1982), and other major events. A retrospective of his work was organized at the National Gallery in 1988.