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 Konstantinos Parthenis (1944–1947). In 1954, he continued his studies in Paris on a three-year scholarship, where he remained as a permanent resident until 1957.
Influenced by the abstraction movement and the dominant trends of modern art at the time (Op 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 by intervening drastically to express his concerns regarding political and artistic upheavals and to challenge the principles of visual practice. His Black Boxes (1961–1967) evolved into Electric Boxes, followed by optical-kinetic works (1968), and later, two-dimensional pieces featuring incisions, color, and frayed fabrics. These later works related to the Supports/Surfaces movement, aiming to combine geometric forms, ascetic colors, and material texture while exploring spatial relationships.
He was a member of the Committee of the Salon des Comparaisons in Paris and published various studies and books.
He presented his work in solo and significant group and international exhibitions in Paris, Vienna, London, New York, and elsewhere. He participated in the Venice Biennale alongside Caniaris and Kessanlis (1964), the São Paulo Art Biennial (1965), and Europalia (1982), among others.
A retrospective of his work was organized at the Greek National Gallery in 1988.