Urban legends in the heart of Athens
In the heart of Athens, in the run-down area of Kolonos, a contemporary art exhibition captures the grungy, urban feeling. «Urban Legends,» curated by Marina Lagou, is being held throughout the building of the Epi Kolono, a theater that has recently also opened up to contemporary art exhibitions. It is a large exhibition that includes works by 25 artists and extends across the theater’s entire premises, from the main stage to the backstage rooms and courtyard. The participating artists vary from street and graffiti artists to photographers, painters, sculptors and artists who work with comics or performance. Urban legends to themes related to urban life and Athens and lie between fiction and reality. It may be because of the venture itself and the surrounding area, yet the exhibition puts across a feeling of hard, urban reality and – at times – an underground culture. Among the most interesting works is a painting by graffiti artist Faitakis (one of the rare items he has exhibited that is not a public mural) which stylistically combines elements of Byzantine icon painting with comics. Quite different in style both from the work of Faitakis and from the rest of the exhibition is an installation by Nena Karayianni. Based on the artist’s family history (her aunt was the wife of the famous painter Nikolaos Lytras, son of Nikiforos Lytras), the work evokes the passage of time and refers to lineage and Greece’s bourgeois culture. At Epi Kolono (12 Nafpliou & Lenorman, 210.513.8067) through Monday. Open 8 p.m. – midnight.
