GREECE IS_ATHENS_ENG_2020

EXPERIENCE CULTURE, GASTRONOMY & MORE

AT H E N S

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ISSN: 2529-041X

ISSUE #48 | WINTER 2020

4 - 38

W E L C O ME

Greetings from a city that still knows how to enjoy itself, even with masks on: new spots and insider tips from natives in the know.

40 - 92

SP E C IAL SPOTS

Neighborhoods that locals love, attractions that fascinate and lively locations that still attract the crowds.

96 - 114

118 - 143

The country’s largest port is an exciting urban destination worth exploring, and so is the city’s nearest national park.

A look at the state of the visual arts and the role of the artist in the city that’s been dubbed “the new Berlin.”

PIRAEUS – MT PARNIT HA

ART

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WELCOME

AHEAD, NOT BEHIND After a year to forget, there's plenty of cause for optimism.

BY GIORG O S T SI RO S

This year has been like a joyless roller-coaster ride, with all the frights but none of the fun. It started with faint rumblings regarding a distant health hazard, and with tourist reservation numbers that were up against those of 2019, but then came the initial series of COVID-19 cases in Greece, a number of them in Athens. The month of March brought the first lockdown, a decisive step by the Greek government and one which the Greek public endorsed in full, responding obediently and responsibly. As a result, this first wave broke over the capital and the country with relatively little effect when compared to other cities and nations around the world.

The second wave of infections in the fall wasn't as mild as the first, and the the country went into lockdown again. This period of extented uncertainty in which we find ourselves isn't, of course, limited to Athens or Greece; the city and the nation are in the same basket as most of the planet. Nonetheless, as we approach a holiday season destined to be more circumscribed and more family-only than ever before (and perhaps warmer and more genuine than ever as well), we're buoyed by the good news surrounding possible vaccines and by the upcoming celebrations for 2021, the bicentennial of the outbreak of the revolution against Ottoman forces that led to independence and a modern Greek state.

In other good news, the Travel publication Lonely Planet has named Greece the world's top destination for sustainable and eco-friendly cuisine, while the December issue of the magazine Monocle sports a Greek flag on its cover to promote a lead article positing that Greece, thanks to its "soft power" strengths, will be one of the countries to rebound the quickest when the pandemic fades.

Even at the worst of times this year, Athens didn't give up.

Despite restrictions, it still gave every sign of life, with events, activities and possibilities that we've endeavored to record in this magazine, which we hope will continue to be a useful resource for visitors of today and tomorrow alike. New restaurants and stores opened their doors, new investors in the tourism industry have shown their confidence in a city whose potential as a home to high-end and alternative hotels remains largely untapped, and the talented artists and other creatives of the capital continue to produce important work, even in the face of daunting challenges. You'll find all their stories and more in this issue, a publication dedicated to hope, not just for the city and its people, but for the resilience of life itself, which always finds a way to survive and to rebound with renewed strength.

The powerful presence of the past is here to reassure Athenians and visitors alike that, despite challenges and difficulties, the city always abides.

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PUBLISHED BY:

EXPLORER SINGLE MEMBER SA Mass Media Ethnarchou Makariou & 2 Falireos, Athens, 18547, Greece Tel. (+30) 210.480.8000 Fax (+30) 210.480.8202 EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Alexis Papahelas

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Giorgos Tsiros (editor@greece-is.com) COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR

Vassiliki Albani (valbani@kathimerini.gr)

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Kelly Lorentzou (klorentzou@kathimerini.gr) COMMERCIAL INQUIRIES

Eva Loudi Tel. (+30) 210.480.8227 Fax (+30) 210.480.8228 E-mails: sales@greece-is.com emporiko@kathimerini.gr

PUBLIC RELATIONS

40 04. INSIDE SCOOP Six city influencers share tips about Athens.

08. LOOKING AHEAD The capital takes the necessary steps to ensure a bright future.

20. NEW AND NICE A selection of recent commercial arrivals in the city.

32. THIRD-WAVE BAKERIES A new international trend is heating up the city’s ovens.

40. URBAN EXPLORATION Athens expert Nikos Vatopoulos guides us through his favorite neighborhoods.

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52. RECREATING THE MAGIC How artisans produce exact reproductions of museum masterpieces.

62. BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY Innovative exhibitions marking the country’s struggle for independence wait in the wings.

70. CURB APPEAL The hot new corners for an evening out or a shopping spree.

80. HALCYON DAYS A fashion shoot by Thanassis Krikis.

96. PIRAEUS FOR BEGINNERS The harbor city with a new face is a destination in its own right.

welcome@greece-is.com GREECE IS - ATHENS WINTER 2020

106. MT PARNITHA: AN EASY AND ESSENTIAL ESCAPE A magnificent wilderness area within a short distance of downtown offers urbanites a green haven.

is distributed free of charge. It is illegal to reproduce any part of this publication without the written permission of the publisher.

THE ART SCENE 118. “IS ATHENS THE NEW BERLIN?” An in-depth investigation into what both the present and the future hold for the city’s artists.

138. ATHENS ILLUSTRATED Four comic book creatives that call the capital home talk about how it inspires them.

ISSN: 2529-041X COVER: © WWW.PIERPAOLOROVERO.COM

INSIDERS

INSIDE SCOOP

1

IT’S A DATE

2

GUILTY PLEASURE

3

SHOPPING THERAPY

4

A SECRET

5

OUTDOOR FUN (WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING)

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GIORGOS SOUBASIS (OWNER, ME THEN AND MORNING BAR)

At BABOURAS in Petralona (43 Dimofontos), you’ll meet friends and strangers, and there’s a little raised spot, too, which you might think separates you from the rest. Which, of course, it doesn’t.

A MUSHROOM BURGER FROM TALKING BREADS (11 SPYROU TRIKOUPI) IN EXARCHIA – THE TASTIEST VEGETARIAN BURGER IN TOWN – AND LEMON SORBET WITH MINT FROM LE GRECHE (16 MITROPOLEOS).

Vinyl and conversation, special requests and orders, dreams of future concerts and parties with Giorgos at UNDERFLOW RECORDS (39 Kallirois).

O,TI APO HARTI (9 NIKIOU) IS AN AMAZING LITTLE STATIONERY SHOP, WITH VINTAGE ITEMS, JAPANESE-MADE WRITING IMPLEMENTS AND ACCESSORIES, STORAGE SOLUTIONS FOR JUST ABOUT ANYTHING, AND MUCH MORE.

Campari from the food stand on LYCABETTUS. Views, tranquility and secluded spots to chat away from the city’s bustle.

ARISTIDIS LAPPAS (ARTIST)

GERASIMOS EVANGELATOS (LYRICIST, WRITER)

A CUTE LITTLE WINE BAR CALLED FINEWINE (12 THESPIDOS) IN AN ALLEYWAY IN PLAKA. IT HAS A WARM ATMOSPHERE AND GREAT WINE.

A ground beef pie from MAKEDONIKON (73 Solonos & Ippokratous).

A little heavy, a little greasy, but just what you want.

A VINTAGE SHOP, BOHO (8 IPEIROU) NEAR THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM HAS CLOTHES EMBROIDERED WITH EASTERN MOTIFS AS WELL AS AMAZING JEWELRY.

The dining hall of the ASSOCIATION OF GREEKS FROM EGYPT (1st floor, 25 3is Septemvriou), for the best Egyptian food in Athens.

I RECOMMEND THE PNYX, THE “ALTERNATIVE” ROCKS BELOW THE ACROPOLIS, WITH ON OF THE BEST VIEWS IN TOWN.

AEROSTATO (4 Ptolemeon) on Proskopon Square in Pangrati, my “office” since before the neighborhood became my home, is calm (but busy), welcoming (but discreet), and always glad to water, feed and heal you.

SIR’S MARTINI AT KYRIOS (4 DORILEOU) ON MAVILI SQUARE. MOST DON’T DARE TO MAKE A DECENT DIRTY MARTINI; KYRIOS GOES A STEP BEYOND AND MAXES OUT THE SHOCK FACTOR. ONE SIP WILL MAKE YOU FORGET ANY OTHER MARTINI YOU’VE EVER HAD. At LEXIKOPOLEIO (13 Stasinou), you’ll find every book you’re looking for, including some you don’t even know about yet, as the staff are expert guides. It features a huge range and good prices.

ON A QUIET PEDESTRIANIZED STREET NEAR THE PANATHENAIC STADIUM IS THE WONDERFUL TRATTORIA ITALIA D’ONOFRIO (6 IRONDA). ENJOY HANDMADE PASTA AND GREAT WINE IN A SECRET GARDEN WHICH FEELS LIKE AN ALLEY IN 1950S ROME. The perimeter of the PANATHENAIC STADIUM is where Athens goes to run. It’s a great spot even if, like me, you opt to stroll with a coffee. At sunset, you’ll fall in love with Athens all over again.

ILLUSTRATION: FILIPPOS AVRAMIDES

Six city influencers recommend some of their favorite spots.

11 Voukourestiou str., 10671 - Athens | www.callistacrafts.com

INSIDERS

(FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, NESO STUDIO)

1

IT’S A DATE

2

GUILTY PLEASURE

3

SHOPPING THERAPY

4

A SECRET

5

OUTDOOR FUN (WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING)

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TUCKED AWAY IN KOLONAKI IS JAZZ IN JAZZ (4 DINOKRATOUS), THE CITY’S SYNCOPATED MUSIC SPOT, WITH UNIQUE MELODIES, FABULOUS WHISKEYS AND GREAT DECOR. Mussels in sauce with crusty bread: the tastiest thing I’ve ever had. The recipe is from Vassilis, owner of the KOCHYLI fish taverna (17 Irinis), down a backstreet in Tavros. Meals always end with syrupy ravani, made by his wife, Rita.

ON THE FIRST FLOOR IN THE STOA PRAXITELOUS, YOU’LL FIND UNIQUE CERAMICS, INCLUDING TEAPOTS, GLASSES AND PLATES. THE FIG SHOP (33 PRAXITELOUS) IS THE PLACE TO GO TO DECORATE YOUR HOME AND YOUR HEART.

The DARA THAI RESTAURANT has moved into the garden at six D.O.G.S (6-8 Avramiotou) where its authentic Thai cuisine goes perfectly with music from noted DJs (no doubt you’ll dance in your chair) and cool cocktails.

THE WALK FROM SKOUZE HILL TO AGHIOS EMILIANOS CHURCH: NARROW ALLEYS, BEAUTIFUL HOUSES AND A SENSE OF THE ATMOSPHERE OF OLD ATHENS. GREEN GARDENS AND NOSTALGIA.

MILTOS KONTOGIANNIS (DESIGNER AND OWNER OF STUDIOMATERIALITY)

If your aim is a feeling of familiarity, all roads lead to KAIN (22 Anapafseos, Mets). It feels like home to me, and Mets is romantic by definition.

MORNING BAR (36 ODYSSEA ANDROUTSOU, KOUKAKI) BECAUSE I RETURN, GUILTILY, AGAIN AND AGAIN FOR MARINA’S BAKING AND GIORGOS’ STYLISH CLOTHES.

SEPTEMBER (16 Apollonos) is a colorful concept store in the heart of the city, with a pleasant atmosphere and distinctive creations by Greek designers.

Adding to my love for it is that our own Studiomateriality is responsible for the design.

VITRINA EKINI (11 NAVARINOU) IS A TREASURE TROVE FOR LOVERS OF HANDICRAFTS AND THE DAYS OF YESTERYEAR.

The multifunctional PARK AT LIPASMATA in Drapetsona is ideal for strolls, beer at the food stand and live music, unexpectedly, in various locations.

MARIA TSOLAKI (PR specialist)

DUENDE (2 TZIREON) IS A CLASSIC BISTRO WITH A REFINED ATMOSPHERE IN THE HISTORIC CENTER OF ATHENS. ITS AUTHENTIC AESTHETIC MAKES TIME STAND STILL AND FILLS YOU WITH A CALM THAT’S OUT OF THIS WORLD.

I buy plants and flowers. My latest favorite source is NOUFARO (221 Formionos) in Vyronas. Here you’ll find enormous variety, while the proprietor is a work of art herself.

THE GIFT SHOP OF THE BASIL AND ELISE GOULANDRIS FOUNDATION IN PANGRATI (13 ERATOSTHENOUS) HAS EVERYTHING FROM APRONS AND PLATES TO JEWELRY, BOOKS, SATCHELS AND SCHOOL SETS.

THE DIOMEDES BOTANICAL GARDENS in Votanikos, next to Dafni Monastery (403 Iera Odos) is a magical place with the largest collection of rare plants and flowers in Greece.

SKYDIVING! IT HAS EVERYTHING: ADRENALIN, FEAR, RELEASE, FREEDOM, AND A UNIQUE FEELING OF SATISFACTION. AT SKYDIVE GREECE IN MEGARA, OUTSIDE ATHENS, YOU’LL JUMP FROM A HEIGHT OF 3.5 KILOMETERS OVER THE SEA, AND THE VIEW IS AMAZING!

ILLUSTRATION: FILIPPOS AVRAMIDES

ZOE XEMANTILOTOU

THE VIBE

LOOKING AHEAD

To meet the new challenges of today and tomorrow, the city is putting bold plans in place, seeking resilience through adaptability.

I

t’s not easy to stand back and look objectively at the city where you’ve lived all your life. You’ve seen it go through rough patches, transform itself, suffer wounds, and rise to its feet again. And then, just as it’s marching successfully towards a brighter future, welcoming 6.3 million foreign tourists in 2019, you see it freeze once more, this time in the midst of a global standstill. The storm of the pandemic is still raging, but even when calm returns, the Greek capital – which recorded a significant increase in visitor arrivals in the first two months of

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2020 compared to the previous years – will be mopping up the floodwaters for some time.

In the evenings prior to the second lockdown, the few lit hotel rooms on Syngrou Avenue acted as an informal barometer. The avenue, which starts at the Temple of Olympian Zeus in the city center and ends at the seafront, has established itself over the past couple of years as a new hospitality hotspot, with new hotels opening one after another. Visitors, however, remain scarce and the outlook for the next few months

© INTIME NEWS

BY A L E X A N DR A M A N DR A KOU

THE VIBE

ATHENS CAPITAL

remains challenging. According to the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, there are 491 hotels in Attica. Out of these, only 318 reopened after the first lockdown.

“We don’t yet know under what conditions we will be operating,” says Alexandros Vassilikos, the Chamber’s president.

“The bookings we had are gradually being canceled, as conferences aren’t taking place any longer and city breaks are drying up, so a big part of our winter business has been lost. And all of this in a context of oversupply... combined with

the fact that short-term letting was left unchecked. It is clear that city hotels need to be supported, as this is where investment is, so that the city can flourish on the multipliers of tourism and absorb the income into its productive fabric. Every euro spent on accommodation translates into €4 of spending on shopping, eating out, entertainment, and so on.”

In the space of a year, between August of 2019 and August of 2020, over 3,000 listings in central Athens have been removed from short-term

“IT IS CLEAR THAT CITY HOTELS NEED TO BE SUPPORTED... EVERY EURO SPENT ON ACCOMMODATION TRANSLATES INTO €4 OF SPENDING ON SHOPPING, EATING OUT, ENTERTAINMENT, AND SO ON.” 10

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letting platforms. The pandemic acted as a catalyst: the short-term rental market seems to be returning to the levels of three years ago, before indications of oversupply were observed in less touristic areas such as the northern suburbs. Rents have stayed high, and it remains to be seen whether long-term renters will return to Athenian neighborhoods they were forced to leave in recent years. “Tourists haven’t vanished, they’re just fewer of them,” says one resident in the neighborhood of the Acropolis. “Out of nine apartments in my building that were used as vacation rentals last March, three continued to host guests until very recenlty, and at a satisfactory rate.”

A CITY IN THE SUN In the middle of the day in the alleys around Mitropoleos Street in Syntagma, where this time last year you needed luck on your side to find a sidewalk table, things have changed. In part because

THE VIBE

© KOSTIS NTANTAMIS/AFP/VISUALHELLAS.GR

Or that every day in Athens can hold a new surprise for them: gastronomy, culture, the people, the city’s vitality?

This approach will differentiate the city strategically and give it a competitive advantage.” For Tsakalos, the key is being able to adapt to change, something that the pandemic has accelerated. “The question is whether Athens can adapt and turn the crisis into an opportunity.”

CYCLING IN THISEIO

the rise of remote working means fewer people commute to the center, and in part because of reduced tourist traffic, one walks through a different Athens these days. Stunned and a little wobbly, but still very much holding on to its identity. Even if the sky clouds over for a time, metaphorically speaking, the city finds a way to blossom in the face of its contradictions, the same ones that give it its perennial charm.

“For our part, we continue to upgrade our municipal services to offer

“THE CITY HAS UNIQUE EXPERIENCES TO OFFER, BUT THEY NEED TO BE INCORPORATED INTO A STRATEGIC PLAN” 12

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a better and more accessible city to residents and visitors” say the people at City Hall. “Athens is continually becoming more hospitable. We prove this every day, with the cleaning operations which we set as our priority from the outset; in every neighborhood, we’ve instituted a coordinated anti-graffiti campaign, and we’re maintaining and improving green spaces and upgrading our infrastructure.”

Yiannis Tsakalos, founder and managing director of the strategic marketing firm AQ Strategy and an experienced observer of the Athens tourist scene, sees the city facing a substantial challenge. “The city has unique experiences to offer, but they need to be incorporated into a strategic plan so as to be properly promoted. Athens isn’t just a destination, it’s a unique experience that has to be lived. This particular juncture gives us an opportunity to focus strategically on this approach, which is what the new generation of travelers is after.

How many potential visitors know that in 20 minutes they can go from the center to the beach, or that in an hour they can be skiing down a mountain in winter?

SIGNS OF HOPE Over the period of January to August just 3.9 million arrivals were recorded at Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, compared to 15.8 million in 2019.

The city, however, remains hopeful of returning to its previous levels of life and energy. To honor its timeless symbol, the Acropolis, a new lighting system was launched in October, designed by EMMY Award-winner Eleftheria Deko. The new lighting design better highlights the different monuments on the Sacred Rock as distinct from each other and from the walls. Additionally, a new elevator and disabled access routes will be in operation by the end of December.

Meanwhile, work to transform the National Gallery into a state-of-theart museum continues apace, so that in March of 2021 contemporary Greek artworks will be able to return to their newly renovated permanent home.

Talk is intensifying of a future metro extension that will serve the western and southern suburbs of Athens, an extension that will also provide much improved public transport links to the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. New hotels are being added to the city’s accommodation options, such as the Athens Capital Center Hotel – MGallery Collection, a 60-million euro investment and the first five-star hotel of an international chain to open in the center since 2004. Another new arrival is that of the Israeli Brown Hotels chain in the area of Omonia.

New approaches to business are being trialled in the field of dining, even in the face of unprecedented market challenges. Two of the city’s leading restaurants, Nolan and Proveleggios, both

THE VIBE

© DIMITRIS MICHALAKIS

owned by the same ambitious entrepreneur, Kostas Pissiotis, have set up an initiative called PS Luncheon, with home delivery options from their renowned menus that also include three DIY meals (pizza, ramen and tacos). The Hotel Grand Bretagne is offering a gastromonic experience brought directly to you at home: five different menus packed and delivered with care and style. The Electra Hotel venues in Athens and Thessaloniki are launching new concepts such as their “Work From Hotel”program for business travelers, who also benefit from discounts at the hotel rooftop restaurants.

The Great Walk, the urban intervention that the City of Athens has piloted with the aim of unifying the city center through the widening of sidewalks on busy routes, the rerouting of traffic and the introduction of cycle lanes, has divided public opinion, with drivers and pedestrians reacting differently, but the initiative has support.

“Tourism is an extension of residents’ lives. What visitors see is locals living their everyday lives. If the latter are happy, the former will be, too,” notes Ioanna Dretta, managing director of Marketing Greece, a partnership formed between the Greek Tourism Confederation and the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels to promote Greek tourism. “The trend for sustainability and ‘green’ travel was reinforced by the pandemic. In that context, the city needs infrastructure such as the Great Walk, but for it to work for tourism, it has to be supported by relevant products. For example, it should be included in organized or self-guided tours. In Greece, we often confuse the infrastructure with the product. The fact that Athens has a National Garden is not enough. For visitors to get to know it and enjoy it, they must be able to participate in an interesting activity within it.”

A few kilometers to the east in Pangrati, the Basil and Elise Goulan-

dris Foundation, the art museum that opened its doors almost exactly one year ago, is still closed but waiting to relaunch itself on the city’s culture scene.

The ventilation system has been replaced with an open circuit one to pump fresh air into the interior, electronic ticketing will include specific time slots with a limited number of visitors, and new digital products are being rolled out.

“This period is harder for us, because as a new museum we don’t have a stock of activities, therefore we need to develop material rapidly at a time when revenues are low,” explains Head of Business Development, Katerina Markadaki.

Adaptability is the watchword. The sooner the city appreciates that, the better. There have been plenty of exciting new public projects and individual initiatives. How exactly the city will capitalize on these when things go back to normal is something that will become clearer over time.

PROVELEGGIOS

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ADVERTORIAL

THE IDEAL ATTICA EXPERIENCE An urban destination with history and youthful energy, with mountains, a long coastline, nearby islands, wine tourism and outdoor activities… Attica has its way of making us tourists in our own land, again and again!

“Our priority, even at this critical moment for our health, is to redesign the ideal ‘Attica experience’ anew for international visitors, making use of the district’s multidimensional profile as a destination. Our goal is to establish for Attica the title of the eternal metropolis of the world, a contemporary metropolitan tourism destination which maintains the authentic elements of the visitor experience while offering a multitude of choices to a whole range of audiences, all year round.”

George Patoulis, Governor of Attica.

H

ave you ever shown a friend from abroad around your hometown? If so, did you not feel, even for a moment, as if you were seeing it for the first time? Was it not as if the distanced but curious gaze of a visitor helped you to see your hometown in a more rounded way, and made you appreciate beauties which you’d taken for granted, or even discover aspects that you had ignored in the past?

With the help of foreign friends, I have discovered many places in my hometown, Athens – the capital of a

region so rich in attractions, beauties and experiences that you could, in theory, spend a lifetime discovering or rediscovering them.

Our first meeting place is always the Acropolis because, even if my friends are not keen on monuments, they are always impatient to visit the most emblematic of monuments, the Parthenon. From there, we walk down to the exemplary Acropolis Museum, for a visit to Athens in the 5th century BC, and, if they plan to stay longer, we add more museums or sites to the list, including the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Cycladic Art, and the Ancient Agora.

Sometimes I show them around my favourite neighbourhoods, like Anafiotika and Petralona, and other days we visit tourist destinations like Plaka and Monastiraki, for souvenirs, vintage clothes, handicrafts, antiques and handmade accessories, or shopping destinations, like Kolonaki, for high-end shopping. When we get hungry, we find somewhere to suit our taste, from quality street food and choice meze, to gourmet dishes in Michelin-starred restaurants, while in the evenings we go bar-hopping in the countless hangouts in the city centre, or relax in one of the wonderful wine bars sipping Greek wine.

ADVERTORIAL

If my visitors are oenophiles, I take them to one of the many vineyards producing superb wines from varieties led by cool, aromatic Savvatiano. If they’ve been missing the sea, we start by visiting the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre to enjoy the view from the top of the “Faros,” followed by a drive along the Athens Riviera, with its luxury resorts and yachts, and on to Sounio to watch the sun set behind the majestic Temple of Poseidon.

When the weather allows, we take the train to Piraeus and hop a ferry to one of the jewels of the Saronic Gulf (Poros, Spetses, Hydra, Angistri, Aegina or Salamina), where we’ll find stunning scenery, historical monuments, beautiful architecture, local products (such as almond cookies, spoon sweets or Aegina pistachios), and fresh seafood.

If the sea air puts them in the mood for another island, I recommend Kythera, which is closer to the Peloponnese and Crete but belongs administratively (along with Antikythera) to Attica, and can be reached easily by air. Kythera is famed, among other

things, for its natural beauty, which you can enjoy while hiking, thanks to a network of signposted trails – to which was recently added a Via Ferrata trail combining hiking, canyoning and climbing.

Speaking of hiking, there are destinations much closer to the city, such as Mt Parnitha, a favorite of hikers, climbers and walkers who head there when the city becomes too much. Should the weather turn, or if we tire, its two shelters, Bafi and Flambouri, are always there for food and drink.

When friends ask me for an idyllic and safe place to run, I recommend little oases in the city centre, such as the National Garden or Lycabettus Hill, and if someone is truly passionate about running, I urge them to take part in the Athens Marathon, which takes place every year in November. No matter in what place they finish, the experience will stay with them forever, and I’ll be there to cheer them on.

At the moment, my foreign friends aren’t traveling, due to COVID-19, and I’ve limited my own movements, too.

I haven’t, however, stopped traveling around the region or planning trips to places familiar and new, getting ready for when we’ll all be able to head out together. So, see you again soon… in Attica!

A R R I VA L S

VERY NEW AND VERY NICE As soon as we emerge from self isolation, exciting new establishments await.

BY N E NA DI M I T R IOU A N D M A R I A C OV E OU

SEALED EARTH

GET DIRTY WITH CLAY In February, talented potter Loukia Thomopoulou launched an open ceramics workshop space aimed at professionals and amateurs alike. Established artists can use the venue as their own workshop – it has all the equipment, tools and amenities they need – while learners can attend classes over a period of 3 to 4 months. At these classes, artists from Greece and abroad share their knowhow, offering masterclasses in design, sculpture, 3D design and 3D painting.

Currently, Thomopoulou collaborates with others who teach their own pottery wheel and handbuilding techniques, including Stavros Perakis, Nikos Sklavenitis, Vangelis Magopoulos and the artist known as Hope. At Christmas, the objects created here are put up for sale at a bazaar/exhibition. Thomopoulou, who supports the valuable work of the Elpida Association of Friends of Children with cancer, is working on setting up an e-shop to sell functional and decorative works by various artists.

©ANGELOS GIOTOPOULOS

• 22 Erechtheiou, Koukaki, Tel. (+30) 210.965.5596

©ANGELOS GIOTOPOULOS

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MINU

DESIGN AND COFFEE IN “TROPICAL” PSYRRI Enter the overgrown jungle-like space of Minu and enjoy a well-brewed coffee and some cake next to a beautiful lush green Alocasia, or walk among the photogenic Instagram-friendly Monstera plants and pick one for your living room. In this tropical setting, you can grab a bite, buy a plant or discover stylish decorative and functional design items, such as small furnishings, lamps and tableware, all hand-picked by the owner for his discerning customers.

©ANGELOS GIOTOPOULOS

• 50 Sarri, Psyrri, Tel. (+30) 210.323.2022

PITCH

FASHION MIXED WITH MUSIC Panagiotis Vaxevanakis’ small shop contains clothes, accessories and fanzines, as well as vinyl albums by artists from Athens, Thessaloniki, Manchester and Berlin. Influenced by the 1990s and the rave and party scene, the owner has collections with bright colors and patterns such as the very feminine Launder-

ettes bodysuits, or artist Marializa Kampi’s kaftans from her Digital Tribe series, with digitally printed psychedelic motifs.

Vaxevanakis supports creative artists, ordering works that he himself likes, meaning many of the items on sale are truly unique products of single moments of inspiration. This is the place to find T-shirts, hoodies and balaclava caps and hats from different brands that you won’t find anywhere else in Athens.

• 10 Melanthiou, Psyrri, Tel. (+30) 694.609.2594

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© DEMETRA CHRYSOSTOMIDOU

A R R I VA L S

FREE EXPRESSION Alexandros Douras is a young graduate of the Athens School of Fine Arts. Aged 25, he creates ceramic lighting installations using clay, light bulbs and candles. In August, he renovated Korkodilos, a space that originally housed a workshop he shared with two other artists and which now functions as a training workshop. Each lesson is a new challenge for the trainees as

Douras explores ceramic art in an entertaining way. Creating a Mycenaean Phi-figurine, for instance, is a great way to learn how to build a tall and large object with different shapes. His fresh approach to teaching and the way he runs his classes, which are more like meetings between friends, makes Korkodilos a lively and popular place. Each month, a new course starts for all levels.

On social media (@korkodilosathens), Douras announces pop-up thematic courses open to everyone and well worth attending!

• 56 Plateon, Metaxourgeio, Tel. (+30) 698.796.4159

THE LOUVRON A NEW OLD CAFÉ

It’s said that the café in the tiny park opposite the Goulandris Foundation on Eratosthenous Street first opened in 1937. The new owners, who took it over last June, 83 years later, found cuttings from the Daily Mail dating from 1938, framed them and hung them on the wall. They spruced up the ceiling, which was was decorated by an icon painter in 1960, repaired the old refrigerator, and kept the overall old-time atmosphere and style.

The Louvron, which was once a neighborhood haunt for intellectuals who enjoyed “tea with brandy,” today serves cocktails with Greek spirits (such as a Bloody Mary made with tsipouro), retro Hionati (Snow-white) brand soft drinks from the northern town of Drama, coffee and sweets, as well as a daily menu with meze such as meatballs, sausage with vinegar and other delicacies. Its courtyard is a green oasis among the street’s many gray apartment buildings.

• 6 Eratosthenous, Pangrati, Tel. (+30) 210.701.6594

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©ANGELOS GIOTOPOULOS

KORKODILOS

ADVERTORIAL

Matsuhisa Athens

New opportunities for upgraded culinary experiences Matsuhisa restaurants around the world are nearly as well known as sushi itself. When a city has a restaurant by the award-winning Japanese chef Nobu, it automatically becomes a gastronomic metropolis, and Athens is one such city. In the most beautiful spot on the Athenian Riviera, the Astir penisula overlooking the quiet Saronic Gulf, Matsuhisa Athens is the ideal choice for magical sunsets and unforgettable cosmopolitan nights all year round.

Designed by New York’s famous Rockwell Group, the restaurant provides guests with comfort and luxury, as well as outstanding dinners. As of November 1st, there’s an additional reason to visit, the weekly brunch, which will be served every Sunday from 14:00 onwards. New creations, as well as the well-known signature dishes of Matsuhisa Athens, offer gourmet vibes and an upgrade on the culinary experience of the leisurely meal we all love on Sundays. As you’re enjoying your food, don’t forget to try a new take on the classic brunch cocktail: the deconstructed Bloody Mary.

As for those who wish to dine at home, Matsuhisa Athens brings the fine dining options of Japanese fusion to your door in the southern suburbs. Keeping up with the needs of the season and wanting to continue offering their high-end menu items to everyone safely, they’ll bring their most famous dishes, hot

and cold, right to your house. Matsuhisa Athens HOME FINE DINING, in exclusive cooperation with Spanos S.A., guarantees the provision of a premium transport service that suits the high quality standards of Matsuhisa Athens. For all of us who’ve dreamed of savoring Matsuhisa’s signature Black Cod dish and their unique sushi in the comfort of our own living room, it’s great to know that miracles still happen.

Brunch @ Matsuhisa Athens: From Sunday, November 1, 2020, and every Sunday, starting at 14:00 l 40 Apollonos (Four Seasons Astir Palace), Vouliagmeni; reservations and premium delivery service HOME FINE DINING l Tel: (+30) 210.896.0510 l www.matsuhisaathens.com

A R R I VA L S

ATHENS 1890 BELLE EPOQUE BEAUTY

©ANGELOS GIOTOPOULOS

© VANGELIS ZAVOS

This three-story mansion at 10 Athinaidas Street, next to the historic Church of Aghia Irini in the square of the same name, stood derelict for decades. A wonderful example of Athenian Belle Epoque architecture, built by a silk merchant and designed to house a shop on the ground floor and residence above, the building is indicative of the economic prosperity of the area at the time of its construction. Recently, a Greek from abroad decided to give it a new life. Fully renovated, but retaining all its original architectural elements, the building is now home to the boutique hotel Athens 1890, featuring 14 modern rooms, a restaurant, a wellness/spa area and modern amenities. Its impressive facade with its ornate balconies is eye-catching, while the preserved original metal sign bearing the name “K. Symeonidis S.A.” of the textile business that once operated on the ground floor, stands as a reminder of the neighborhood’s vibrant commercial past.

• 10 Aghia Irinis Square (Athinaidas), Tel. (+30) 210.324.0603, athens1890.gr

EPIC ICE CREAM

GREAT GREEK FLAVORS

© VANGELIS ZAVOS

Nestled between two popular hangouts on Mavili Square, Flower Pizzeria and the bar-restaurant Kyrios, the new takeout gelateria Epik Gelato adds a deliciously sweet note to nights out on the town (and not only). Focused on Greek flavors and using quality, low-fat and low-sugar ingredients from small producers, it aspires to awaken memories of childhood and vacations all around Greece. We liked the rose flavor with Denaxa brand loukoumi (Turkish delight) from Syros, the rose and coconut spoon sweet flavor and the amygdaloto (almond cookie) flavor made with caramelized almonds from Thessaly and orange blossom water. Epik Gelato’s extensive menu also includes classic flavors, including fior di latte and pistachio; sundaes such as the Chicago; seasonal fruit sorbets; pastries such as kormos (a mosaic cake) and coffee.

• 2 Doryleou, Mavili Square, from 11:00 daily

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ADVERTORIAL

Beefbar Athens

©FRANCIS AMIAND

A destination restaurant on the Athenian Riviera The new Beefbar Athens, up and running just a few months now in the luxurious surroundings of the Four Seasons Astir Palace, boasts a global restaurant concept, created by the ingenious entrepreneur Riccardo Giraudi. From locations including Monaco, Paris, Rome, Mexico City, Sao Paulo and now Athens, Beefbar unites lovers of good food, bon viveurs and the fashionable crowd looking for hot spots in order to spend unforgettable evenings.

In its Athenian version, managers have invested both in modern architecture and in the sense of luxury that embraces visitors, a feeling that begins at the first level of the lounge. Here, at the bar, you can enjoy one of the special cocktails as your table is prepared on the second level. Riccardo Giraudi’s collaboration with the French porcelain company BERNARDAUD has resulted in an unparalleled art de la table aesthetic, specially designed for the Athens restaurant, which impresses by bringing together the traditional and the modern. Even more impressive, of course, is the open kitchen, a true theater of creation drawing on excellent raw materials and dauntless combinations of ingredients and techniques. Enjoy unique Asian gyoza, Mexican tacos with Kobe beef, and ceviche, all filled with flavors inspired by the world’s most interesting cuisine, dynamic street food, served with the refined touches of top cooks. Giraudi’s most important legacy, however, is his family’s half-century of experience in importing fine meat. Get ready to taste the amazing differences between an Australian Wagyu, a Japanese Kobe and a Black Angus, all always cut and cooked to perfection. For those for whom meat is not an option, leafBar offers wonderful salad-meals bursting with the freshest seasonal ingredients.

From November 1st, Beefbar Athens is dedicating a whole day every week to our brunch favorites, offering recipes you haven’t come across elsewhere. Special options with eggs, such as chili avocado toast with a poached egg, as well as truffle croissant and many vegetarian options will keep you at the table for hours. Two things you shouldn’t skip: the rich sauce of “Relais de Paris”, which suits meat as no other, and “the corner,” dedicated to the most suitable brunch drinks, such as a smoothie, a very chic Bellini, a glass of champagne or a spicy yet refreshing Bloody Mary.

Brunch @ Beefbar Athens: From Sunday November 1, 2020, and every Sunday at 11:30 l BEEFBAR ATHENS, 40 Apollonos (Four Seasons Astir Palace), Vouliagmeni, Athens, Tel: (+30) 210.967.0700, beefbar.com l instagram: beefbar_athens, email: athens@beefbar.com

A R R I VA L S

THE MODERNIST ATHENS

FOR THE CONTEMPORARY TRAVELER Located in a privileged spot, the brand new Modernist Athens is a four-star boutique design hotel. The architecture, by the firm FormRelated, comprises minimal lines and solid materials, such as black marble, wood paneling and bronze details.

A basic concept at play for the Modernist hotels in both Athens and Thessaloniki is the idea of linking the hotel with the city so the former becomes part of the fabric of the latter. In Athens, the hotel has joined with local artists and creators to come up with unique pieces. Potter Haris Panousopoulos has created a series of dishes and utensils; 2WO + 1NE have designed the wonderful staff uniforms; the famed bartender of The Clumsies, Nikos Bakoulis, has taken care of the cocktails; Spilios Palov has chosen vinyl records for guests to play in the suites; and the team at Ergon has taken care of the food. Elegant aesthetics, custom-made amenities, perfect nights of sleep and a modern sense of luxury make the Modernist Athens a model of hospitality. From its terrace, with guest-only access, Athens appears a green haven and the Acropolis seems just a few steps away. • 4 Ioannou Gennadiou, Kolonaki, Tel. (+30) 216.000.2130

MATERIA PRIMA

GOODNESS IN A GLASS Materia Prima has opened a second location, in Messolongi Square, the most beautiful area in Pangrati that has so far remained under the radar. The wine bar, whose original branch is in Koukaki, serves some excellent wines from important terroirs and creative producers who wish to highlight old wine-producing areas and the characters of entire regions. Many of the selections on offer are natural wines.

The basement has a walk-in cellar with a gravel floor, which you can visit and, with the help of a sommelier, choose a special bottle. The bar offers tasty bistro-style snacks, with interesting combinations of seasonal ingredients presented with refreshing simplicity.

It opens at 10:00 for specialty coffee and breakfast, except on Mondays and Tuesdays, when it opens at 17:00. It also functions as a wine shop and sells online as well, at materiaprima.gr. • 3 Messolongi Square, Pangrati, Tel. (+30) 210.725.5171

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ADVERTORIAL

The “Ark” of pleasure Haute cuisine, fine cocktails, perfect coffee by the sea: Ark is the ultimate all-day proposal on the Athenian Riviera

Ark

Ark, located in the most beautiful part of the Athenian Riviera, the well-known Asteria area, has it all: simple, unpretentious aesthetics; magnificent views; an abundance of wonderful flavors, a famous Greek chef, affordable prices; and a fine list of imaginative cocktails and rare coffee blends.

Ark’s menu bears the signature of renowned chef Yannis Baxevanis, one of the most celebrated Greek chefs and winner of multiple national awards (Golden Cap and “Chef of the Year”) as well as the title “Chef of the Future,” bestowed by the World Academy of Gastronomy. What’s more, Ark has been awarded the Best Greek Cuisine Award for five consecutive years, and the Best Bar Award from Athinorama magazine.

The imaginative dishes of Baxevanis, such as the fresh mackerel salad prepared in front of the customer; the fresh wild sea bass from Messolongi stuffed with aromatic greens and cooked in the wood-buring oven; the grilled beef skirt fillet with oriental aromas, spinach salad and baked potato; the kataifi phyllo nest with white chocolate cream; the lemon jelly; and the kaimaki ice cream (vanilla ice cream with mastiha), pistachio and blueberries, all accompanied with selected wine, beer and spirit labels from leading producers and distinguished small organic firms from all over Greece.

As for coffee, special blends created by Ark’s barista team in collaboration with the coffee company TAF offer you the chance to get to know unique coffees of superior singleestate quality, that is, from individual farms.

In the bar, our bartenders create unexpected variations on classic cocktails using traditional Greek spirits, as well as classic favorite drinks, all to make your evening unforgettable.

2 Grigoriou Lambraki, Glyfada l 166 74 l 210-8948882 l www.ark-glyfada.gr l @ark.glyfada l facebook.com/ark.glyfada

A R R I VA L S

©ANGELOS GIOTOPOULOS

KOBRA

A DINING BAR With a quirky interior design that features a confessional booth, a 3D-printed depiction of Michelangelo’s David and some white plastic chairs, Kobra is no ordinary bar, and it also boasts an extremely talented Athenian chef. Adam Kontovas, who’s had a remarkable career with many important restaurants in Greece and abroad, brings to Kobra a fresh culinary approach that mixes haute cuisine with references to street food from Asia and the Americas. His dishes require hours of preparation and specialized techniques that befit fine dining. The service is simple and very friendly. Sit at the bar, order one of the classic cocktails or another drink and enjoy it with some dry-aged duck, or a dish of potato Napoleon with tofu and eel.

©ANGELOS GIOTOPOULOS

• 11 Navarinou, Tel. (+30) 210.363.8134

FIG

WHAT DID YOU HAVE FOR BREAKFAST? You’ll find tableware for the day’s most important meal in this tiny shop on the first floor of the apartment building above the arcade at 33 Praxitelous. The first shop in Athens to sell breakfast items exclusively, it stocks a variety of items made from Greek faience (a type of white clay), collectible enamel dishes and dishes from the 1940s, bamboo and ceramic bowls and mugs made by young contemporary artists, all in limited numbers. The collection changes regularly, but you’ll always find something to suit your kitchen.

• 33 Praxitelous, Tel. (+30) 698.918.2515, figshop.gr

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ADVERTORIAL

Kuzina

A top spot on the city’s culinary map

In the historic center of Athens, in the shadow of the Temple of Hephaestus and with breathtaking views of the Acropolis, stands Kuzina.

Kuzina constitutes the ultimate gastronomic destination in Athens, as visitors here have the opportunity to enjoy the menu of celebrated chef Aris Tsanaklidis on the lovely roof garden of a neoclassical building, dining by candlelight under the wonderful night sky of Athens, all while facing the magnificent Parthenon.

Aris Tsanaklidis’ creations are inspired by local cuisine combined with unique cooking techniques, while the use of pure ingredients upgrades every dish to an unforgettable experience.

Kuzina invites you to try Aris Tsanaklidis’ winter menu, inspired and produced by the chef’s unique culinary mastery and promising a delightful gastronomic journey.

Kuzina l 9 Andrianou, Thiseio l Tel. (+30) 210.324.0133 l www.kuzina.gr

ADVERTORIAL

A Special Journey Through the History of Telecommunications The OTE Group Telecommunications Museum in the northern Athens suburb of Kifissia is celebrating 30 years of operation and a decade of educational activities. Since 1990, the museum has presented the history of telecommunications from ancient times to the present through its constantly growing collection, with already more than 4,000 items and a wealth of archival

material comprising over 33,000 documents, maps, wirephotos, and audiovisual media.

Our visitors’ journey through time begins on the first floor in the exhibition area showcasing ancient Greek systems of communication like the phryctoria (messages sent between towers using firelight) and Byzantine-era inventions, before we move on the discovery of

electricity and the great inventors this enabled. The Morse telegraph, other telegraphy items, telephone booths, OTE’s historic cable-laying ship “Thales of Miletus,” wirephoto transmitters, fiber optics and satellites are all covered, too.

The experience is further enlivened at selected spots marking communications milestones, with the help of six specially designed augmented reality (AR) applications, for which the museum was honored at the Mobile Excellence Awards ’20 by Boussias Communications, taking Gold and Platinum awards in the category of “Mobile Applications in Services and Governance” and the sub-category of “Tourism & Culture.”

These applications, which were designed and implemented in cooperation with Cosmote and other partners, aspire to “connect” visitors to the collections and exhibits. As they enter the museum,

for example, visitors are greeted by a digital portrait of Alexander Graham Bell, while Samuel Morse comes to life on their mobile phones or tablets to narrate the history of telegraphy. Further along, visitors can watch the installation of submarine cables connecting mainland Greece and its islands, while in another part of the exhibition, a rare telephone booth from the 1930s comes complete with 3D holograms of people from that time using the telephone and you’ll hear interesting stories about the public telephones, too.

The journey through the museum and through time ends on the second floor with a look at the evolution of the network from analogue to digital and mobile, and the first television studio from 1967.

Shortly, visitors will be able to peruse the exhibition virtually as well. At present, the Telecommunications Museum

welcomes more than 14,000 visitors a year to its physical space and its website, and conducts free programs and activities of an educational and entertaining nature from October to May, including activities in line with current health protocols for schools and small family groups. The museum also offers digital programs via videos on demand or its online platform, as well as activities at the museum itself.

As accessible as always, the institution has documented and digitized 90% of its collections to make them easily available to the general public and to researchers and academics, and is working with other institutions and cultural organizations in Greece and abroad, while keeping in touch with the public on Instagram and through the #StayConnected #StayCurious section of its website.

INFO: 25 Proteos, Nea Kifissia l Tel. (+30) 210.611.0299 l www.otegroupmuseum.gr l instagram: @otegroupmuseum

3rd TREND

WAVE BAKERIES

Alongside a number of well-established artisanal bakeries specializing in high-quality sourdough bread, Athens also has a unique briocherie and will soon welcome a croissanterie and a cutting-edge bakery that looks set to further raise the bar with its mouth-watering creations.

OVEROLL

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© PERIKLES MERAKOS

BY NENA DI M ITR IOU

TREND

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© PERIKLES MERAKOS

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t was 2002 when the small bakery Tartine opened at 600 Guerrero Street in San Francisco, offering French pastries, tarts with imaginative fruit fillings, pies (inspired by the American South but made with French techniques), cakes, wonderful croissants and, perhaps most importantly, breads made with excellent quality flour and natural leaven. It was a tribute to the tradition of handmade bread and an obvious and deliberate move away from the practices of the large-scale bakery industry that plague America (and, by extension, the rest of the world). Tartine’s reputation soon transcended the city’s borders and many copycat new bakeries began opening on the West Coast. Bread made with artisanal sourdough became not only fashionable but indispensable in nearly all fine dining restaurants. This new wave did not take long to reach the gastronomically developed countries of Europe. In restaurants across the continent, pastry chefs began producing fine products with carefully selected ingredients, each bread with its own identity drawing on tradition and carrying the added value of being handmade onsite. London was one of the first cities to welcome bakeries producing artisanal sourdough bread. In Paris, following in the footsteps of boutique patisseries, bakeries became hotspots for tourists who discovered anew the European mecca of baking, the fragrant boulangerie. Alongside buttery croissants and slender baguettes, the rustic sourdough breads of the French countryside took their place.

For Greece, sourdough bread has a long and valued history. In Athens, however, for many years only a handful of bakeries persisted in flying the flag for quality bread. Following tradition, these proud exceptions refused to use the raising agents, ready-made flour mixtures, texture enhancers and other ”conveniences” the large-scale bread manufacturers had introduced into the baking industry. Takis’ Bakery in Koukaki is one of those few, as is Pnyka, which even operates its own flour mill. Sekka Bakery in Piraeus uses a sourdough starter that has been handed down from generation to generation. Elisabeth Koulouris of Betty’s

Bakery started distributing her delicious natural starter bread by bicycle four years ago; today today you’ll find her loaves in many good grocery stores.

For the past four years, wonderful breads and French-style baked goods, including well-made croissants with fillings, have established the world-class bakery Queen Bee, a favorite Kolonaki hangout, one which brought a touch of New York’s Soho to the Greek capital.

Elswhere, two good friends, Christos Pappas and Stefanos Livanios, decided to make a career change and went to study at Paris’ Le Cordon Bleu and École Grégoire-Ferrandi respectively. They hap-

pened to get their hands on two sourdough starters, one that’s now 50 years old and another that’s been around for 100 years, and they started making bread for their personal consumption. As soon as the lockdown was lifted this spring, they opened the bakery, the already successful “Tromero Paidi” in Ilisia, which has gained great popularity in the space of only a few months. With Greek flour from Karditsa and the old sourdough cultures, they produce wonderful bread, Maria Alafouzou and Ianthi Michalaki, the duo behind the hotly anticipated bakery Kora in Kolonaki.

© CHRISTINA GEORGIADOU

TREND

including eight different kinds of slow-rise sourdough bread, as well as sourdough French baguettes. Their 100% rye loaf, with large holes and a lightly sour taste, is well worth trying.

The city has had its own briocherie for almost a year. The Metayer brothers, Jean-Charles and Sebastien, a chef and a baker respectively, are originally from the Loire region of France. Chef Jean-Charles has worked in haute cuisine restaurants in Greece for years. He joined his brother Sebastien to work together on making brioche, the buttery French bread that was always on their table at home. In their Neo Psychiko shop, they offer the classic brioche and a number of variations on it that include savory brioches with spinach and egg as well as the unique

Brothers Jean-Charles and Sebastien Metayer at the counter at Brio in Psychiko.

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“briossant,” a combination of brioche and croissant.

Speaking of croissants, in a few weeks a croissanterie is expected to open in the Syntagma area. Three friends, Giannis Kikiras, Alkiviadis Zervas and Spyros Pappas, all professional pastry chefs, are the creators of Overoll Croissanterie. “The croissant offers us more comfort in our creativity, a more everyday experience than a cake or a pastry,” says Kikiras, although he also points out that it takes three whole days to complete the process of making a croissant using a liquid starter culture. Their customers will be able to see the fifteen types of croissants as they are being made. Using carob or wholemeal dough, and with Greek fillings such as spinach and cheese (like a spinach pie), they promise to bring this symbol of France into the everyday lives of Athenians and visitors alike.

Back in 2018, the young baker Ianthi Michalaki was having a hard time finding accommodations in order to extend her stay in Denmark, where she’d been

working at Copenhagen’s famous restaurant 108. For this and other reasons, she decided to return to Greece, where she was immediately welcomed; various cafes and bakeries wanted to work with her, knowing she was bringing back something new to the city’s bakeries. Around the same time, in London, Maria Alafouzou, a manager at a modern bakery, decided to return to Athens with the idea of setting up her own business here.

Perhaps a bakery, she thought, because although the subject of her studies had been journalism, she had always been involved with food in some way as well.

“At university, I wrote about dining out options for the newspaper. Later, I had my own food-focused website and while I was in London I also bought a share in the bakery Little Bread Pedlar,” Alafouzou says. A mutual acquaintance introduced her to Michalaki, and that launched what has been a happy collaboration. They have spent the last two years making plans for their bakery, which is due to open in November at 44

Δημιουργούμε αξία για την Ελλάδα του αύριο ● 1999 ● 2019

Η συνεισφορά μας στην ελληνική οικονομία Συνολική* προστιθέμενη αξία στην ελληνική οικονομία

Αντιστοιχία στο ΑΕΠ της χώρας

Η συνεισφορά μας στα φορολογικά έσοδα του κράτους

Αντιστοιχία στα συνολικά φορολογικά έσοδα του κράτους

€59 εκ. €811 εκ.

€25 εκ. €348 εκ.

0,05% 0,45% ● 1999 ● 2019

Θέσεις εργασίας που υποστηρίζουμε στην Ελλάδα Συνολικές* θέσεις εργασίας που υποστηρίζουμε στην Ελλάδα

1.734 20.825

0,04% 0,43%

Αντιστοιχία στη συνολική απασχόληση της Ελλάδας

0,04% 0,55%

Άνθρωποι που υποστηρίζονται από το εισόδημα των συνολικών θέσεων εργασίας

3.988 45.815

Επενδύσεις σε πρωτοβουλίες για την κοινωνία, το περιβάλλον και δωρεές προϊόντων

2019 ↳ €915.000 * Τα συνολικά αποτελέσματα αναφέρονται στο σύνολο των άμεσων, έμμεσων και επαγόμενων επιδράσεων. **Tα ποσά έχουν στρογγυλοποιηθεί στον πλησιέστερο ακέραιο και τα ποσοστά έχουν υπολογιστεί επί των μη στρογγυλοποιημένων ποσών.

TREND

01. A great variety of viennoiseries can be found at Queen Bee.

01

02. Each Saturday, long queues form outside Takis’ Bakery in Koukaki, as customers wait for its warm baguettes and its delicious pound cake.

© THALIA GALANOPOULOU

02

to have a zero carbon footprint and be an exemplary bakery. It may sound very ambitious for a bakery, but that’s what we’ll try to do,” explains Alafouzou. Due to COVID, the bakery will initially offer only take-out service in order to protect both patrons and staff, but it’s hoped that the original plan, where customers can be served at tables inside as well, will become viable in the future.

Anagnostopoulou Street. Even as these lines are being written, the ceiling of the Kora bakery is being painted in bright yellow, and all-white tiles are going up on the walls. In their bakery, thanks to the open preparation area, you’ll be able to see everything that comes with baking, including flour-sprinkled worktops, butter melting in pots, and sugary glazes being smeared over pastries. All the bread here will be made with natural starters and with different types of Greek flours, and you’ll also find several kinds of viennoiseries, fresh croissants and puff pastries, 38

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some savory options and high-quality sandwiches. There will be a few sweets as well, and perhaps some brioche. Michalaki studied cooking and pastry making in Switzerland, worked in France, and learned the secrets of baking bread in Denmark; she promises to bring to the business everything she admired in the way people work abroad, and her partner shares her vision. “We want to offer a new interpretation of what an Athenian bakery is. We want to give jobs and make fertile partnerships, to develop, to bring favorable changes and new initiatives,

INFO

akis’ Bakery, 14 Misaraliotou 14, Koukaki, T Tel. (+30) 210.923.0052 ● Pnyka, 2 Pratinos, Pangrati, Tel. (+30) 210.721.3832. ● Oven Sekka, 62 Palamidiou, Piraeus, Tel. (+30) 210.491.3347 ● Betty’s Bakery, bettysbakery.gr ● Queen Bee, 45 Patriarchou Ioakeim, Kolonaki, Tel: (+30) 210.720.9933 ● Tromero Paidi, 30 Papadiamantopoulou, Ilisia, Tel. (+30) 210.777.7537 ● Brio, 9 Solomou, Neo Psychiko, Tel. (+30) 210.672.8128 ● Overoll Croissanterie, 27 Praxitelous, Syntagma ● Kora, 44 Anagnostopoulou, Kolonaki ●

FL ÂNEUR

URBAN EXPL

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ORATION

These neighborhoods, full of history and surprises, will bring you closer to the soul of the city.

B Y N I K O S VA T O P O U L O S P HOTOS: PE R I K L E S M E R A KOS

KYPSELI

TOTAL RECALL For many Athenians, Fokionos Negri, the most popular pedestrianized residential street in Athens, brings to mind contradictory images. On the one hand is Kypseli’s upper-middle-class past and former glory, and on the other is the dynamic present embodied in its new demographic makeup. I return often to Kypseli, one of the most densely populated urban districts in Europe, not only to walk through the streets where I formed my earliest memories, but also to see what it’s becoming now. And what’s being born there defies any stereotype about the decline of a middle-class neighborhood. I believe every Athenian and every visitor to the city should come see Fokionos Negri to experience constant renewal and reinvention of the present.

Even in my childhood, the river that had once flowed through the neighborhood was already a thing of the past.

AT H E N S W I N T E R 2 0 2 0

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Instead, there was the street. Today it’s lined with tall trees, and benches where you can find retirees, mothers and their babies, African couples and Asian youths. I walk down the pedestrianized street knowing that below me run subterranean waters that continue even today to quench the thirst of the trees.

I enjoy the greenery and the presence of water, invisible and visible – there are fountains as well as the underground river – and each time I visit, I make sure to stop at the statue of the dog near the Municipal Market. There, I pay tribute to the trusted companion of my childhood games, and I’m always happy to see him surrounded by children running around, shouting and stroking his marble fur. But if the statue of the dog touches an inner world and a realm of memories, the area of Fokionos and its surrounding streets comprise a beautiful gallery of Athenian

middle- and upper-middle-class architecture dating chiefly from the period 19301970. Four decades of Athenian modernism are represented, from art deco elements and residential expressions of Bauhaus to the mid-century modernism which pervades all of Athens and defines the appearance of its old neighborhoods.

Let’s take one of those little streets and walk together for a while. Sporgilou Street, entirely without significance to anyone who doesn’t live nearby, begins at Fokionos Negri, crosses Syrou Street, and dead-ends into Zakynthou Street.

It is, in other words, in the very heart of Kypseli, and it’s a place where one finds two-story art deco buildings, houses built according to the modernism of the 1930s, eclectic homes from the 1920s, and apartment buildings from the 1950s and 1960s, all in the space of a few city blocks. All around, whichever street you

choose to walk down, you’ll see more or less the same mix, but why not head with me towards Aghiou Georgiou Square, where people gather for coffee, food, and socializing. From Fokionos Negri, you can get there in ten minutes, taking any number of streets; one option is Sporgilou to Zakythou to Kypselis to Aghiou Meletiou. It’s a walk thick with 20th-century architecture that will let you see the spirit of old Kypseli. From Aghiou Meletiou, turn left onto Sporadon, and at the corner of a small lane called Spetsopoulas, you’ll find a wonderful modern concept store that serves coffee and homemade sweets, sells clothes and stationery, and hosts a gallery in the basement. Aghiou Georgiou Square is just a few steps further down, by way of Eptanisou Street, thick with bitter orange trees. The scent from those trees could be the hallmark of Athens.

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01. Water features are present at various spots along pedestrianized Fokionos Negri Street.

02. The coexistence of 20th-century buildings of different styles is a characteristic trait of Kypseli and other Athenian neighborhoods.

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01. The girl with the golden hair and the blue beanie: an example of outstanding street art in Ano Petralona (24 Trion Ierarchon & Aixoneon).

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02. Neoclassical refinement on renovated façades. On your stroll from Thiseio to Ano Petralona, you’ll come across many such examples.

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THISEIO– ANO PETRALONA PALIMPSEST OF HISTORIES

If there’s a neighborhood as old as Athens itself, it’s Thiseio. Here, walkers are rewarded with the sweet sense of strolling in the shadow of the Acropolis, beneath the Hill of the Muses crowned by the National Observatory of Athens, with the hills of the Pnyx and Filopappou outlined in the distance. The name Thiseio derives from the Temple of Hephaestus in the Ancient Agora, a temple that was once believed to be the burial site of Theseus. The temple became, for a time, the Church of Saint George Akamates, remnants of which are still visible. Later, it also sheltered the first improvised Archaeological Museum, as a kind of glorified storehouse. It is a true palimpsest of histories.

But if we’re to speak of a genuine urban experience, it must be sought in Thiseio’s narrow lanes and alleyways, behind pedestrianized Apostolou Pavlou Street. At times, ambling through the streets of Thiseio, you feel the true atmosphere of Athens on a small scale, the Athens of Athenians, of everyday people, reflected in 19th-century dwellings, houses from the interwar period, and apartment buildings erected in the 1970s. Taken together, they create that indefinite thing we call Athens, a distinct, hybrid coexistence of the past with the present.

An initial walk to get to know the neighborhood might start from Ilia Poulopoulou Street, where you feel as if you’re passing through the gates of Thiseio, with two-story neoclassical houses that remind us that this neighborhood has been inhabited for quite some time. Few remember that Thiseio used to adjoin another neighborhood, Vrysaki (whose name was derived from the mythic hero Eurysaces) that has long been consigned to history: Vrysaki in its entirety was expropriated and demolished in the 1930s to make way for the excavations of the Ancient Agora undertaken by the American School of Classical Studies.

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01. Echoes of the old city are still discernible in some parts of Thiseio, together with a sense of semi-urban living.

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02. Along the pedestrianized section of Irakleidon Street in Thiseio, the old streetcar tracks are still visible in front of the neoclassical houses.

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ra forming its border. I love coming across the old houses on its tiny streets, both the large aristocratic homes and the simple working-class dwellings built around inner courtyards – believe it or not, there are still quite a few of these around. Quiet streets lined with bitter orange trees remind us that this was once the aristocratic side of the ancient Athenian neighborhood. Vasilis Street (named after Vasili, an Athens deity) is dotted with beautiful old homes, most in ruins but still admirable in their authenticity. Stop at 17 Vasilis Street, one in a row of four neoclassical houses, to take note of the folk meander patterns above the doorway. In Thiseio, I always feel that if I could enter these abandoned aristocratic homes from the 1900s, I’d find ceilings adorned with cracked paintings of Dionysus and Hermes, grapevines and laurel sprigs entwined with snakes. One such home stands at the corner of Ilia Pou46

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lopoulou and Amfiktionos, looking as if it came straight out of a Visconti film – and if you want to see yet another, bathed in the same terracotta color, walk up another block to Akteou Street; the house stands in crumbling silence on the corner of Akteou and Lykomidon. An enormous fig tree in the courtyard reminds us that we’re still most definitely in Athens.

From here, a spot so typical of Thiseio, we’ll leave behind the central arteries of Iraklidon (with the atmospheric bookshop Lemoni) and Nileos, and ascend to left, feeling the breeze on the small rises that are extensions of the Hill of the Muses, whose undulations reach the border between Thiseio and Ano Petralona.

It is a border at the edge of an illusion.

On a clear day, you’ll be absorbed in the light that seems stronger here, and find your balance again on the downward slopes leading towards Ano Petralona.

Modest homes and small apartment buildings, some well-maintained and tidy and others abandoned or in ruins, comprise a unique scene. Straight ahead, at 61 Akamantos Street, pause among the other beautiful homes to note this abandoned traditional dwelling, with its elements of vernacular architecture. Dimofontos Street, which leads us into the neighborhoods of Ano and Kato Petralona, also offers an enjoyable stroll. To the right, you’ll see the beautiful doors of a line of old houses, and to the left the hills and the old school; the refugees from Asia Minor who lived here until the 1960s are today but a fading memory. There are small cafés on Dimofontos, but if you want a livelier scene and a view of other neoclassical relics, you can walk down a bit further to Trion Ierarchon. Here, at No. 24, on the corner of Aixoneon Street, awaits the figure of a girl, one of the best examples of street art in Athens.

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KOUKAKI– FILOPAPPOU

BEHIND THE CURTAIN Behind the Acropolis Museum, I enter the old neighborhood of Koukaki carrying the memory of how it used to be, before it found its place in the guidebooks, a development that was unthinkable up until just a few years ago. Not because Koukaki doesn’t deserve international attention, but because the fortunes of the districts of any city rise and fall without warning, unexpectedly creating the need to take another peek behind the curtain.

There’s a wonderful route from the touristy pedestrian street of Dionysiou Areopagitou towards Koukaki and Filoppapou – one which doesn’t necessarily follow the most popular streets, such as Rovertou Galli or Kavalloti. Tsami Karatasou Street, its Athenian atmosphere equally impressive, shows us how unassuming the area was before it became a tourist destination, and even before so many tall apartment buildings sprang up, and its streets filled with cars. Often, the sight of a small house fills me with feelings of tenderness, not so much for what it was as for what it shows us with its presence today. It’s a kind of silent message to the passerby.

There’s another street I particularly love, Zacharitsa Street. By now we’ve entered the heart of Koukaki, where many streets are named after heroes of the Greek Revolution of 1821. Koukaki has long been a neighborhood long inhabited by members of the middle class, who from the 19th century built lovely two-story homes. At first sparsely inhabited, then densely built, it was a residential neighborhood with only a few shops to serve basic needs. Tsami Karatasou leads us to Zacharitsa, a river of asphalt running through the body of Koukaki. Here, on the façades of a few buildings we still see glimmers of an urban revival that began modestly at first, and then became a mass phenomenon, in the 1910s, ‘30s and ‘60s. I’m lumping all those periods together, as we can with the hindsight of history, but I also can’t The walk from Makrigianni towards Filopappou through Koukaki makes for a special kind of urban experience.

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01. Neoclassical cherubim on an wroughtiron balcony at 22 Zacharitsa in Koukaki.

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02. There are bold embellishments on interwar houses in the area.

03. Intense color contrasts on Filopappou Street.

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help but pause to consider the nobility of Athenian neoclassicism when I encounter the two-story home at 22 Zacharitsa.

While I’ve already passed by many other beautiful, noteworthy buildings, this particular house feels to me like the epitome of old Athens, adorned with symbols and motifs from an aesthetic palette that still evokes a whole host of associations. I keep in my memory the cherubim on the small balcony, like souvenirs from a journey of emotional meaning-making, as I head towards Orlov Street, and then turn from there onto Filoppapou Street. On the way, the small street of Mavrovouniotou causes my pace to slow, with its quiet whispers and its line of low houses.

But as soon as the light of Filoppapou Street floods your senses, everything you’ve seen up to now is temporarily pushed aside, because here we have a situation that verges on the unique. Strung like a garland around Filoppapou Hill, the street offers sought-after addresses, thanks to the abundant light and the breezes that blow in, dizzying your senses. Many Athenians have renovated houses here in recent years, and between the ruined remnants of the urban past, we now see resplendent one- and two-story homes, likely built between 1900 and 1920, exhibiting the bolder palette of late classicism that will be familiar to anyone who makes a habit of wandering through Athens. The colors on the buildings here are intense and daring, far from the restrained gentility of other neoclassical buildings around the city. On Filoppapou Street, the livelier parts of the color palette are also used, bringing us intense blues and yellows and oranges and greens. Stop to gaze at the houses at numbers 30 and 32, and enjoy the harmony of the colors. Right here, the street feels caught in an eternal Athenian spring; it won’t let you forget what Athens was, and what it is…

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RECREATING THE MAGIC

At the workshop of the Fund of Archaeological Proceeds, exact replicas are made of beautiful ancient works of art from museum collections.

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n the distinctly industrial district of Piraeus known as Aghios Ioannis Rentis, a creative space where magical things happen has been operating for two decades now. The exterior of the building does not promise much, and the sign “Fund of Archaeological Proceeds – Ministry of Culture” doesn’t give much

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hint as to what goes on inside, although the presence of a security camera suggests it might involve something valuable.

The building is closed to the public, and we needed special permission to cross the threshold and to be taken on a tour by its “chief magician” in order to discover the secrets of the little-known world inside.

This is the workshop of the Fund of Archaeological Proceeds (TAP), where exact replicas of museum masterpieces are created. The full-scale copies are handmade by talented sculptors and painters from the Athens School of Fine Arts and specialized conservators.

Bearing TAP certification, they are sold

Previous pages: left, a retouched copy of a Kouros head; right, craftsman Sotiris Thomakos retouches the copy of the head of Apollo from Olympia.

On this page, a glimpse at the production area.

tle of Salamis which will be presented in Connecticut, in the USA, with replicas of a series of exhibit items from the Archaeological Museum of Sparta and the Epigraphic Museum in Athens,” Gavalas tells us, indicating a sculpture of a helmeted man, perhaps Leonidas.

We’re in the Model Gallery, the pride of the workshop, where all the prototypes, created from the original molds, are stored. Both the molds and the protypes, Gavalas explains, are made in the museums. There, Gavalas himself, together with an experienced and specialized conservator will make a mold of an original artwork in silicone or plaster, depending on its state of preservation.

Using this mold, two models are created: a “production model,” which will

A DISSASEMBLED CHARIOTEER OF DELPHI WAITS ITS TURN ON A BENCH, WHILE STELIOS GAVALAS UNLOCKS A MOLD TO REVEAL A BUST OF THE ARTEMISION BRONZE, WHICH SOME SCHOLARS SUGGEST DEPICTS POSEIDON. exclusively in Greek museum gift shops.

Our appointment is set for an autumn Tuesday morning. The sculptor and workshop’s artistic supervisor, Stelios Gavalas, welcomes us with the excitement of a child about to show off his room full of toys. And, indeed, the items on the shelves do look like toys, lined up

in profile or facing us, identical, as we walk past. Cycladic female figurines, flute players, Kouros heads and busts of stern philosophers, all ready to be packaged and sent to museums, schools, exhibition spaces or even private homes.

“At the moment, we’re participating in an exhibition commemorating the Bat-

be used to create more molds, and a “patina model,” on which painters recreate all the surface details of the original, including damage and wear, which will be used as a reference for painters in the workshop. “The casting process is truly wonderful. As if by magic, you create a copy which, with the intervention of a AT H E N S W I N T E R 2 0 2 0

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painter, becomes so perfect that you’re often hard-pressed to distinguish it from the original. There’s magic in touching the original ancient artworks, too. It’s no small thing for an artist to touch a work

by Pheidias, for example.”

From the museum, the models are taken to the Model Gallery where, in addition to contemporary replicas, there are also older “antique” replicas created by the Swiss conservator Émile Gilliéron, the right hand of Sir Arthur Evans, who was tasked with creating copies of the finds from the Palace of Knossos. “Ancient artifacts were very much in vogue then, so while previously replicas were made exclusively for educational and research purposes, or for exhibitions across Europe, these began to serve commercial purposes,” Gavalas explains.

The latter are the same purposes that the TAP workshop has served since the 1970s, – although its primary goal always remains the promotion of ancient Greek civilization around the world.

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model? We visit the part of the workshop where silicone production molds are made from the production models.

A disassembled Charioteer of Delphi waits his turn on a bench, while Gavalas unlocks a mold to reveal a bust of the Artemision Bronze, which many scholars believe depicts Poseidon. “Poseidon is my favorite,” he says, his face lighting up. “It was the first sculpture I saw as a child in the Archaeological Museum on a school trip, and it impressed me most of all. Some believe it is actually Zeus, preparing to throw a thunderbolt. I think it’s Poseidon wielding his trident.”

We continue our tour in the production area, where craftspeople fill the molds with plaster (regardless of the material of the original) to make the first copies. As they come out of the molds, most have imperfections, such as air pockets, requiring a retouch. This is what is going on when we enter the room, where we’re greeted by an atmosphere of calm concentration. Each craftsperson is at their bench, focused on perfecting the imper-

01. Painter Eleni Kordali retouches a relief in the marble patina room.

02. The production model of the bust of the Artemision Bronze is being used to create a new mold.

fect copies which they’ve been assigned: heads, statuettes, Cycladic figurines and sistra (ancient musical instruments also used as rattles).

Sotiris Thomakos, a veteran craftsman who has worked in the workshop since 1991, bends over a head of Apollo from Olympia, and corrects his hair with a brush. “I enjoy the daily interaction with the sculptures. I like to observe their facial

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A craftsman in the production area retouches a plaster copy of a statuette of Heracles, from the ancient Athenian Agora, which has just come out of its mold.

expressions, their hairstyles, their clothes.

Look, for example, at Hermes’ sandal,” he says, indicating a model of the Hermes of Praxiteles towering next to him. “It’s a very elegant shoe, don’t you agree?” he remarks, chuckling.

I ask him if, after all these years, he ever gets bored of the repetition involved in his work. “I get asked the same by the kids who work here temporarily, and I tell them I’ve never felt bored. When you enjoy your work, you do it with joy.

And I enjoy it, perhaps because I’ve also dabbled in sculpture.”

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The retouched copies are checked

by Gavalas and a colleague and, if they pass this first quality control, they are transported, depending on their original material, to either the marble patina section or the bronze / pottery section.

Here, painters have the task of imbuing the objects with soul – possibly the most demanding task in the entire process – decoding, with the aid of photographs (or occasionally museum visits) the colors of the original, the oxidation, the accretions, and the wear.

In the first room, Pantelis Konstantinou

is adding a marble patina to a copy of an inscription with the names of the fallen in the Battle of Salamis from the Epigraphic Museum, destined for the Connecticut exhibition. When I ask what excites him most about his work, he says it’s definitely the contact with the original. “I had the opportunity to visit the museum myself and create the first patina model from the original. It’s a very special experience.

Coming into contact with it, it was as if the time between us had vanished.”

At her bench, Rodanthi Kordi, a conservator specializing in painting, tries to emulate the ripple pattern and the wear of marble on the relief of a sculpture base from the National Archaeological Museum. “For me, the most exciting and interesting thing is that one is challenged to achieve a perfect rendering of the original – which means there’s always room for improvement, making the process a creative one. Perhaps that’s why I always come with an appetite for work.”

Close by, Eleni Kordali is working on a relief recently copied from the Sparta Museum. “While we all work to get as close as possible to the original, the painter always adds their own touch – in the way they approach the work, the way they sense the color palette and the color tones,” she says. “But the most exciting thing for me is the concentration of time on an object, which I must try to convey.”

Eleftheria Klouda, who works in the second patina room, speaks of the effect of time on the objects as well. She’s working on replicating the wear on a clay statuette of a dancer from Crete. “When

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One of the conservators admiring the original replicas of the Model Gallery.

I paint an object normally, without the wear of time, as this is how we start, I feel that something is missing. It is as if my encounter with these time-worn objects has altered my aesthetic, and I now yearn for disfigurements. I’ve learned to see beauty in wear and imperfections.”

In the patina rooms, after a second round of quality control, the copying process is completed, and this is where our tour ends. I visit the impressive Model Gallery one last time, and, surrounded by heads with broken noses and kouroi with missing hands, I’m reminded of the painter’s observation. There really is beauty in imperfection. But there’s also great beauty in the perfection of the precise copies made here, and potential historical value, too, as in some cases the older copies are records of the 60

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original forms of artworks that suffered subsequent damage over time.

I stand for a while in front of the reference model of the bronze Charioteer of Delphi, which is stored here. It looks as if it has been lifted from the museum, so perfect is the bronze rendering. The same goes for Gavalas’ favorite, the Artemision Bronze, and for a row of deities with raised hands nearby; only an expert eye could discern that they’re not actually made of clay.

I could spend hours here, conversing with gods and heroes, mortals and immortals, but time is limited and the outside world beckons. As I leave the building, I think about how interesting it would be if the workshop opened to the public – at least occasionally – so visitors could better understand and appreciate the mastery with which the original exhibit items were created, by seeing them through the eyes of the painters and sculptors who work so meticulously to replicate them exactly. This might even bring us closer to those ancient creators.

TAP NEWS The Fund of Archaeological Proceeds is in the process of updating its services, its mission and its identity, for the first time since it was founded in 1977.

It will be renamed the Hellenic Cultural Resources Managing and Development Organization, marking a new era in services and sales at archaeological sites, monuments and museums, as well as helping to showcase, promote and utilize cultural heritage as a public good.

l

l To the public, it will be known as Hellenic Heritage across all its communication channels, sales points and cultural products. By the end of 2020, there will be a new website at www.hellenicheritage. gr, and web store at www. hellenicheritagestore.gr or www. hhstore.gr.

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ANNIVERSARY

BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY Greece prepares to celebrate the 200th anniversary of its uprising against the Ottoman Empire a rich program exhibitions at the Athens Τουof ΣΑΚΗ ΙΩΑΝΝΙΔΗ City Museum, featuring everything from contemporary visual arts to priceless historic artifacts.

BY SA K I S IOA N N I DI S

“The Glory of Athanasios Diakos” by Konstantinos Papamichalopoulos (2020), with ink, egg tempera and gold leaf on wood (left). On the right, a work by painter Tasos Mantzavinos for the group exhibition “Evzones”.

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he paintings, engravings, portraits, priceless historical items and authentic period furniture on display at the Athens City Museum attest to the lavish lifestyle of Otto and Amalia, the first royal couple to rule the modern Greek state after it emerged from the War of Independence in the 1820s. My eyes, however, are drawn to a display of kitchenware. What is a humble cake tin doing in the “Old Palace” alongside grand works of art?

“Amalia loved sweets and cakes,” historian and museum director Stefanos Kavallierakis explains, smiling as he notices my surprise. “And, in order to have the butter to make them, she brought cows to the royal estate. The people of that time led normal lives; they weren’t aliens.

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That’s what I tell all the schoolchildren who visit. They looked for ways to make their lives easier.”

I try to imagine the former palace that forms one part of the museum smelling of fresh butter and vanilla, and of a young Amalia sitting at a table writing letters to her father complaining (as Kavallierakis tells me) about the narrow staircase to the throne room – a small space, though the kingdom was also small – and the royal couple’s private quarters. Otto and Amalia lived here from 1836 to 1843, before moving to the building that is now home to Greece’s Parliament, where the staircases were certainly grander.

Yet today the Athens City Museum is certainly not lacking in grandeur it-

self, housed as it is in two of the oldest residential buildings in the city, where it charts the capital’s evolution in the modern era, and particularly the 19th century.

TWO WORLDS Kavallierakis and I stand in the passage that links the two buildings on Paparrigopoulou Street (at numbers 5 and 7), a walkway that is much like a bridge.

Two different worlds are represented on either side: on one is the former residence of Lambros Eutaxias, a cultured politician and art collector who was the founder of the museum and of the Vouros-Eutaxias Foundation, while on the other is the royal couple’s first home. The museum, too, bridges these two worlds, both of which influenced the course of

ANNIVERSARY

On the left, an anthivolo (preliminary drawing) for the work “The wishful thinking of Ibrahim Pasha in Navarino,” and below, the work “Kanaris 2020” by Konstantinos Papamichalopoulos.

history in the city and in the country, each in its own way.

Yet another bridge was the recent exhibition “Evzones,” which explored the history of the elite guard founded

by Otto through the medium of the visual arts. This exhibition was a prelude of sorts to the events being prepared within the context of next year’s bicentennial celebrations commemorating the outbreak of the Greek War of Independence in 1821.

The first royal residence, says Kavallierakis, was initially connected to another building that was demolished in the 1960s as a remnant of “Bavarian rule.”

“The building is a unique example of Athenian neoclassicism, and we can only wonder why we once felt the need to demolish anything that was symbolic,”

Kavallierakis says. “We can look back at the past with a modern point of view, [but] the present is always fluid.”

The dust from a nearby construction site, the noise from the busy street outside and the urban landscape that surrounds both buildings are all signs of the modern city that I almost forget is still out there as we move from the royal dining hall with its elegant tea set to the hall of the privy council, the office of Count Armansperg (a regent and prime minister under Otto) and on to Amalia’s private quarters. We look at the first handwritten copy of the Greek Constitution and the legendary map drawn in 1836 by Ferdinand Aldenhoven, the one which for the first time included Crete as part of the state’s territory and served as a basis

“WE WANT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT GREECE WAS CULTURALLY AN EXAMPLE OF A COUNTRY THAT DEVELOPED ITS PATRIOTISM ON A FOUNDATION OF LIBERTY AND PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE”

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War of Independence-era pistols from the Stavrinakis Collection and a Greek-themed “philhellenic” box containing scissors, a knife and other items.

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for the “Megali Idea”, the dream of a Greater Greece. We pause in front of the splendid painting “Carnival in Athens” by Nikolaos Gyzis (1842-1901), which was purchased by the city of Munich in 1893 and returned to Greece as a gift in 1980 to mark the museum’s opening.

Visitors are also drawn to the monumental painting by Jacques Carrey of 17th-century Athens. The five-meter-wide oil painting is one of a kind in that it depicts the city’s ancient wall – of which there is no trace today – as well as the 66

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Acropolis as it was in 1674, before the Parthenon was blown up by the Venetian general Francesco Morosini. Carrey was a member of the delegation that accompanied Ambassador Charles-Francois Olier, marquis de Nointel, to Athens on a special mission for Louis XIV of France.

TRADITION AND MODERNITY I cannot help thinking that the Athens City Museum must also feel special to foreign visitors. The wooden floors beneath our feet, after all, have been trodden by

countless diplomats, foreign emissaries, nobles, wealthy merchants and bankers, all of whom left something of their spirit in its lofty rooms.

As we return to the corridor to visit the Eutaxias wing, the director points out a portrait of a stern-looking man, who is none other than Nikolaos Vouros, great-grandfather of the museum’s benefactor. “All of the turbulence of the 19th century is imprinted on his features,” Kavallierakis says of the man who laid the cornerstone of this two-story building in 1859. “Here is a man who watched his father being slaughtered by the Turks in the Chios massacre, who became a merchant and then a banker, and who belonged to one of the most important families in Vienna at the time.”

The rooms here are arranged to reflect the luxurious lifestyle enjoyed by the urban elite. The baroque aesthetic stands in stark contrast to the understated elegance of the adjacent palace, notes the museum’s director. As we walk past the elaborately carved 16th-century furnishings (which were already antiques when the house was built), the ornate china, the portraits, the paintings by Parthenis, Rallis, Gounaropoulos and Monfort, and the room dedicated to the revolutionary military commander Dimitris Makris, also a member of the revolutionary secret society Filiki Eteria, I ponder on the kind of people forged by the 19th century: battle-hardened, attached to the traditions of their country but also committed to the future, with expectations of a new and better life ahead. This spirit is beautifully captured in Theodoros Rallis’ painting “Young Woman Looking Out the Window,” which hangs in one corner of the museum. The work by the Paris-based Constantinople-born painter has painted a beautiful, almost sensual young woman, dressed in a veil yet with her face uncovered: the East meeting

ANNIVERSARY

01. In the Old Palace, the reading room of King Otto with a backgammon table.

01

02. Exterior view of the Athens City Museum.

© DIMITRIS VLAIKOS

03. A work by painter Stelios Petroulakis for the exhibition “Evzones”.

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and losing ground to the West, tradition meeting modernity.

This is the general theme behind the five major exhibitions the museum is putting together to celebrate the bicentennial. “We’re trying to show the connection between tradition and modernity, which is what I personally believe 1821 was all about,”says Kavallierakis. “[The revolution]... succeeded in connecting the world of heritage with the world of modern trends at the time. The main show will present exhibit items from the Stavrinakis Collection, including engravings, watches and weapons, alongside our own exhibits.” The next exhibition will be dedicated to the women of the revolution, with paintings by young artists depicting eight heroines of the 1821 war.

That will be followed by original work by the painter and engraver Konstantinos Papamichalopoulos of leading figures of the war, then a show on the revolution as depicted in folk art, another on items related to the Cretan uprisings and, lastly, a show on the Battle of Navarino, with little-known works owned by the museum.

“We want,” says Kavallierakis, “to demonstrate that Greece was culturally an example of a country that developed its patriotism on a foundation of liberty and peaceful coexistence, and also show how this endeavor evolved over the next 200 years.”

INFO © DIMITRIS VLAIKOS

5-7 Paparrigopoulou, Tel. (+30) 210.323.1387 Opening hours: Mon, Wed-Fri 09:00-16:00, Sat-Sun 10:00-15:00 athenscitymuseum.gr 68

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ADVERTORIAL

La Pasteria

Dining All’Italiana Everybody loves Italian cooking; the simple ingredients and the familiar flavors make it the ultimate “next-door” cuisine!

According to Italians, however, in order to have a unique gastronomic experience, the food has to be combined with the proper atmosphere.

This unique Italian gastronomic experience can be found at La Pasteria!

Our guests can relax and enjoy refreshing cocktails at the bar before their meal, all while watching La Pasteria’s talented

chefs prepare unmatched Italian recipes in the open kitchen!

Diners will be tempted by tasty antipasti; pizza to share, made with original Italian thin crust that rests for 72 hours before going into the oven; and rich pasta dishes with a variety of sauces and selected ingredients. Traditional risotto and authentic Italian dolci will help satisfy even the most demanding guests! In the end, a shot of freshly made espresso will complete your meal with an authentically Italian aroma.

Visit La Pasteria and live your unique Italian experience!

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CURB APPEAL Particular stretches of road in different residential neighborhoods in the city center have been transformed into lively independent worlds of their own.

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MORNING BAR

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FALIROU AND ODYSSEA ANDROUTSOU STREETS

KOUKAKI COOL

The Koukaki neighborhood is a hotspot of alternative nightlife in Athens, with two of its streets attracting crowds of contemporary, hip Athenians. Falirou and Odyssea Androutsou streets appeal to the creative and the stylish; to those interested in the wonderful worlds of wine and microbreweries; to those who are charmed by the handcrafted and the homemade; and to those who just want to hang out in places that have made a name for themselves.

• True to its name, Tiki Bar (15 Falirou, Tel. (+30) 210.923.6908) has a colorful and exotic character, music to match and an extensive cocktail list starring its specialties – the Zombie, Piña Colada and Mai Tai. The tasteful Kinono (48 Falirou, Tel. (+30) 211.408.6826), featuring a wavy wooden bar, brutalist walls and 72

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KINONO

spacious tables, offers vegan and vegetarian options, including sandwiches, salads and sugar-free desserts made with superfoods. Just across the road, Monsieur Barbu (59 Falirou, Tel. (+30) 210.924.7555) exudes a homey vintage feel with crowded tables spilling out onto a cozy square all day and late into the night. They serve impressive cocktails and now boast a shop-in-a-shop as well; it’s called “i do.” and it sells plants and gardening accessories

• This street is also home to two places for oenophiles. Materia Prima (68 Falirou, Tel. (+30) 210.924.5935) has a soft spot for unconventional producers and natural wines. It promotes small international wineries and the finest limited-production Greek wines, and serves delicious dishes, too. With wines from international and domestic vineyards and 30 selections, updated every month, available by the glass, as well as a more gourmet approach to food,

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coolest pizzeria in the area, and its pizza is also the tastiest. Using dough left to mature for 48 hours, it serves classic pizzas and more creative versions inspired by traditional foods, such as the pizza with potato, zucchini and xinomyzithra (a soft, tart white cheese made from sheep’s and/or goat’s milk), which tastes like a Cretan pastry.

© NIKOS KARANIKOLAS

© GEORGE ADAMOS

TRABALA STUDIO

BoBo Wine Bar (36 Anastasiou Zinni, Tel. (+30) 210.924.4244) frequently organizes wine-tasting evenings.

• Aiming to be a “special-purpose” bar and a showcase for the pleasures of the craft beer movement, Strange Brew (86 Falirou, Tel. (+30) 210.923.2146) is the city’s first taproom. It produces its own beer, adores IPA and houses a selection of beers from Greek craft breweries.

• Bel Ray (88 Falirou, Tel. (+30) 213.032.6450), on the corner of Falirou and O. Androutsou streets, has kept the motor oil sign from when this space was a car wash and lube bay. Here they know how to make an exceptional croque monsieur and croque madame, and serve outstanding drinks, which is why a spot in one of its metal and wood chairs is highly sought-after, all hours of the day.

FIBRA FIBRA

• Giant (40 O. Androutsou) is by far the

• Morning Bar (36 O. Androutsou) is a hangout for early risers. One of the most influential spots in Athens, it has invested in quality coffee, serves amazing pastries and organizes pop-up events with key figures of the city’s gastronomy scene. In just 40 square meters, its modern urban style still manages to impress, and long queues on the weekend are a given. Here one can find a range of pastries and treats that may have been invented in northern Europe, but which have now become specialities of this miniscule café-bar. Its scones, galettes, cinnamon buns and perhaps the best cheesecake in town are all consistent bestsellers.

• Odyssea Androutsou also features a modern shopping scene, with stores such as LoFi Concept-Records (38 O. Androutsou, Tel. (+30) 213.045.7027), which specializes in vinyl records catering to the beat making and sound system music scenes, while also selling a selection of handmade jewelry. Each with an open-studio concept, a contemporary vision and nods to Greek tradition, Trabala Studio (36 O. Androutsou, Tel. (+30) 212.106.5872) and Val Goutsi Workshop (34 O. Androutsou, Tel. (+30) 210.924.0757) work with clay and imbue a variety of practical and decorative objects with an entire philosophy. These two shops in Koukaki are indicative of the area’s passion for ceramics. On the same street, you’ll also find a functioning loom at Fibra Fibra (36 O. Androutsou, Tel. (+30) 210.924.0808) with which modern bags and accessories bursting with color are made.

One of the most recognizable Athenian fashion brands is hidden in the basement of the Morning Bar. Since 2014, Me Then has been making streetwear collections using cotton produced in Greece and designs inspired by historic moments, urban sunsets, and the city’s neighborhoods.

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IT’S A SHIRT

ASKLIPIOU STREET

BACK IN STYLE

Nestled between Exarchia and Kolonaki, and borrowing elements from both neighborhoods to create a tapestry of contrasts, Asklipiou Street, once the hangout of Athenian bohemians in decades past, is now experiencing a rebirth as one of the city’s most alternative and vibrant hubs. Walking down the street brings you to Neapoli (“New City”), the neighborhood that got its name early in the construction of the the modern city, in order to differentiate it from the older, surrounding areas.

In the morning, the bottom end of Asklipiou is full of bibliophiles, as it’s the location of Politeia (1-3 Asklipiou, Tel. +30 210.360.0235), one of the best-stocked bookstores in Athens. In the COVID era, lengthy queues became a common sight 74

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outside it. For another kind of shopping, head to the recently opened It’s a Shirt (67 Asklipiou), an impressive, yet minimalist, showroom. This domestic brand creates limited edition shirts, embracing the philosophy of unisex garments and promoting the values of ethical fashion. A few steps away, the new Phoenix Athens Gallery (87 Asklipiou) supports artistic XXXXXXXX endeavors and offers a variety of residency programs, hosting artists from Greece and abroad, academics, researchers and interns, while also organizing temporary exhibitions covering a variety of mediums.

Asklipiou is undoubtedly a street that also needs to be explored and experienced by night. There are bars aplenty to be found here, each with its own character, but all catering to kindred spirits; they fill nightly with revelers who have eclectic tastes in music and who prefer simple, straightforward drinks without frills and embellishments.

• The warm Kokkoi Café (39 Asklipi-

PHOENIX ATHENS

ou, Tel. (+30) 210.364.1981) and the colorful Tralala (45 Asklipiou, Tel. (+30) 210.362.8066) are among the oldest oldest watering holes in the area; they opened in the early part of this century and are now considered timeless arty hangouts by their devoted regulars.

The bar Rinokeros (22 Asklipiou, Tel. (+30) 210.338.9877) is another “oldie,” noted for its music: indie rock vibes and well-executed DJ sets.

FALAINA BAR

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• It is perhaps the most recent arrivals that have done the most to reshape the image of the street. The microscopic Falaina Bar (39 Asklipiou, Tel. (+30) 210.363.8300), boasting an industrial aesthetic and pop decorative details, often hosts themed uptempo DJ sets

and specializes in perfect gin and tonics. If you enjoy experimenting with signature cocktails, this is the place to be.

Further down, the small bar Nabokov (41 Asklipiou, Tel. (+30) 211.111.0432) has a retro atmosphere and a penchant for improvised jazz.

• Darker and with a charmingly peculiar attitude, both in its interior design and in its musical tastes, Santarosa (69 Asklipiou, Tel. (+30) 215.510.1784), which managed to become a favorite local hangout almost as soon as it opened, features an imposing, rectangular bar. It is a purebred, new-generation bar that calls itself “the first non-underground dive bar in Athens,” and there’s little reason to argue with that description.

➞ From the early years of the 20th century, Asklipiou was a magnet for writers and scholars, a

vibrant meeting point for Greek intellectuals engaged in the arts and in politics. They first came together at Mavros Gatos, a literary café that stood on the corner of Asklipiou and Academias streets, next to the house of famed poet Kostis Palamas, at 3 Asklipiou. Its popularity declined in 1922, when it changed address.

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MOTHER

ANAPAFSEOS STREET

COME MEET METS You’re in the area that the legendary modernist architect Le Corbusier once dubbed “the balcony of Athens.” Welcome to Mets, a neighborhood with heritage buildings that strikes a balance between the needs of everyday life and its image as one of the most picturesque parts of the 76

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city. Here, one of the area’s main streets has acquired a peculiar new identity, as it is home to both shops selling funerary items and some of the city’s most exciting bars.

Anapafseos Street, the road leading to the city’s oldest cemetery, is one of the liveliest and most popular hangouts, and it’s just a stone’s throw from Syntagma Square.

• The veteran of the area is the Olympion (9 Anapafseos, Tel. +30 210.924.4388).

For the last 20 years, it’s been operating as a traditional kafeneio (coffee shop) and mageireio (eatery). A diverse clientele can

be found here, including both longtime residents and recent arrivals, local flaneurs and international tourists, all tempted by the crispy meatballs, lachanodolmades (stuffed cabbage leaves), oven lasagna with spinach and hearty chickpeas with eggplant.

• The first quality fast-food eatery on the street opened in 2004, and its reputation spread across the city. Featuring crispy thin crispy crust on its pizzas, miniscule Colibri (9 Anapafseos, Tel. +30 210.921.4277) bakes classic and gourmet

© NIKOS KARANIKOLAS

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options, including the bestselling PPO, with pepperoni, onion, yogurt and paprika, and its burgers have devoted fans, too. A more recent fast-food addition is Amerikana (15 Anapafseos, Tel. (+30) 210.924.2966), with freshly baked brioche buns cradling homemade sausages and a variety of toppings that go beyond the usual. You’ll also find different flavors of ice cream made with goat’s milk.

• Mother (16 Anapafseos, Tel. (+30) 211.118.1329) is a leafy concept store that’s become a hip meeting point for a new fast-growing community in the city – urban gardening aficionados. Here they source their indoor plants, including some, such as monsteras, that hail from the tropics.

© NIKOS KARANIKOLAS

KAIN

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AMERIKANA

• Kain (22 Anapafseos, Tel. (+30) 210.922.7616) is the place that completely transformed the image of the street. This bar opened in 2015, and got Athens dancing to a variety of music, ranging from ‘80s tunes to present-day hits. Inside, the mural depicting the fratricide from the Old Testament fights for your attention with the art deco and industrial decor and the flamingo wallpaper. Its great drinks can also be accompanied by pizza from nearby Colibri.

• The area’s most recent arrival is the Joshua Tree Café (13 Anapafseos, Tel. (+30) 210.923.9747), which became a hit in no time. This funky American diner in Mets exudes a clear California vibe.

Featuring specialty coffee from Area 51, it serves vegetarian and vegan dishes and its brunch is available all day. This is the place to indulge in healthy selections: a “clean” vegan hot dog, refreshing smoothie bowls, vegan mac ‘n’ cheese and tacos, and fluffy pancakes done different ways. In the evening, opt for the classic cocktails with a twist for a unique bar experience.

➞ At the top of Anapafseos Street, the First Cemetery of Athens stretches across an expanse of 22.5 hectares. In addition to the graves of famous people from the political, artistic and literary worlds, the cemetery is also home to many important artworks. This is why it has been dubbed “the most important outdoor sculpture gallery in Greece.” Here you’ll find the mausoleum of Heinrich Schliemann, designed by architect Ernst Ziller, as well as works by Yannoulis Chalepas (his Sleeping Beauty is one of the most famous and impressive sculptures in the cemetery), Dimitrios Filipotis, Georgios Bonanos, Klearchos Loukopoulos, George Zongolopoulos, Froso Efthimiadi-Menegaki and many other important sculptors. The most comprehensive guide to the cemetery and its treasures is the book “The First Cemetery of Athens: Guide to its Monuments and History,” by Maro Kardamitsi-Adami and Maria Daniil (Athens: Olkos, 2017).

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FA S H I O N

HALCYON

DAYS

A stroll through a city whose many charms include the warming presence of winter sunshine PHOTOGRAPHED BY THANASSIS KRIKIS (10AM) FASHION EDITOR: ANNA ZINCHENKO

HANNAH: Silk dress with leather belt, silk scarf Max Mara (MAX MARA BOUTIQUE). Leather

sandals with gold-plated jewelry AGS x Ilias Lalaounis (ANCIENT GREEK SANDALS BOUTIQUE).

Woven leather basket bag Callista (CALLISTA CRAFTS). Sunglasses

Tom Ford (PANAIDIS EYEWEAR BOUTIQUE).

EVANS: Wool jacket, cotton shirt

and trousers, silk pocket square

Corneliani (ATTICA). Leather shoes

Cesare Paciotti (KALOGIROU).

MAKE-UP AND HAIR: HARA PAPANIKOLAOU (10 AM) • MODELS: HANNAH CLAVERIE (D MODELS), EVANS (D MODELS) • PHOTOGRAPHER’S ASSISTANT: MARIOS GAVOYIANNIS (10 AM) • FASHION EDITOR’S ASSISTANT: NATALIA DMITRIEVA

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HANNAH: Taffeta trench coat Laviate (ID CONCEPT STORE). Cotton sleeveless top Twinset. Denim trousers Polo Ralph Lauren (HONDOS CENTER). Hat (SAVAPILE ).

14K pink gold ring with white diamonds and imperial marble Ioanna Souflia (ID CONCEPT STORE). Snakeskin clutch Callista (CALLISTA CRAFTS).

RIGHT PAGE: HANNAH: Wool blazer, knit polo shirt, denim trousers, silk scarf Polo Ralph Lauren (POLO RALPH LAUREN BOUTIQUE). Hat (SAVAPILE). Leather boots Kurt Geiger (ATTICA).

EVANS: Linen blazer, wool and cashmere cardigan, linen denim shirt, cool wool trousers, silk pocket square Brunello Cucinelli (BRUNELLO CUCINELLI BOUTIQUE). Leather shoes CESARE PACIOTTI (KALOGIROU). Eyeglasses Oliver Peoples (PANAIDIS EYEWEAR BOUTIQUE).

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LEFT PAGE: HANNAH: Silk dress and leather bag Salvatore Ferragamo (SALVATORE FERRAGAMO BOUTIQUE).

Sunglasses Chanel (PANAIDIS EYEWEAR BOUTIQUE ). Kitten heel pumps Haralas (ATTICA).

EVANS: Wool suit, wool and silk turtleneck sweater, silk pocket square Boss, Hugo Boss (ATTICA).

Leather shoes Cesare Paciotti (KALOGIROU)

HANNAH: Wool jacket, cotton blouse, linen and silk trousers, leather bag Louis Vuitton (LOUIS VUITTON BOUTIQUE)

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EVANS: Cotton trench coat, blazer, oxford shirt, chinos, silk tie Polo Ralph Lauren (POLO RALPH LAUREN BOUTIQUE).

Suede boots SAINT LAURENT (KALOGIROU).

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HANNAH: Silk pleated dress with soleil cape (ZEUS+ΔIONE). Goldplated silver bracelet Princess of Mediterranean (ZOLOTAS ). Suede knee-high boots Kurt Geiger (ATTICA).

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HANNAH: Linen metallic blazer and trousers Brunello Cucinelli (BRUNELLO CUCINELLI BOUTIQUE).

White gold 18K necklace with brilliants (KESSARIS).

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EVANS: Suede jacket and cotton shirt John Varvatos (ATTICA).

Denim trousers Levi’s (ATTICA).

Sunglasses Paul ‘n’ Joe (KOKKORIS OPTICS).

Suede boots Saint Laurent (KALOGIROU).

HANNAH: Silk dress Victoria Beckham (ATTICA). Patent leather shoes Prada (KALOGIROU). Leather bag Burberry (ATTICA).

Sunglasses Celine (KOKKORIS OPTICS).

Gold-plated silver bracelets Princess of Mediterranean (ZOLOTAS).

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HANNAH: Silk canvas jacket and pants, silk satin blouse Tom Ford (LINEA PIU).

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ADVERTORIAL

Polo Ralph Lauren

conquers the heart of Athens The center of Athens welcomes the second Polo Ralph Lauren boutique in Greece. The new store is located at 4 Panepistimiou and Kriezotou, on the ground floor of the impressive and brand new Athens Capital Hotel.

The new store follows the classic identity of the house of Ralph Lauren and treats the visitor to the imposing and timeless aesthetics of the designer.

The store opened its doors with new womenswear and menswear collections as well as limited pieces that can be found exclusively in Polo Ralph Lauren boutiques around the world.

The warm oak, the imposing furniture from the personal antiques collection of the designer, the paintings and the beautiful compositions on the walls create a truly elegant shopping experience.

The opening of the Athens store is part of Ralph Lauren’s targeted expansion across Europe and Asia in the context of its Next Great Chapter strategy to deliver sustainable, long-term growth and value creation.

Polo Ralph Lauren Boutique l 4 Panepistimiou & Kriezotou

HANNAH: Cotton trench coat, silk blouse and skirt Burberry (ATTICA).

Suede pumps Alexandre Birman (KALOGIROU).

EVANS: Wool jacket, cotton shirt and trousers, knit tie, leather belt Boss, Hugo Boss (ATTICA).

Leather shoes Cesare Paciotti (KALOGIROU).

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ADVERTORIAL

CALLISTA CRAFTS FALL/WINTER 2020-21

Having embarked on what is its most creatively mature period, Callista Crafts draws inspiration from the mellow palette donned by nature when it reaches its zenith, just after the end of summer, in that moment when the sun’s boundless energy is encapsulated in luscious fruit, rich foliage and golden dusks.

The brand’s Fall/Winter 2020-21 line perfectly complements the aesthetic identity of an elegant yet also dynamic collection with those elements that have endowed Callista with its special place in the fashion landscape; soft leathers with porous and smooth textures embrace a palette of purple-blue, terracotta, tobacco, wine red-fuchsia and warm yellow, colors inspired by the dry autumn leaves and the deep red of grape must. Pillars of every new collection, black and grey are also present in classic and new designs, such as the Flap and Saddle bags. A handbag of supple leather, with a delicate hand-stitched lattice pattern on the outside, the Flap reinvents Callista’s archetypal elements on a new scale, thus creating an instant classic design. The Saddle, made of porous leather and with an adjustable strap, embraces the tradition of soft messenger bags that pair ideally with warm winter coats, while the hand-stitched detail along the top doffs its cap to its boho predecessors.

Unexpected color combinations and lengths draw the eye to Callista Crafts’ signature straps – conversation pieces in their own right – while the play on scale, large and small, with archetypal motifs, reinforces the enduring appeal of the brand, which this winter confirms its unique aesthetic identity more strongly than ever before.

Callista Crafts Boutique: 11 Voukourestiou, Athens l www.callistacrafts.com

FA S H I O N

HANNAH: Silk blouse and skirt Liana Camba (AESTHET). Sunglasses ΤΟΜ FORD (KOKKORIS OPTICS). Ηat (SAVAPILE). 18Κ pink gold necklace with brilliants, rhodolites and mother of pearl Venetia Vildiridis (VENETIA VILDIRIDIS BOUTIQUE).

INFO: • ATTICA THE DEPARTMENT STORE 9 Panepistimiou, Tel. (+30) 210.362.9832 • ANCIENT GREEK SANDALS 1 Kolokotroni, Tel. (+30) 210.323.0938 • BRUNELLO CUCINELLI 2 Valaoriou, Tel. (+30) 210.721.1303 • CALLISTA CRAFTS 11 Voukourestiou, Tel. (+30) 210.364.7989 • KALOGIROU 28 Irodotou & Haritos, Tel. (+30) 211.108.8151 • KASSIS 18 Voukourestiou, Tel. (+30) 210.364.1000 • KESSARIS 7 Panepistimiou, Tel. (+30) 210.371.1010 • LAPIN HOUSE 21 Ermou, Tel. (+30) 210.324.1316-17, 2 Anagnostopoulou, Tel. (+30) 210.722.0047 • LOUIS VUITTON 19 Voukourestiou, Tel. (+30) 210.361.3938 • MAX MARA 2 Kanari, Tel. (+30) 210.360.7300 • PANAIDIS EYEWEAR 11 Voukourestiou, Tel: (+30) 210.364.7436, 55 Ermou & 2 Kapnikareas, Tel. (+30) 210.325.4873, 5 Filikis Etairias, Tel. (+30) 210.361.6629 • ROLEX 5 Valaoritou, Tel. (+30) 210.362.1138 • POLO RALPH LAUREN BOUTIQUE 4 Panepistimiou & Kriezotou Tel. (+30) 210.362.9617 • SALVATORE FERRAGAMO 4 Stadiou, Tel. (+30) 210.335.6437 • VENETIA VILDIRIDIS 8 Panepistimiou & 11 Voukourestiou, Tel. (+30) 210.363.5145 • ZEUS+ΔIONE 6 Voukourestiou, Tel. (+30) 210.323.0132 • ZOLOTAS 10 Panepistimiou, Tel. (+30) 210.360.1272

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Minu was established in Athens in January 2020.

The name comes from the word ”minutiae” or “small details” and our vision is to give a new meaning to the concepts of both shopping and catering.

Minu could be described as a living store: you will take away the plant that won you over, maybe some furniture from the Scandinavian brands that are represented here and your favorite table books or you will just spend some time drinking a coffee, a glass of wine or eating something.

Special mention should be made of the original works exhibited in Minu by Greek artists.

The new space upstairs will be soon open, hosting a gallery, a space for workshops and will also be available for corporate events.

Μinu Sarri 50, Athens, 10553 | 2103232022 Info@minu-athens.com www.minuathens.com @minu.Athens Open Monday – Sunday, 09:00-23:00

D E S T I N AT I O N

PIRAEUS FOR BEGINNERS

Brash and humble, discreet and loud, this port city is evolving and modernizing, but without losing its unique charms – from Armenian delis to traditional craftsmen making musical instruments.

B Y E L E F T H E R I A A L AVA N O U P HOTOS: PE R I K L E S M E R A KOS

The blue hour at the port, as the sun goes down and the city lights come on. There’s no better place in Attica than Piraeus to enjoy the coming of twilight.

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N

icolas Bellavance-Lecompte and Quentin Moyse were instantly drawn to the old stone warehouses in the industrial part of Piraeus port as a potential site for their contemporary design gallery Carwan. The launch in September 2020 (following a relocation from Beirut) of the gallery in a 19th-century commercial warehouse came as little surprise to those who keep abreast of urban developments. The neighborhood outside the port’s gates E3 and E4 has been gaining in popularity in recent years, welcoming a succession of new restaurants and art spaces.

But what exactly is this neighborhood called? Some call it Aghios Dionysios

and others Papastratos (at least the part near the historic Papastratos tobacco factory, which moved to Aspropyrgos in 2009). The Papastratos buildings (where the scent of fresh tobacco was once all-pervasive, reaching the nostrils of passersby in the surrounding streets) have been included in the Piraeus Port Plaza project, which foresees their transformation into offices, shops and cultural spaces. This is part of a more ambitious urban rejuvenation program that also involves interventions in public spaces, the creation of sports facilities and much, much more.

Add to that the long-expected renovation of Piraeus Tower (built during the 1967-74 military dictatorship along the

lines of London’s Marble Arch Tower to house shops and a hotel but never exploited fully), the demolition of dozens of illegal structures around the picturesque Mikrolimano harbor, and the ongoing extensions of the metro (three new stops on Line 3 to Piraeus are already open, with three more to come) and the tram (not yet operational), it’s clear that the port city is on the cusp of radical change. As regards public transportation in particular, the aim is to turn Piraeus into a hub, with the port connecting to the suburban railway, the metro and the tram system.

Yet, despite these efforts to raise the profile of Piraeus, the city remains a bit of a mystery, little-known to most Greeks, even Athenians. Ask most residents of

“Invisible antiquities”.

Scan here to discover them all.

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the capital what they know about Piraeus and they’ll answer, “It’s a port,” because the only reason they ever go there is to board a ferry for Crete or the islands of the Cyclades or the Dodecanese. Few Athenians can say what the prettiest neighborhoods are, or where the best tavernas and bars can be found. Few can describe its different areas or recount the highlights of its history. Most Athenians tend to snub the entire area, remembering it only when they have a yen for a seafood meal at a colorful taverna or a coffee with a sea view.

I, too, used to be among these Athenians. Having no friends who lived in Piraeus or who hung out there, I never got to know the city in my youth, but a few years ago I happened to move to Keratsini (a western suburb of Piraeus that’s part of the same municipality as Drapetsona). I found myself in a new, unexplored city, enchanted by its contradictions and its ability to encompass so many seemingly incongruous elements.

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also very working-class. It is demure, in a way, but it’s brash as well. It’s pious, but at the same time it’s racy and provocative.

I’ve found myself driving near the port on December 12 when the city celebrates its patron saint, Aghios Spyridonas, and getting stuck behind a huge crowd following the procession of his icon, a celebration that included the Piraeus Brass Band, priests in lavish robes and young men and women in traditional dress. But along with this image of a city closely tied to its traditions, I’ve also seen a drag queen wearing a miniskirt, high heels and ripped stockings tipsily walking along the street and drinking a beer at nine in the morning as I made my way to the post office with no one even batting an eye. Piraeus is, after all, a busy port, where the eccentric is part of everyday life, and no one is surprised when nightlife spills over into day-life.

But between these two extremes, there is a more accessible Piraeus, one of daily rhythms, a place that is sincere and

The Piraeus metro station, a wonderful example of interwar architecture, was designed by Ioannis Axelos and constructed between 1926-1929; the eclectic-style edifice with its lofty vaulted glass ceiling is like a miniature version of Milan’s Centrale Station.

self-confident and one which loves socializing, the sea and good food.

ASK THE LOCALS Who better to describe Piraeus, though, than the locals themselves? I asked a few friends to contribute to my research by describing their favorite places, and I discovered that these folk really love their city. Unlike Athenians, who usually gripe about their city before describing its best features, the Pireots are unfailingly full of positivity.

Take Katerina, for example. She grew up here and believes that a “walk around Peiraiki with the lit-up walls is simply priceless. And looking at the houses in

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Kastella. And the Municipal Theater!”

Peiraiki is the seaside neighborhood on the peninsula that juts out between the main port and Zea Harbor. (Here, there are ruins of the fortification walls built in 394-391 BC and named after the 5th-century BC Athenian general Konon.) Kastella is the hill between the harbors of Mikrolimano and Zea; it feels like an island and is known for its church, dedicated to the prophet Elijah (Profitis Ilias). As for the Municipal Theater, it is a neoclassical jewel built in 1884 and renovated a couple of years ago so it could reassume its role as the centerpiece of the city’s cultural scene. Watching a performance from the plush red seats in one of its boxes is a memorable experience.

For Foteini, who now lives in Oxford, her native Piraeus is all about the sea.

“I had a friend who came from a village and always complained that she could never find her bearings in Piraeus. She’d go down Freattydos Avenue and run into the sea. Down Sachtouri, the sea again.

Peiraiki, the sea! She was right, but I nev-

LEFT: The Municipal Theater of Piraeus, the city’s neoclassical jewel, is a favorite landmark and meeting spot. RIGHT: In recent years, Polidefkous Street has become a major magnet for art lovers. Pictured here is the art gallery The Intermission.

er got lost.” One of her favorite memories is linked to – what else? – the sea, and involves little more than sitting at Alexandras Square on a Sunday morning and watching the yachts set sail.

Alexandras Square, located between Zea and Votsalakia Beach, is a nice spot to relax and to learn a bit of history from the sculpture “Pyrrhic Flight” by Panagiotis Tanimanidis. This large-scale modern stainless steel sculpture pays tribute to the victims of the Pontic Genocide, the systematic massacre of Black Sea ethnic Greeks by Turkey in the first half of the 20th century, the survivors of which settled in large numbers in Piraeus, along with Greek refugees from Asia Minor.

Nikos, a photographer who’d spent years visiting the port city to explore its obvious and less obvious attractions, decided to settle here a year ago. For him, Piraeus is “a surreal confusion of images.

Super-luxurious cars jostling for parking spots, coffee, garlic, fried food, octopus on the grill, alcohol, rotting wood of abandoned buildings, iodine and fish!”

It is, he says, a journey through time, “from fishermen untangling their nets just like in the ‘old days,’ to beefy parking valets with identical haircuts, beards and steely eyes.”

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food: Kosmidis in Drapetsona for proper halva, Fotis’ Grill House near the train station “for the best souvlaki in the area,” and Giorgos, a deli in the Politis arcade that she loves first for the people who run it (Aram and Kevork Avakian are a font of information on the history of the Armenian community in Piraeus) and then for its delicious meat products, like the soutzouki (a dried spicy sausage), kavourmas (meat cooked confit-style), and beef pastourmas (beef cured with spices).

Katerina is also a fan of Mandragoras, a grocery store on Gounari Street that opened 65 years ago as a run-of-themill spice shop but has evolved into a gastronomic delight, with a large range of olive oils, olives, dried fruits (such as figs and dates), condiments (including pickled caper leaves), rusks and artisanal cheeses.

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FOOD, FOOD, FOOD It’s worth adding to the list that Elisavet gave us, because if there’s one thing you can really enjoy in Piraeus, it’s the food! Needless to say, there are dozens of seafood restaurants and tavernas, but there are four I recommend heartily. Varoulko Seaside, in the Mikrolimano area, has been awarded a Michelin star and is run by one of Greece’s most highly respected chefs, Lefteris Lazarou, who presents a high-caliber menu that is constantly being updated. With less of a wow factor, but personally my favorite, Yperokeanio, near the Chatzikiriakeio Foundation, serves such delights as proper bouillabaisse fish stew, grilled lobster, and cuttlefish with tahini. Located next door to the Hellenic Naval Academy, Margaro is something of an institution, offering a small selection of extremely fresh seafood (shrimp, red mullet, langoustines in winter and on occasion lithrini fish, or the common pandora, and a really good Greek salad. Lastly, a long-standing local favorite is Riris, a taverna-kafeneio on Kleisovis Street that is so homey and low-key, it could be confused with my aunt’s kitchen were it not obviously a place of business.

Musts include the cod with garlic sauce, the grilled octopus and the mussels.

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01. Palm trees, TV antennas, tiled roofs, and, in the distance, the sky: this is the view from Profitis Ilias Church in Kastella. | 02. Rouan Thai, the most famous Thai restaurant in the city. | 03. The interior of the Municipal Theater. | 04. Kriton-Minas Poulis, owner and pastry chef of Bon Bon Fait Maison. | 05. Giannis Kaimenakis, owner of Paleo Wine Store. | 06. For coffee or wine, try Istioploikos, which overlooks the sea. | 07. To understand Piraeus, you first need to walk it, and one of the most classic neighborhoods for a stroll is Peiraiki. | 08. Discovering the neighborhood near the port’s Gate E1.

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A standout among the city’s many burger joints, American House Toast, on Defteras Merarchias Street, which opened in 1972 and has survived the competition with good grace, looks like a typical American diner, complete with red leather banquettes and a logo consisting of a blonde about to devour a burger. Bar Bee Kiou, in contrast, is modern and very hip, and has a loyal following of fans who flock here to Freattydos Avenue from all over Attica.

If you enjoy ethnic food, Lechmajounin Passalimani does exactly what it says on the sign, serving yummy flatbreads with a spicy ground-meat topping. For amazing piroshki, Georgitis is the place, near Pigada Square, while Rouan Thai in Trouba – a neighborhood that was notorious for its brothels in the late 1960s – serves the best Thai food in the area.

There are also hundreds of all-day cafés and bars, although the veteran of the bunch is probably Istioploikos (Piraeus Sailing Club) in Mikrolimano, with a lovely view of the sea and the yachts berthed in the marina. At Pasalimani, Kafe ton Aisthiseon (Café of the Senses) or just Kafe on Kountouriotou Street might be the city’s favorite, with gray-haired patrons who have been coming here since before they started shaving. Right next door, Reservoir is another local hangout, where regulars often burn the midnight oil arguing about cinema over glasses of whisky. A relatively new arrival (less than a year old) is Filotimos, a bistro located next to the Municipal Theater, perfect for a hot drink (tea, coffee, organic cocoa) or aged tsipouro and a meze. Along with these, there’s also Paleo, an oasis in the Papastratos neighborhood that’s especially popular with the wine crowd, and right next to that, Bon Bon Fair Maison, which produces high-quality ice cream and sweets made with local ingredients and French techniques.

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all jam-packed and only here can you find a table and enjoy a glass of good raki, a plate of Cretan apaki (cured pork) and a slice of fried cheese along with, if you’re lucky, some live rebetiko music.

BOUZOUKIS AND BICYCLES So, enough about meals, coffee and drinks. It’s easy to get carried away with the food and beverages because there are so many inviting establishments in Piraeus, but if you only eat and drink, you’ll miss the essence of the place, which is best understood walking around and exploring.

One of my favorite things to do in Piraeus is to wander, marveling at all the curious sights – like the magical mecca of old electronic devices near Pasalimani where they repaired my mom’s old Sony turntable and I found neolithic TV sets and pocket radios.

The old shuttered factories and workshops in Keratsini and Drapetsona are beguiling, particularly since no one bothered to take down their now meaningless signs. And I love the galleries and studios (other galleries, aside from the newcomer Carwan, include ENIA, Rodeo, and The Intermission) that keep popping up on streets that were (and still are) frequented by workers of the factories in this industrial area.

Piraeus has so many things to offer that the list is practically endless. Like walking along Neorion Street and stumbling on the instrument workshop of the same name, where craftsmen working with pernambuco wood and redwood make bouzoukis, guitars and baglamas, paying homage to the rebetiko music scene that once flourished here. Or jumping onto a friend’s motor scooter and driving along the port from gate E2 to E9, an experience that’s worth doing by bicycle, too. Or coming out of the Zea Cinema and taking a moment to see the yachts bobbing in the marina before stopping, on the way to the car, for another look at the 2,300-year-old ancient theater of Zea (where else can you experience anything like that?). But nothing that I or anyone else tells you about Piraeus can replace experiencing it for yourself. You need to walk around the city and get a feel for it yourself, using your instincts and your senses to guide you.

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Rodeo Gallery is housed in a renovated warehouse with a soaring ceiling that dates from the turn of the 20th century.

TWO GREAT WALKS THE PORT AND PASALIMANI

Start at Polidefkous, one of the trendiest streets in Piraeus right now, and take a peek at its galleries, bars and eateries before continuing onto Gounari. Explore the small lanes running off this street and enjoy the spice shops and delis (this is a slice of the old rough-and-tumble Piraeus). Gounari will take you down to Gate E9 at the port, where you can take the road past Aghios Spyridonas Church and turn left for the Chatzikiriakeio district, where a fine meal awaits at one of the seafood tavernas. Wrap up your walk with a stroll through Peiraiki, keeping an eye out for sunbathing eccentrics on the rocks (it happens). Alternatively, start your route at Profitis Ilias Church in Kastella, and head down to Mikrolimano to take in the sailboats before continuing to Votsalakia Beach and Pasalimani, admiring the grand old mansions along the way. Pass along Harilaou Trikoupi to end your walk at the Church of Aghios Nikolaos of Hydra, patron saint of sailors and the beginning and end of Piraeus.

Mikrolimano (formerly known as Tourkolimano, i.e. Turkish port) is one of the most picturesque parts of Piraeus, and home to a number of fish tavernas.

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INDEX

© OLYMPIA ORNERAKI

© OLYMPIA ORNERAKI

• American House Toast, 29 Defteras Merarchias, Tel. (+30) 210.429.6276 • Bar Bee Kiou, 13 Freattydos Avenue, Tel. (+30) 210.451.8129 • Bon Bon Fait Maison, 39 Polidefkous, Tel. (+30) 210.411.7999 • Carwan Gallery, 39 Polidefkous, Tel. (+30) 210.411.4536 • ENIA Gallery, 55 Messolongiou / DL Gallery, 55A Messolongiou, Tel. (+30) 210.461.9700 • Filotimos, 2 Aghiou Konstantinou, Tel. (+30) 210.410.0650 • Fotis Grill House, 20 Loudovikou, Tel. (+30) 210.417.3835 • Gallery Rodeo, 41 Polidefkous, Tel. (+30) 210.412.3977 • Georgitsis, 32 Theochari & 54 Mavrokordatou, Tel. (+30) 210.452.6475 • Giorgos Deli, 21 Dimitriou Gounari, Tel. (+30) 210.412.2881

A BREAK FROM CITY DIN

THE PIRAEUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM Piraeus tends to be a noisy city, so consider a visit to its Archaeological Museum as an opportunity for a break from the din, and if you visit on a weekday, you might even be on your own. While it’s not a very big museum, its collection is rewarding and includes such outstanding pieces as the temple-shaped funerary monument to Niceratus and his son, Polyxenus (originally from Istros on the Black Sea), which was probably inspired by the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. You’ll also see some very interesting displays on the first floor, namely a collection of bronze sculptures (including figures of Apollo, Artemis, and Athena) found in 1959 below the corner of Vassileos Georgiou and Filonos streets in an ancient warehouse where they’d been stored during the 86 BC siege of Piraeus by Sulla. Don’t leave without visiting the courtyard, where you’ll see the ruins of the 2nd century BC Theater of Zea, nestled between the apartment blocks.

• 31 Harilaou Trikoupi, Tel. (+30) 210.452.1598, Open Wed-Mon 08:00-15:30 104

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• The Intermission, 37A Polidefkous, Tel. (+30) 210.413.1504 • Istioploikos, Akti Mikrolimanou, Tel. (+30) 210.413.4084 • Kafeniote, 18 Vasileos Georgiou II, Tel. (+30) 210.410.0049 • Kafe ton Aisthiseon, 164 Kountouriotou, Tel. (+30) 210.422.0672 • Kosmidis - Halvas Drapetsonas, 1 Aghiou Dimitriou, Tel. (+30) 210.461.6478 • Lechmajoun, 9 Akti Moutsopoulou, Tel. (+30) 210.413.6425 • Mandragoras, 16 Dimitriou Gounari, Tel. (+30) 210.417.2961 • Margaro, 126 Chatzikyriakou Avenue, Tel. (+30) 210.451.4226 • Neorion, 27 Neorion, Tel. (+30) 210.422.3056 • Paleo Wine Store, 39 Polidefkous, Tel. (+30) 210.412.5204 • Reservoir, 164 Kountouriotou, Tel. (+30) 210.422.6906 • Riris Kafeneio, 127 Kleisovis, Tel. (+30) 694-630.6192 • Rouan Thai, 131 Notara, Tel. (+30) 210.429.4494 • Varoulko Seaside, 54 Akti Koumoundourou, Tel. (+30) 210.522.8400 • Yperokeanio, 48 Marias Chatzikyriakou, Tel. (+30) 210.418.0030 • Zea Digital Cinema, 39 Harilaou Trikoupi, Tel. (+30) 210.452.1388

MT PARNITHA AN EASY AND ESSENTIAL ESCAPE N AT U R E

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Just a short distance from downtown, a vast expanse of wilderness offers hiking trails and climbing routes, mountain refuges serving food and drink, and endless outdoor possibilities for city residents and visitors longing to lose themselves in an alpine forest landscape replete with fascinating flora and fauna.

TEXT A N D PHOTOS BY OLGA CH A R A MI

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he mating call of the buck could be heard all night.

Autumn is mating season for deer, and his cries echoed along the mountainside. As I lay in my bunk at the Bafi Refuge, with the breeze blowing in through the half-open window and carrying the strong scent of the pine forest, I imagined that animal, perhaps crouched by some natural spring, waiting for his doe. I don’t know if this courtship ritual came to anything, but I do know that I felt very far from my daily life in the city of Athens. That feeling was still with me on the morning of the next day when, as the gentle morning light filtered through the trees and birdsong filled the air, Giannis Helis, who operates the refuge, helped me trace out potential routes on the map. This wasn’t not my first time in Mt Parnitha National Park, but that’s how it always feels when I’m up there – fresh and new.

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admire the mountain’s famed Flabouri Ridge from all the houses I’ve lived in, but that familiarity hasn’t dulled me to its charms. Like most Athenians, I’ve come here time and again to play in the snow, take day-long hiking trips, or just drink rakomelo (raki with honey and spices) at the Bafi Refuge while gazing down at the city below. It was through the Houni Ravine that I set off on my first long hike, and on the crags of Acharnes that I completed my first major rock climbs.

I’m still looking forward to the day that I conquer the long freefall abseil at Ptisi in Pano Flabouri. But this time, when I was to spend a night on the mountain and had to pack my sleeping bag and flashlight into my backpack, the trip to nearby Parnitha – the nearest national park to a capital city in Europe – became a real journey. Of course, the fact that I came midweek also made a big difference; on the weekends, the mountain is transformed – especially in these days of

COVID-19. Cyclists, climbers, joggers, couples, families and groups of young people all spend their time here, using the paths and forest trails, and visiting the rock climbing areas, the natural springs, the lookout stations, and the picnic areas – the most popular of these being Aghia Triada and Mola.

There are three ways to reach the mountain by car. You can go from Varybobi to Tatoi, or from Thrakomakedones to the Regency Casino Mont Parnes (you can also use its cable car for free) and the refuges, or from Fili to Dervenochoria.

From these spots, an enormous network of footpaths and mountain routes begins;

Above: The lookout tower near Skipiza Springs allows park workers and volunteers to keep an eye out for wildfires.

Right: There are herds of deer scattered through the park.

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Although you’re less than a half-hour’s drive from the city limits, you have the sense of being worlds away from the urban crowds.

however, after the fires of 2007, barriers have been put in place to prevent cars and other vehicles from penetrating further inside the park. Hikers have access to all sections of the mountain, but proper planning is necessary, or arranging to visit with a guide. Despite its proximity to Athens, Mt Parnitha constitutes a large mountain wilderness area, with a total expanse of nearly 400 square kilometers and with peaks over 1000 meters high (the highest being Karavola, at 1413 meters). The rich natural landscape, filled with peaks,

slopes, valleys, steep crags, ravines, caves and chasms, hides all the dangers of larger mountains, and it’s very easy to lose your bearings out here, too.

NATURE IN ITS GLORY We were walking on a carpet of fallen leaves. Surrounded by fir and pine trees that shielded the sunlight, we spotted mushrooms, blooming cyclamen, lazy tortoises, and even Cretan wild goats, brought here decades ago and now adapted to the environment. In the si-

SURROUNDED BY FIR AND PINE TREES THAT SHIELDED THE SUNLIGHT, WE SPOTTED MUSHROOMS, BLOOMING CYCLAMEN, LAZY TORTOISES, AND EVEN CRETAN WILD GOATS, BROUGHT HERE DECADES AGO. 110

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lence, we could hear the grunting of a wild boar, rather close by; a little further on, a young deer was surprised by our presence and ran off into the forest. All of this happened during our 40-minute walk from the Bafi Refuge to Skipiza Springs and the nearby fire lookout tower with its amazing view. The route from Bafi to Mola Spring is a similarly easy hike, as are the routes from the Flabouri Refuge to Mesiano Nero (one hour) and from the casino to the Bafi Refuge (45 minutes).

The more difficult hiking trails, really enjoyable and “mountainous,” include one traversing the Houni Ravine (Thrakomakedones-Bafi Refuge, two hours), one along the Flabouri Ridge (two hours), and a pathway that leads to the Panos Cave through Goura Canyon; this route takes about two hours, though you can hike a section from Arma in half the time. Ideally, you should visit this beautiful cave in the company of specialists who have have the necessary equipment and spelunking experience,

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and that way you’ll hear all the wonderful stories about the ancient worship of the god Pan, too.

At one point, the sound of children’s voices disturbed the silence as well, albeit briefly. We had returned to the refuge, and two busloads of youngsters together with 15 mountain guides were preparing to explore the forest. The activities for

01. Cyclists and other outdoor enthusiasts take full advantage of what the mountain offers.

02. Hiking trails criss-cross the national park.

03. Dining al fresco: families and friends flock to the mountain for picnics.

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children organized by Trekking Hellas (trekking.gr, represented on Mt Parnitha

by Giannis Helis) are very popular and can include anything from simple bike rides and walks through the fir forest along with games that teach kids about the environment to the “Adventure Time” program that includes archery, tree-climbing, and crossing a creek on a rope. There are scavenger hunts and teachable moments.

Who’ll be the first to identify a sign that autumn is coming? Who’ll be the first to find a mushroom? Why is it a bad idea to approach the deer? Children seem to retain this last lesson better than many adult visitors. The red deer population of Parnitha has seen an exponential in-

crease over the last few years, due to the absence of predators, although wolves have recently returned to the mountain, helping to bring greater balance to the ecosystem. The largest populations of deer live deep in the forest, but there’s still a good chance of meeting them during hikes. One herd has even gotten used to humans; usually found near the Aghia Triada springs near the road, these animals exhibit almost pet-like behavior!

Nonetheless, it’s still forbidden to go near them, or to feed these wild animals, as the consumption of inappropriate foods often makes them sick – no human food is part of the regular diet of deer. In fact, the vulnerability of these animals is just one more reason for you to be very careful to leave no rubbish behind, even if disposed of properly, as the deer have been known to feed from overflowing rubbish bins. In any case, the same basic rule of outdoor pursuits applies here as in all natural environments – you leave with absolutely everything that you bring in!

MONUMENTS IN THE FOREST Even on weekdays, there are still plenty of people at the Tatoi Royal Estate. In the afternoon, with the sun tilting westwards, you’ll see more bicycles than cars on the twisting roads of Varybobi.

The grounds and the royal palace at Tatoi played host to many important people in the 19th and 20th centuries, and bore witness to many historical events,

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Left: A lazy morning moment for pets and people alike at the Bafi Refuge.

Below: Near the summer palace in the Tatoi Royal Estate.

from the deposition of King Constantine I and the deaths of King Alexander and King Paul to the swearing-in ceremonies for the governments of Eleftherios Venizelos, Dimitris Rallis and Georgios Papandreou. This expanse of almost four thousand hectares is covered by a verdant pine forest, with the 28 protected buildings of the royal summer palace scattered across the grounds. Tatoi thus comprises a historical, architectural and natural monument, the ownership of which only recently passed to the Greek state. The estate has polarized public opinion and its buildings have been repeatedly looted in the past. And although efforts to protect and promote the site began several years ago, only 114

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lately have they shown signs of systematic progress.

Around the grounds, the estate’s past grandeur is visible everywhere. The fallen autumn leaves and afternoon light heighten the sense of romantic decline, but the lively voices of visitors show that Tatoi remains very much part of Athens’ present.

In the shaded forest, some people jog while others walk their dogs or enjoying their coffees in the idyllic natural setting.

For those who prefer organized hikes and tours, the Friends of Tatoi Association (Tel. (+30) 697.594.7248) is on hand.

Tatoi is not, however, the only monument in the shadow of the mountain. A number of ancient cities prospered around Parnitha, the ruins of which can be found

scattered through the modern suburbs.

There were also several castles as, in antiquity, the mountain was a natural defensive barrier around Athens. The fortress at Fyli, for instance, is relatively easy to access.

Don’t worry about the barrier preventing car access: it’s only a five to ten-minute walk from the barrier to the remains of the fortress, built in the 4th century BC to control the important route to Boeotia. Although there’s not that much left of the structure, the site it occupies is a wonderful spot with stunning views of the mountain and the city.

In fact, all excursions to Parnitha feature this interchange of imagery: you can admire the views of the city basin as it stretches out to the sea, or you can turn and enter dense forests and be impressed by the craggy rock outcrops, the wild animals, and the rich vegetation instead.

Dusk finds most visitors at one of the two refuges, either the Bafi Refuge (mpafi.gr) or the Flabouri Refuge (flabouri.gr, open only on weekends), both of which serve food, offer hospitality and organize various activities. On my overnight, I stayed in one of the renovated 4-12 person lodgings at the Bafi Refuge. Just knowing that you’re outside the chaotic city brings a sense of peace. Sitting out in the quiet of nature on the refuge’s well-tended veranda, sipping on tsipouro and bathed in the scents of the forest while warm in your winter coat and hat, you can gaze at the city glittering below – both reassuringly close, and wonderfully distant.

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La Roche Posay has redesigned its iconic product, Baume AP+M from the Lipikar series – the number one pharmaceutical face and body skincare series in Europe – using new technologies.

By strengthening resistance against and limiting propagation of the staph bacterium found in eczema, this series balances the skin’s microbiome. Thus, the new Lipikar Baume AP+M has a triple action – directly soothing very dry skin, reducing itchiness and preventing outbreaks of extreme dryness. larocheposay.gr

Just a few steps from Syntagma Square in the center of Athens, in[n]Athens is a peaceful refuge featuring 37 rooms which combine comfort with contemporary aesthetics in the ideal city location.

Every room is different, with all materials carefully selected and with views onto a wonderful interior courtyard, the heart of this quaint hotel. Bursting with plants and full of hidden nooks, this is the perfect destination for coffee, wine, reading and relaxation after an action-packed day in the city. innathens.com

Calzedonia welcomes autumn with a new, eco-friendly collection of tights, leggings and socks, made with thread created from reused cotton and recycled polyester from PET plastic bottles, for comfortable and elegant outfits that are environmentally friendly, too. As part of this environmentally-conscious philosophy, the company is avoiding the use of harmful chemicals and has limited its consumption of water and use of non-renewable sources of energy, while also reducing waste and CO2 emissions. gr.calzedonia.com

Maria Bekatorou and Medical Pharmaquality Pharmaceuticals have joined forces to create M Cosmetics, a new series of skincare cosmetics inspired by the beauty of Greece, its light, colors and aromas, as well as by the beauty of Greek women. The series is composed of six, high-quality products created using the science of biomimetics to emulate the features of youthful skin, adding immediate glow and promoting regeneration. mcosmetics.gr

athens ART

A RESILIENT CITY

The chair above hasn’t broken; it stands firmly on its legs in the Graduate Art Show at the Athens School of Fine Arts.

The current optimism pervading the Athens art scene is fully justified, despite the uncertainties of the present moment.

LEONI KAPELI, “The Unbearable Lightness of Appearance,” 2019 This work is part of the artist’s final project for her Fine Arts degree, exhibited in the Nikos Kessanlis Hall at the Athens School of Fine Arts in June of 2019. Artist’s info: Email: leoni.kapeli@gmail.com, Instagram: Leoni_Kapa

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RISING, AGAIN:

ART IN ATH

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The view of the EMST and the Parthenon captures the contradictions and the strengths inherent to contemporary Greek culture.

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Over the years, the Greek capital has regularly been described as the “new Berlin,” due to the vibrancy of its art scene. But how accurate is that statement, really?

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© 2020 BRICE MARDEN/ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK COURTESY GAGOSIAN

01. BRICE MARDEN, EM Blotter 2, 2012, Kremer ink and graphite on handmade paper, 25.4 x 20cm. 02. MOHAU MODISAKENG, Passage 8, 2017, from the UBUNTU exhibition. 03. The UBUNTU exhibition at the EMST.

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he Greek art scene is blossoming for what seems like the umpteenth time in the past five years – and this despite the pandemic. We’re seeing more exhibitions than ever, major international galleries opening branches in Athens and artist-run and managed spaces popping up in all sorts of unusual places in the city center. What’s more, the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) is finally completely open for business, the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation has endowed the city with a modern art collection equal to those of peers, and foreign artists and curators are increasingly choosing Greece as their place of residence. Does all this activity paint a true picture of the art scene? Are we reading too much into it? Is it, perhaps, 120

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merely indicative of the international market’s need to discover an exciting new art destination every so often?

I S THE “NEW BERLIN” GETTING OLD? A narrative about art in Greece started to emerge in 2015, in anticipation of the world-renowned Documenta exhibition in Kassel and Athens and in combination with the Greek economic crisis. It featured keywords like “dynamism,” “creative energy” and “cosmopolitanism.” As a rule, it was accompanied by negative associations – chaos, austerity, ruins, tear gas, refugee crisis – painting a picture that was already familiar from other cities: a sense of decline, marginalization and “living dangerously,” albeit from a position of safety. Poor but sexy, Athens

was “new Berlin.” This image was framed by stunning ancient monuments, friendly people, Mediterranean landscapes and irresistible beaches.

None of that is a lie. “Athens was and is a fascinating city with an incredible energy,” says Christina Androulidaki, an art historian and owner of the gallery CAN. “But the comparison with other cities is misguided. Athens is Athens, Berlin is Berlin and New Delhi is New Delhi. If we’re talking about cheap rent that helps the creation of an art center, as was once the case in Berlin, that is true. After Documenta, artists started moving to Athens because they felt an interesting energy and could rent studios without having to worry about whether they’d be able to afford their overhead. Nevertheless, most of them continue to work outside

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Greece. They don’t sell here and most of them don’t exhibit in Athens either. There is no real interaction, basically. They’re sort of cut off, living a bit like hermits, taking advantage of the sun, the good food and the cheap rent. That’s miles away from being able to define Athens as... an evolving art hub – unless we mean [one] in the very early stages of evolution.”

DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH? Athens is not a global center of the arts, but something has certainly changed. Its art scene, at least, has become much richer and more multifaceted. The current abundance of state institutions, private museums, artist-run project spaces, commercial galleries and art actions in public spaces, together with a robust culture of artistic cooperation, is something we did not have before.

Kostas Tzimoulis and Vassilis Noulas, who belong to the art collective Eight – a space in central Athens that seeks to combine critical intervention with artistic

practices – give us their take: “The past few years have seen a plethora of activities and initiatives related to the visual arts, which points to an effort for more communication and a mix of different fields, artists and practices. Apart from the big institutions, independent spaces and projects pop up with a spontaneous effortlessness that did not exist before, and, regardless of whether they last, they contribute to the creation of a multifaceted landscape.”

Today, Athens has a more comprehensive and interesting art scene to offer its residents and visitors. There’s the EMST, the museum of the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation (which has been around for about a year now, showcasing its world-acclaimed collection), the ever-active Benaki Museum on Pireos Street and the important temporary exhibitions organized by the Museum of Cycladic Art in its Stathatos Mansion wing. Come spring, we’ll also finally have the renovated National Gallery.

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01. CHARLES SANDISON, “Metsänpeitto” (“The Forest Hides”), 2020, Single channel data projection, from his solo show at the Bernier - Eliades Gallery. 02. NEL AERTS, “The Last Wanderer on Earth,” from her solo show “Inner Wavy Turmoil Baby” at the Eleni Koroneou Gallery.

In addition, there are the often unexpected and important interventions in urban spaces by the NEON cultural organization, as well as its vital support for the initiatives of many Greek artists.

There are the international collaborations of the DESTE Foundation, too, and a multitude of exhibitions and actions by major private institutions, such as the Onassis Cultural Center and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center. There’s also the resilient Athens Biennale, and the activation of spaces belonging to the City of Athens, an initiative originally spearheaded by Denys Zacharopoulos and now continued by Christoforos Marinos.

And there are, of course, many private galleries who’ve been battling to survive in a particularly difficult environment for the past decade or so; they often show some very interesting exhibitions involving a broad range of artists and mediums.

DO-IT-YOURSELF A relatively new trend – one which stems, to a degree, from the economic crisis and the albeit temporary international interest it drew to the Athenian scene – concerns independent groups,

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Christoforos Marinos at MARO FASOULI’S solo show at the Arts Center of the Municipality of Athens.

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SUCH INITIATIVES ENRICH THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE AND ARE, THEREFORE, VALUABLE. ARE THEY, HOWEVER, OUT THERE ON THEIR OWN, ADDRESSING A PARTICULAR, SMALL AUDIENCE? collectives, and small non-profit spaces run by young artists and curators. Initiatives such as Radio Athens, State of Concept, A-Dash, 3 137, Grace, Tavros, Akwa Ibom, and Arch present interesting work, spark surprising new dialogues, provide platforms for a diversity of voices, and encourage cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary synergies at both the local and international level. Such initiatives enrich the cultural landscape and are, therefore, valuable. But are they perhaps operating with little support, appealing only to a small and specialized audience?

Are they idealistic endeavors destined to fizzle out, or are they capable of achieving creative longevity?

According to Christoforos Marinos,

curator of exhibitions and activities for the Organization for Culture, Sports & Youth (OPANDA) of the City of Athens, “Whether this model is sustainable or not can only be answered by the artists and curators who run these spaces. I personally believe they are necessary, because they enrich and help shape the local ‘arts ecosystem.’ Two of the best exhibitions I saw this year were the solo shows of Kostas Tzimoulis and Myrto Xanthopoulou in the independent art space Eight. If there’s one thing I think is missing from these independent spaces, it is experimentation. I would like them to be more interventionist, to take even more risks with their choices.”

Speaking of such spaces, Noulas and Tzimoulis note: “This has become common international practice in recent decades, and – for Greece – it is additionally connected with the ‘crisis as opportunity’ way of thinking and a DIY mentality.

These spaces are often also open to the people of the neighborhoods where they’re located. But let’s not generalize:

01. ARAM BARTHOLI,”Isolated on White,” from the group show “Imagine You Wake Up And There Is No Internet” at the creative hub Romantso. 02. VASSILIS NOULAS and KOSTAS TZIMOULIS, founding members of the collective Eight.

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every space is a separate case in terms of its composition, aims and viability.”

IMPORTS – EXPORTS? In the age of globalization, when the world’s art capitals are becoming ever more homogenous, Greece holds the promise of something different. Athens is not as saturated as London or Barcelona, nor does it have the restrictions on liberties of Istanbul, nor the dangers of Beirut. It combines the elements of creative freedom, history and dynamism.

With Documenta – and the international exposure that came with it – Athens ap124

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peared to momentarily acquire a more prominent position on the European art map. There is no doubt that many of the collaborations and bonds that were formed during the international event continue to be maintained, and that Documenta brought a lot of international attention and made Greece feel, at least momentarily, less like an outsider. The real question, though, is did the foreign journalists and critics really substantively explore the art being produced in Greece? Did they reach out to local artists? Did they, in fact, do what the title of the event, “Learning from Athens,” suggested that they do?

“There was something completely colonial about the way Athens was treated and presented. The exhibitions, moreover, did nothing to really impact the Greek art scene; there was no real interaction with the ‘here.’ Documenta’s legacy was ultimately a mirage – like a rich aunt who everyone hopes to get an inheritance from when they die, but who in the end leaves them all with nothing,” says Androulidaki.

The arrival in Piraeus of design pioneer Carwan, the presence in Kolonaki of Allouche-Benias and the planned relocation of that industry giant, Gagosian,

to a new building are signs pointing to an optimistic mood and to interest in investing in Athens. But while they may make art-lovers’ outings more pleasant, they do not mean a great deal for Greek artists and the local market.

“Domestically, international artists are doing well.” This phrase perhaps sums up the Athenian art scene. But what about outside Greece? Do Greek artists have a presence on the international scene?

Christoforos Marinos has no illusions: “Greece’s position on the international art scene is not what it deserves. While we have very good artists – some with an AT H E N S W I N T E R 2 0 2 0

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active presence abroad as well – we fail when it comes to promotion mechanisms.

The Athens Biennale has contributed quite a lot in the field of promotion and networking with foreign institutions and curators, but Greek collectors also need to help. Let me remind you that some of them are also on the boards of major museums. How long do we have to wait to see a major European museum host a retrospective on Vlassis Kaniaris, Nikos Kessanlis, Chryssa Romanos or Giorgos Lappas? Rena Papaspyrou is just as good as Füsun Onur, who is widely known. The only difference is that Turkish curators and museum directors understand the importance of cultural diplomacy, which is something we know absolutely nothing about.”

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Noulas and Tzimoulis agree: “Being outward looking is not as easy as it sounds. It takes a state cultural policy that is organized, targeted and designed for the long-term support and promotion of the contemporary art scene. Having a pavilion at the Venice Biennale is obviously not enough. What we’re talking about is something completely different, something much more comprehensive and systematic, andand, chiefly, something that until recently we seemed to be indifferent to. Nevertheless, compared the past, we’re seeing a lot more activity and a growing trend of being more outward lookingon the local art scene, which may be related to all the different alternative networks availa-

ble today, to the foreign ties formed by artists and theorists who have studied abroad, and to the drive and ambitious initiatives of private foundations as well.

We hope these signs become more prevalent and, most importantly, that they become a part of the framework of a state policy endowed with continuity, vision, cohesion and resources.”

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM So, what conclusions can we draw?

That art will survive but artists will not?

What are the chances of survival for a Greek artist today? Are we going to have amazing contemporary art spaces that are devoid of Greek contemporary artists? Right now – with the pandemic

exacerbating inequalities of opportunity in Europe – providing Greek artists with support may well determine the future of the entire art community.

“We have amazing artists but we don’t do very much for them,” says Yerassimos Yannopoulos, a lawyer, art collector and well-informed observer of the art scene.

“And how can we when we don’t even have a market? We must be the only country in the world whose biggest art fair [Art Athina] needs to be funded by the Ministry of Culture because the local market can’t even cover the cost of galleries’ participation. In Brussels – just to illustrate the point – there are around a thousand local collectors who buy at least one piece a year. The present po-

litical leadership, at least, is disposed to improving the climate, and the measures it’s proposing are steps in the right direction.”

Kostis Velonis, a sculptor with a dynamic presence in Greece and abroad, adds another layer to the discussion.

“Market conformism can have a negative impact on the work being produced.

Scant production – arising from systemic economic hardship, which has only been made worse by the pandemic – is not the only thing that makes artists ‘disappear.’

There are also the chimeras of ‘success.’

The production of aimless work, created solely to meet the galleries’ exhibition commitments, leads nowhere.”

Athens’ artists have to contend with

chronic problems and obstacles. However, it is precisely because of these enduring difficulties and uncertainties that the art world is better prepared to meet new challenges head-on. The city’s art landscape appears to be changing in a dynamic fashion, promising, at the very least, that the next phase will be anything but boring.

01. MARINA GITI, “Krifo Scolio,” video still from the group show “Theorimata 2” at the EMST. 02. “Art Will Survive, Artists Won’t,” designed and printed by MANOLIS ANGELAKIS of the art team Tind. 03. Panos Kokkinias, ”EMST,” 2019, Digital Inkjet Archival Print, 120 x 120cm.

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KATERINA GREGOS

DE FACTO EXTROVERT For the acclaimed curator, writer and lecturer, there’s no better way for a country to promote itself internationally than supporting its culture domestically.

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aterina Gregos is one of the few Greek curators with a substantial international career. She has curated numerous major international exhibitions and nine international biennales, including Manifesta 9 and the Göteborg International Biennial. She has also curated the critically acclaimed National Pavilions of Denmark (2011), Belgium (2015) and Croatia (2019) at the Venice Biennale.

Recently, she became the founding artistic director of the 1st Riga International Biennial (RIBOCA1). Since 2016, she has been the curator of the Schwarz Foundation’s visual arts program. A few days ago, she opened a new exhibition entitled “Modern Love: or Love in the Age of Cold Intimacies” at the Museum für Neue Kunst in Freiburg, an exhibition which will travel to Tallinn and Utrecht.

She’s currently completing a blueprint for the future of the National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST). Her Greek roots and international experience make her ideal for an assessment of the Athenian artistic scene and its place in the international context.

How do you see the Greek visual arts landscape today? How do large private and public institutions, EMST, the National Gallery, commercial galleries, private collections and independent project spaces interact, if indeed they interact at all?

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and we still haven’t realized that strength lies in unity. As long as this territorial mentality exists, we won’t be able to make a mark outside of our borders. Today, in a time of crisis, collaboration is a must.

The situation for the arts in Greece is not perfect – far from it – but there is a critical mass of institutions (private, public and non-profit). A concerted effort to collaborate and to share know-how would make everyone stronger. The government could, perhaps, make more effort in better promoting these institutions and contemporary culture as a whole in Greece. Athens needs to re-brand itself not only as a destination for antiquities but also for contemporary culture; it’s the perfect moment to do this, now that there is an increased interest in Athens as a tourist destination per se. Greece can also potentially also benefit economically from a growing international audience interested in cultural tourism. There is no better ambassador for a country’s prestige than culture. However, this needs a coordinated vision and collaboration between the city, the Ministry of Tourism,

the Ministry of Culture and the private sector. One positive step forward has been the establishment of the General Secretariat for Contemporary Culture in the Ministry of Culture, which happened only recently (in 2019), whereby the state finally ‘officially’ acknowledged the importance of the sector.

Over the last decade, Athens has often been proclaimed the “new Berlin”.

It has been presented as an exciting, cosmopolitan and somewhat exotic upand-coming international art center. Is there any truth to this?

I’d say this is a wildly exaggerated, unsubstantiated claim. Those who promote this kind of hype probably do not know the reality in the city, as well as the multiple difficulties the field of contemporary art faces. For years, they’ve been saying the same about Brussels (since I moved there in 2006 – and it never happened). Athens cannot be compared to Berlin; it has nowhere near the same number of international artists and galleries, nor comparable institutions and museums. The only thing that Berlin and Athens have in common is that they are on the periphery; Berlin is at the edges of Europe, as is Athens.

It will take a very long time for Athens to become a major art capital like Berlin; for this, you need a varied, widespread international art scene comprised of artists, curators, gallerists, museums, institutions – private and public – and, of course, an eager and large audience, which in Greece is still relatively small, since no emphasis has ever been placed on contemporary culture until recently. And you need a good support system for cultural workers, which still doesn’t exist yet in

“WE STILL HAVEN’T REALIZED THAT STRENGTH LIES IN UNITY. AS LONG AS THIS TERRITORIAL MENTALITY EXISTS, WE WON’T BE ABLE TO MAKE A MARK OUTSIDE OF OUR BORDERS.”

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© BERNHARD STRAUSS

Greece. Athens does have a lot of things going for it, not least of all good artists, creative non-profit spaces, great energy and, most of all, an extremely rich urban fabric and history, which artists should be addressing more. This is one of the ways that a real genuine interest in the Athenian art scene might be generated, and not through media hype or copycat art, as is so often the case in so many peripheral capitals. One thing that is true, though, is that Berlin is on the decline; the edgy energy it once had has disappeared with gentrification. Athens, on the other hand, perpetually edgy, has enormous untapped potential. It could become a European art destination, but for this, you need a concerted strategy and vision on a public level, and, of course, financial support. Art cannot thrive on good intentions alone.

What should be the role of a contemporary art museum today in Greece? What could be the identity of EMST and the vision for its operation?

The identity and vision of a museum are the essence of its being. I will not talk about EMST specifically, but generally about museums that aren’t located in metropolitan centers and were not formed during the era of modernism in the 20th century. For me, the era of the globalized ‘one-size-fits-all’ museum is over. The art world has expanded so much it’s impossible for any institution to follow all the international developments. Museums today need to focus; otherwise, they risk being a heterogeneous mess. A museum is first and foremost about its artistic vision, the discourse it produces, and the stance it takes vis-a-vis the art world and society at large. It isn’t about bricks and mortar, huge spaces and designer buildings – this is a mistake so many countries or cities have made. Museums without meaningful content have no reason to exist. Museums that have distinguished themselves in history are those with a distinct vision. A museum needs to address, first and foremost, the place and space in which it is situated, not only nationally but also geographically and geopolitically. In Greece, we certainly do not need another Tate, MoMA, Guggenheim or 130

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Pompidou. We have neither the means nor the collections. Besides, these museums seem to be in an identity crisis.

The neoliberal model of growth they’ve adopted has trapped them financially and taken away necessary freedoms. In Greece, we need something that reflects our own position and concerns – always in a dialogue with the outside world. It’s a model that should reflect our own histories and cultural identities (but certainly not in nationalist terms). I strongly believe in the educational role of museums, and the fact that they can be important centers of alternative knowledge production and critical thought. And, of course, they should be

places where one sees inspiring, memorable art – because even that is becoming more and more challenging today in the era of the hyperinflation of images..

One of the most interesting phenomena of recent years has been the creation of many independent art spaces, managed by young artists and curators. What are the prospects of all this? Is it sustainable in the long run? Is it aimed at a wider audience or is it mainly about the art world itself?

I totally agree that this is one of the most interesting aspects of “crisis Greece.” However, when there’s no struc-

“MUSEUMS WITHOUT MEANINGFUL CONTENT HAVE NO REASON TO EXIST. MUSEUMS THAT HAVE DISTINGUISHED THEMSELVES IN HISTORY ARE THOSE WITH A DISTINCT VISION.”

IN-DEPTH

At the Museum für Neue Kunst - Städtische Museen Freiburg, the exhibition “Modern Love (Or Love in the Age of Cold Intimacies),” with work (shown here) by HANNAH TOTICKI ANBERT, “Focus Ware,” and PETER PUKLUS, “The Hero Mother,” photo: Bernhard Strauss.

tural funding (from government, private foundations and the like) this model is unsustainable, demoralizing and exhausting for the cultural workers who work against all odds to articulate an artistic vision. I have enormous respect for all these small spaces that are run by energetic, enthusiastic, hardworking artists and curators in very difficult conditions. They form an important aspect of Athens’ contemporary ecosystem and they should be supported more. It’s very difficult to address a larger audience when you’re operating on a shoestring budget and don’t have the resources to invest in publicity and community outreach. So, by default, these spaces are doomed to address themselves to a small audience. And this is also one of the issues we need to address strategically in the long term; the audience for contemporary visual art in Athens is still very small. It will take a lot of work in terms of audience development and education to expand it.

What is Greece’s place on the international art scene today? Is extrover-

sion something we focus on? Should it be?

I hate to say it, but apart from a handful of artists who’ve managed to make a name for themselves abroad and in Greece, we are nowhere. Greek artists are mostly invisible outside the country’s borders borders – at the last Istanbul Bienniale, which is literally next door, there wasn’t a single Greek artist! My international colleagues often find it difficult to name more than two or three Greek artists at best. This is the result of a long-term lack of public arts policy, lack of funding, lack of production money, and lack of an arts council. Artists from Greece will never be able to gain the visibility they deserve unless there’s a systematic policy and long-term support of their work. In Belgium, for example, artists receive money to cover some basic annual expenses in order to focus on their work. In Greece, on the other hand, it is almost impossible for a visual artist to live off their work. So they’re forced to do various unrelated jobs, and many artists choose to leave because

they know – no matter how tough, and competitive, cities like Berlin, Paris, London, Amsterdam, New York are – they’ll have more opportunities. In order for this disadvantageous situation to improve, we’d need something akin to the Acción Cultural Española (Spain), the Mondriaan Fund (Netherlands), OCA (Norway) or IASPIS (Sweden), mainly publicly funded institutions with a view to the long-term promotion of art. In addition to funding artists with the aim of increasing their international visibility, they also work towards getting foreign professionals to visit their respective countries to get to know the arts scene and the artists.

I’ve been invited countless times by similar organizations and, thanks to them, I’ve discovered the work of many artists, whom I’ve later supported and shown in different exhibitions. Of course we should be concerned about “extroversion”! Artistic practice is de facto extrovert – artists create works in order to engage with the public. It’s one of the main driving forces for an artist and a vital component of art.

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YORGOS TZIRTZILAKIS

EMST: THE JOURNEY AND THE SHACK

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The architect identifies similarities between the travails of the EMST and the long road home for Odysseus, as well as another Greek archetype.

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he National Museum of Contemporary Art (EMST) clearly has a central role in the Greek art landscape. Despite having organized a plethora of exhibitions, however, its odyssey towards establishing a permanent home and its management woes have tended to dominate any public discussion concerning the institution. Yorgos Tzirtzilakis, a professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Thessaly and artistic advisor of the DESTE Foundation, gives us his assessment of the museum’s role.

“I’d say ‘The Odyssey’ is the first pillar of contemporary Greek culture, and, in this sense, of EMST as well. There are obviously some deeper unresolved issues behind this delay that we do not like talking about. ‘The Odyssey,’ how-

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ever, exists in our contemporary culture thanks only to a second, complementary pillar, and that is Karagiozis [a wily and ridiculous character central to traditional Greek shadow theater, whose home is a humble shack]. And I don’t mean that at all facetiously. Odysseus not only takes a very long time to reach his destination, he is also adaptable. He is not a great warrior, but he is flexible and multifaceted, ready to submit to transformation

and the journey home. The disdained Karakgiozis represents the comic and the ridiculous (which alternate with the tragic), an inanity that coexists with a type of wisdom, and a grotesque physicality. I think that these two pillars, the adventure and journey home on the one hand, and the shack on the other, are two characteristics that prepare us for a lot more. Odysseus and Karagiozis are the two unsurpassed ‘superheroes’ of Greek culture. For this reason, therefore, EMST has no reason to emulate the unbending rational brilliance of a museum in Oslo or Ostend. On the contrary, it can comprise an open system that observes, hosts and converses with the contradictions and dynamics, the enigmas and currents of modern Greek culture, which contain these primitive structures of Odysseus and Karagiozis: the journey on the one hand, and at the same time the shack, the paradoxical, the collapsed. In this sense, the ‘role’ and the ‘identity’ of EMST is as a bridge, a dialogical coupling between that which is happening in international art, and current local circumstances, the condition of our contemporary culture itself.

I fear that we often think of the EMST as an angst-driven replacement for our European fantasy or for our inadequate presence on the ‘international stage’. In contrast, the EMST’s ‘vision’ cannot be anything other than a work that is always under construction, incomplete and imperfect, so that it can include that which is outside of it. The very philosophy of such a museum, as indeed of contemporary art, is something that is dynamic and contradictory, something unfinished.

This unfinished aspect is a quality of our contemporary culture which likely also comprises a discernible identity with which to start.”

THE VERY PHILOSOPHY OF SUCH A MUSEUM, AS INDEED OF CONTEMPORARY ART, IS SOMETHING THAT IS DYNAMIC AND CONTRADICTORY, SOMETHING UNFINISHED.

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IN-DEPTH

ATHENS AT THIS TIME IS MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN ANY OTHER EUROPEAN CAPITAL. IT COMBINES A LONG HISTORY WITH ABSOLUTELY CURRENT ISSUES.

ÉRIC STEPHANY

“AGAPI” An artist who left Paris for Athens talks about the reasons behind his move and what he sees in the art scene here.

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ric Stephany is a French artist and a resident of Athens. The recent exhibition “Loss and the Rest” at the Zoumboulakis Gallery, curated by Georgia Liapis, borrowed its title from a line in the artist’s poem “Agapi” (‘Love” in Greek) and featured some of his sculptures, resculpted fragments of marble sinks from the 1950s that Stephany recovered from landfills.

The duality of marble being both the material of ancient classical statues as well as an element of humble everyday life, Stephany’s exploration of the city, and the influence of the Greek language on his work all combined to create a very different feeling from that of the rather opportunistic Athens shows we saw in 134

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the wake of the hype around Documenta.

ES: “It’s kind of funny for me to talk about Documenta’s hype, since I completely missed that period! I’ve been coming to Greece since 2000, but as a tourist. In 2016, I worked as a stage designer in a theater production and then I started looking at the city as a possible location, but during 2017 and the exhibition, I wasn’t here. I traveled a lot over the years, living somewhat nomadically, spending long periods in Berlin, New York and Paris.

“When, in 2018, I was invited by the hd.kepler platform for the screening of my film ‘Anticipation’ at the Cinema Aavora, I’d already felt the need to leave Paris. The professional and economic conditions in France were not ideal, and I wanted to give myself the opportunity to ‘slow down’, to distance myself from the Parisian scene and, above all, to have more time for reflection and work.

“As if it were meant to be, I quickly found a house in Neapoli and an excellent workshop near Victoria Square.

I wouldn’t want to go on and on about the advantages of the irresistible Greek summer or how much more economical life is here – compared to Paris, London or even Berlin anymore. What really kept me going was that nowhere else in recent years had I been so productive. I like the fact that you can feel isolated

here and at the same time at the center of the Mediterranean world. Athens is ‘provincial’ in terms of scale or communication and, at the same time, it’s an international hub. “The city is really cosmopolitan and not at all marginalized. On the contrary: Athens at this time is much more interesting than any other European capital. It combines a long history (the classical past and the millennia of conflicts and wars) with absolutely current issues (migration, refugees, the issue of European borders, and the rise and perhaps fall of neo-Nazism). It seems to be standing firmly on its feet, despite a variety of challenges. The amazing quality of life and an extreme dystopian setting coexist here. It’s something that inspires me as an artist and kind of reassures me.

“The local scene I met here was very active and welcoming – especially the younger generations. The number of independent spaces is remarkable, as is the plethora of exhibitions and events. In 2019, we started, together with Florent Frizet, who also lives here, a series of discussions with Greek artists and curators titled ‘A conversation with Athens’ [podcasts are available on duuuradio.fr].

We had to stop these meetings because of the pandemic, but we intend to continue as soon as we can. It was a nice way to maintain a substantial connection with the city’s art scene.”

IN-DEPTH

WHERE THE ART IS

Leading exhibition spaces in the city GALLERIES & PROJECT SPACES (Note: Due to COVID-19, the shows and public access to them may have changed - please check with the spaces for details) BERNIER/ELIADES

• 11 Heptachalkou, Thiseio, www.bernier-eliades.gr

A. ANTONOPOULOU • 20 Aristophanous, www.aaart.gr

CENTER OF CONTEMPORARY ART ILEANA TUNDA 48 Armatolon & Klefton, www.art-tounta.gr

ELENI KORONAIOU GALLERY

• 30 Dimofontos & Thorikion, Petralona, www. koroneougallery.com

CAN GALLERY

• “The Pursuit of Happiness”, Emmanuel Bitsakis, until 31/12/2020 42 Anagnostopoulou, Kolonaki, www.can-gallery.com

ZOUMBOULAKIS GALLERIES

KALFAYAN GALLERIES 11 Charitos, Kolonaki, www.kalfayangalleries.com

REBECCA CAMHI

• “The Spring of Zinona,” DeAnna Maganias, until 08/01/21 9 Leonidou, Metaxourgio, www.rebeccacamhi.com

RODEO

• 41 Polydefkous, Piraeus, www.rodeo-gallery.com

GAGOSIAN

• “Marbles & Drawings,” Brice Marden, until 19/12/2020 22 Anapiron Polemou, Kolonaki, athens@gagosian.com

ANDREAS MELAS IN “MARTINOS”

• 50 Pandrosou, Monastiraki, www.andreasmelas.org

STATE OF CONCEPT

• 19 Tousa Botsari, www.stateofconcept.org

ARCH

• “Postcards,” Matthew Wong, until 11/12/2020 5 Goura, Plaka, www.archathens.org

MUSEUMS & EXHIBITION HALLS EMST

• “Ubuntu – Five Rooms from the Harry David Collection,” Until 18/3/2021 – Permanent collection (2nd, 3rd, 4th floor) Kallirois and Amvrosiou Frantzi (formerly the Fix factory), Tel. (+30) 211.101.9000, welcome@emst.gr

BENAKI MUSEUM PIREOS

MUNICIPAL GALLERY OF ATHENS • Leonidou and Myllerou, Metaxourgio, www.opanda.gr

ARTS CENTER OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF ATHENS

• Vasilissis Sofias, Eleftherias Park, www.opanda.gr

VISUAL ARTS FOUNDATION B. & M. THEOCHARAKI

• 9 Vasilissis Sofias and Merlin, Tel. (+30) 210-3611206, www. thf.gr/el/

• 138 Pireos and Andronikou, benaki@benaki.gr, Tel. (+30) 210-3453111

BENAKI MUSEUM - Mentis Textiles • “Oikeio-oikein,” Katerina Katsifaraki, until 9/1/2021 6 Polyfimou, nema@benaki.gr

GOULANDRI MUSEUM • Permanent collection 13 Eratosthenous, Athens, visit@goulandris.gr

HAUS N

• 6 Kairi, www.haus-n.gr “The Tree of Knowldge,” Kalos & Klio, from the show “On the Tapis / Weaves of Democracy,” at Kalfayan Galleries, Athens.

20 Kolonaki Square, www.zoumboulakis.gr

Aristeidis Lappas in his studio - photo courtesy of the Breeder gallery.

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“No Title,” Matthew Wong, from the solo show “Postcards” at Arch Gallery, Athens.

Prefabricated contemporary houses, hotel complexes, tourist accommodations.

IG KALLERGIS LTD Factory address: 44.5th km of the Old National Road Athens-Corinth, Megara Exhibition address: 33rd km of the New National Road Athens – Corinth Tel: +30 2296082100 – +30 2296082100

www.kallergis.gr | info@kallergis.gr

C R E AT I V I T Y

ATHENS

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BY N I KOL A S ZOI S

© PERIKLES MERAKOS

he depiction of cities in comics has a long history. This might be because depicting urban landscapes has always been a fascinating visual project, or because, in addition to the characters, the atmosphere that surrounds them plays an important role in the plot of a story, or for other reasons. There are many examples, including Batman’s dark Gotham City, the Duck family’s happy Duckburg, Judge Dredd’s colossal Mega-City One, Moebius’ floating cities, Will Eisner’s painful and perilous New York City, Chris Ware’s old Chicago or the futuristic Tokyo of Katsuhiro Otomo.

Athens, too, could not help but be a source of inspiration for Greece’s comic book creators. Giannis Kalaitzis portrays it in gray tones in “The Gypsy Orchestra.”

Spyros Derveniotis, in “Fanouris Aplas,” sees it as the familiar big city of the 1990s (which complemented the stories of Dimitris Vanellis and Dimitri Kalaitzis). Leandros identifies its deformed aspects in “The Pariah,” while Alekos Papadatos and Annie Di Donna (with a story by Abraham Kawa) highlight its ancient past in the graphic novel “Democracy.”

But how do younger Greek comic book artists see the city? What do they love about it, with which aspects of it do they feel most in tune, and in which parts of its daily life do they find joy? Knowing that the modern domestic comic book scene has a number of different representatives with distinct styles and abilities, we asked four Greek practitioners of the ninth art for their unique perspectives. Of course, their answers consist of colors and lines, with images and ideas that sometimes intersect, perhaps revealing some common trends or preferences.

That matters little, however; in the panels that follow, Athens appears once again full of favorite neighborhoods and parks, streets and balconies, where stories both important and insignificant play out, as seen through the eyes of four creators who live in it, endure it and love it, too.

ILLUSTRATED Four local practitioners of the ninth art draw inspiration from their own favorite spots in the city.

Georgia Zachari takes up her pen in her workspace at home.

C R E AT I V I T Y

PANAYIOTIS PANTAZIS Polygono, my vantage point Few know where Polygono is. You will meet people who live there who state they live in Gyzi, Ambelokipi or Kypseli. There are people who confuse it with the Pentagono [the Ministry of Defense]. There are no attractions here, and even the square isn’t exactly a square. It has steep narrow streets, and parking is a nightmare. A friend of mine once thought I’d end up living in a mountain forest. Polygono isn’t quite such a place. It is the neighborhood where I was born and raised, the one I left for 15 years before moving back to live here again. From up here, I can see Athens stretching from below my window to the sea.

Panayiotis Pantazis is a comic artist, illustrator and musician. He is currently working on his new album, Echo Tides. More info can be found at: pantazis.space

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C R E AT I V I T Y

GEORGIA ZACHARI Everything about this noisy environment I like many things in Athens. I like its ancient sites; its new ones; its completely destroyed ones; the tables on the sidewalks; the steep streets, once I reach the top of them; the kiosks; the galleries; the Athens Polytechnic; the subway when the train comes out of the tunnel and I can see the apartment buildings; the apartment buildings in general; and the ubiquitous cinemas. I like the fact that I can walk and be a stranger among strangers, and I like that I might run into someone I know anywhere. I love Athens precisely because it is so densely populated. I love everything about this noisy environment because it seems like a background that’s ideal for literally countless stories, stories without a finite number: real, imaginary, past, future or just potential ones.

Georgia Zachari won the Best New Artist award at the 2018 Greek Comics Awards for her self-published work “Xematiasma.” Her latest work is “Festival” (with Giorgos Gousis and Panayiotis Pantazis), which celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Thessaloniki International Film Festival. More at instagram.com/tiganopsomo

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ALEXIA OTHONAIOU A park pulsating with life Eleftherias Park, one of the few parks in the heart of Athens, is a hill with grass and a four-level view: Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, the buildings, Mt Ymittos, the Attic sky. It is home to a variety of birds, from magpies to parrots. On its upper slope, the Arts Center of the Municipality of Athens and the Museum of Anti-Dictatorial and Democratic Resistance are housed in a beautiful stone building. Despite its small size, the park is full of life: people of different ages and nationalities play sports, enjoy picnics, and read. It is a model of the free use of green and public space, as it is a recreational spot where one can be close to nature, historical memory and art. In other words, Eleftherias Park is a place where one can be a citizen and not a consumer.

Alexia Othoneou’s weekly strip “X in Ψ” is published in the newspaper Efimerida ton Syntakton.

“Stories hidden in obvious places” is hosted on socomic.gr, and her graphic novel “The Woman with the Cards” is forthcoming (Jemma Press). More at alexiaothonaiou.blogspot.com

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C R E AT I V I T Y

GIORGOS GOUSIS Balconies that reconcile you with the urban chaos I love Athens because it’s the city where the people I love live and because it’s the setting of our common life, a setting that suits us and is full of contradictions and labyrinthine paths, just like us. The thing I admire about Athens is how uncomplicated it is in its chaos, something which it shows us, at every opportunity, from its high balconies. I wonder if my frequent visual contact with such chaos is why I often feel reconciled with this concept.

Giorgos Gousis’ latest graphic novel is “Robbers: The Life and Death of Giannis and Thymios Dovas,” which he wrote with Giannis Ragos, drawing inspiration from real people and from actual events that took place in Epirus from 1909 to 1930. More at fb.com/Ggoussis

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