This interview with Tvboy, an Italian street artist and designer working both Milan and Barcelona, is the first one at Aesthetics of Crisis to look beyond the specific context of Athens. Even though he does not consider his work to be distinctly political, the context of the crisis has emerged for as a somewhat inevitable topic. [...]
Many political artists in Athens make use of stencils, but no one has perfected this art form like Mapet. He made his first attempt at a stencil in 2006 while living in Bristol, but these days he has an archive of about 200 motifs to chose from. The reason for this productivity boost is quite [...]
Graphic design student Refur has been exploring the creative potential of the streets of Athens for the past two years. In fact, she is one of the few Athenian artists strategically using the medium of the sticker. She also paints larger pieces, often in collaboration with other artists such as Mapet, EX!T, and Yiakou. Furthermore [...]
If you stroll through any major European city, you will most likely find a paste-up, sticker, or tile by Hamburg-based artist Tona. So of course I was not surprised to find some of his signature artworks in Athens. However, the sheer amount of them seemed extraordinary. I got in touch with Tona and found out [...]
Even before the disastrous night of September 17 the month had witnessed some meaningful events. First, the squatted Athenian theatre project εμπρος was evicted and with it a space of autonomous and often transnational creative interventions. Furthermore the teachers of Greece took to the streets to protest extensive layoff plans. And then that Tuesday night the unthinkable happened: the [...]
My first encounter with the short Spanish girl that goes by Galldindie was quite lucky: I found her spraying a wall in Exarcheia while I was just showing my new roommate the neighborhood. Naturally, I had to chat her up about the huge lion she was just painting. I found out she was an art [...]
If you happen upon one of the many artworks of Cacao Rocks in the streets of Athens, their colorful and unique style will most certainly leave an impression on you. In fact, the Corfu-born artist picked up the spray can for the first time at the tender age of 12. He talked to me about [...]
Going back about 15 years, D! is a true veteran of the Athens graffiti and street art scene. Over the years he has arrived at a distinct aesthetic and typographic vision that stands out quite clearly from the chaotic walls of the city. Here's some more on his artistic evolution and intentions, his recent "Their [...]
Oré is one of the many international artists that have paid Athens a creative visit in the past years. Yet, his connection with the city is not a fleeting one but rather something that has been building for 30 years. Spending a few weeks of every year in Athens he has left quite a few [...]
Wild Drawing (or WD) is easily one of the most versatile and active street artists in Athens. His usually politicized works range from smaller stencils to pasting projects and huge freehand murals. Originally from Bali he has been painting in the streets of Athens for about 7 years and can be found at almost all [...]
Bleeps—perhaps the most prolific political street artist in Athens at this moment—has been continuously creating complex artworks engaging with the crisis and the socio-political situation in Greece. His work has been prominently featured in media reports on the crisis but is also frequently subjected to vandalism. Find his manifesto and more information on www.bleeps.gr or [...]
Art student STMTS's large scale portraits of children can be found pasted up on the walls of Athens since the beginning of 2012. His blog can be found here. He talked to me about his creative process and his concern for the future generations. "I love life," Gkazi 2013 Have you always been [...]
