Athens Expands Street Art Program

The Athens Municipality has expanded its street art program with the addition of one more impressive mural on the wall of Thessalonikis pedestrian street, located near the capital’s Technopolis cultural complex in the district of Gazi.

Created by Italian artist Demetrio Di Grado, the mural has joined the list of other street art creations in Athens by Greek and foreign artists.

In an announcement, the municipality said that for the first time it was offering Greek and foreign street artists “the space to create and express themselves, as well as interact with the city and its citizens through art”.

Demetrio Di Grado is a Sicilian artist who combines street art with the collage technique. His latest work is part of a new, unpublished art series titled “Starting from the end” that features anthropogenic and architectural landscapes, and men, women and children who create new forms, interconnections, and – sometimes – dramatic confrontations related to social issues such as the environment, politics and the future.

“We want a vibrant, creative city. A city that attracts creators and offers the opportunity to young Athenians and those who feel Athenians, to enhance their multiculturalism,” Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis said.

The mayor underlined that the municipality strongly supports the city’s culture and multiculturalism by putting an end to vandalism with its coordinated anti-graffiti operations.

“We say ‘yes’ to color and art, and ‘no’ to smudge and the abuse of public space,” he added.

The new mural was created in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute of Athens and UrbanAct.