46
JULY 2015
PERSPECTIVE
Kolonaki
High in thehills, Kolonaki (which
literallymeans ‘littlecolumn’) is
where thebeautifulpeople
play. Butyoudon’tneed to
be richor famous toenjoy
thearea’smanycharms:
wander thenarrow lanesand
browseboutiquesownedby
localdesigners.
Plaka
Shaded
bythe
Acropolis,
theonce-
touristyPlakahashada facelift
and isnowhome tosomeofthe
city’scutestcafesandbars, plonked
betweenancient ruins, hammams
andchicshops.
Monastiraki
A jumbleof fleamarketsandsouvenir
shops, youcan’t leaveAthenswithout
amorning inMonastiraki. Besure to
checkout theByzantinechurches
dotted throughout thesuburb,
then laze thedayawayatoneof the
manybarsonAghias Irinissquare.
Kifisia
Onceasummer retreat forwealthy
Athenians, Kifisia’sstilloneof themost
prestigiouspartsof thecity.Tree-lined
avenues lead togatedmansions, and
DianevonFurstenbergandBottega
Venetahavestoreshere.The
nightlife’ssuperb, and thecooler,
mountainousair isawelcome respite
fromcentralAthens’ blazingsunlight.
Gazi
Oftencalled ‘Gay-zi’ for its
popularitywithAthens’ LGBT
community, this former
gasworksarea–a 15-minute
stroll from theAcropolis– is
now teemingwithbars, street
art, restaurantsandclubs.
MEETALOCAL...ARTIST
EvaMarathaki
Athens is acity that intriguesme,
historically, architecturally, culturally
andpolitically, sobeinganartist here is
very interesting. You can feel its history
everywhere,which I love. That’s oneof
the reasons I chose toworkand live in
the centreof the city.
Despite the crisis, for thepast three
yearsAthens has hadacreativeboom.
Thereare several artist-run spaces and
collectives suchas Lo&Beholdand
Out of theBox Intermedia, andart
residencies–notablySnehtaand
Kappatos– that didn’t exist before.
We’vealso got lots of new, exciting
galleries suchasDepoDarm
ContemporaryArt SpaceandCAN
Galleryand theatre collectives too.
In2017, Documenta 14– considered
tobe theworld’s largest andmost
prestigious exhibitionof contemporary
art–will establisha second sitehere
inAthens. Thatmakesmehappy. It’s
a reallyexciting time tobehere.
I exhibitmyworkaround theworld.
Right now, I’vebeendoingagroup
show,
FamilyGuys
, at theOttoZoo
Gallery inMilan (until 17 July). Closer
tohome, I recentlyparticipated in the
ArtAthinaArt Fair.
Mymainmediaaredrawing, video
andvideoperformance, lookingat
social andpolitical issues, and cultural
practices andnorms. I explore issues
suchas gender, identity, social and
family structures, confinement of the
individual and thedynamics of power.
Athens ismyhome, yet it never
ceases to surpriseme. It’s ameeting
point for different cultures. Here, you
canalwaysmeet interestingpeople
makenew friends and formnew
partnerships and collaborations.
MeetEvaandseeherworkwith
DiscoverGreekCulture’s ‘Athens, city
ofarts’ and ‘Modernmuses’ tours.
discovergreekculture.com;
evamarathaki.com
on traditional dishes. Freshly caught scallops are servedwith
potato and
apaki
, curedpork fromCrete; braisedbeef cheeks
are pairedwith slices of fennel and themodern take on
coq
auvin
with gnocchi is prettymuchperfect.
Later, wemeet AthenianNikosTrivoulidis for drinks onhis
rooftop terrace inPlaka, the final part of our
DiscoverGreek
Culture tour
[ 8 ]
(discovergreekculture.com). Notmany
peoplewouldhappilyopen their home to strangers, butwhen
youown a three-storey, heritage-listedmansion in the centre
of the city, that’s part of the propertydeal.
“I bought this place a fewyears ago, for this rooftop really,”
he says, gesturing to theAcropolis, glowingwhite on the hill
in front of us. “In the summer I bringmybedup and sleepout
here– the air is cooler and I don’tmind the noise from the
bars below. The views are incredible.” Downstairs, his floor is
made of glass, revealing the ruins thatwere foundbeneath
the house a fewyears back.
“Yes, times are tough inAthens,” saysTrivoulidis. “Butwe
are strong.We are abeautiful city filledwithwonderful people.
Life is still good.”
FLYTO
ATHENS
FOURTIMESWEEKLY
Welcome to theneighbourhood
ALAMY
