The Writings On The Wall

The city walls speak the truth of its citizens, an old saying says. Since ancient times, one could read the pulse of a people by their markings on the wall. The scars, markings and tattoos on the cement skin of the city communicate the experiences of a nation in transition.

Athens is the capital of Europe with the largest amount of graffiti. The abandonment of the city's center and its subsequent degradation has brought graffiti back into the spotlight as one of the main factors that contribute to decreasing life quality in the center. A long and old debate about the role of graffiti in the city is brought to the forefront: is it art or pollution?

Some of Greece's graffiti pioneers, like TARE, Woozy, Senor, Scar, Ners and the O.F.K crew, try to give their own perspective on how these markings on the wall are more than just that!

Maria

Life in a wheelchair might be utterly hopeless for some people; not for Maria.

Maria Liaskou is 23 years old, born with cerebral palsy; her days are a constant battle to get around in a wheelchair. In a city which does not cater to the needs of people with disabilities, Maria has managed to get more than around. Her charismatic personality has given her the strength to overlook the discrimination and to excel not only academically as a law student, but also as a passionate competitive swimmer who has represented Greece in major athletic events.

Maria is just one example among many; the number of people with mobility impairments has been rising in Greece over the last few years. A great part of it consists of cases caused by some kind of automotive accident. Faced with the lack of infrastructure and institutional support, Maria's struggle represents the struggle of many in a similar situation.

Maria's message is a clear and positive one: people with disabilities not only deserve a life like everyone else; they can claim it too.

Good Neighbours

Kastelorizo, also known as Megisti, is a small frontier island located in the Eastern Aegean Sea, less than 1.5 nautical miles off the shores of Turkey and 72 nautical miles east of the Greek island of Rhodes. According to the official census, its population is less than 500 people.

The island's long history can be traced back to prehistoric times, for which there are remains that speak of a developed civilization. During the Middle Ages, after having been occupied by the Knights Hospitaller, it became a place of exile. In that period it was renamed as "Kastelorizo", a corruption of the Italian "Castello Rosso" (Red Castle). As Kastelorizo came under Turkish occupation, it gradually became a prosperous center of commercial navigation. After the 1821 Greek Revolution, the island was disputed between the French, the Italian and the English and was finally united with Greece in 1947, after many lootings and the massive emigrations, but also returns, of its inhabitants.

Today, the island is once again a cause of controversy between Greece and Turkey. The issues of air and sea border violations and the designation of the Exclusive Economic Zone in this borderline point of the Aegean Sea create a climate of provocation between the two countries and stress the need to settle differences. Kastelorizo, an eternal symbol of Greece's encounter with other civilizations, is once again the point of reference for the redefinition of the country's relations with Turkey, while, at the same time, its inhabitants still safeguard its long history.

Roads Rage and Relics

The newly constructed national highway is Greece's main artery connecting the north to the south, it is the lifeblood to countless towns, villages and cities. Sprinkled quaintly on side of the national road are miniature churches, whose cuteness overshadows an often darker story. These relics and offerings by relatives of car-crash victims, are a constant reminder of how dangerous Greek driving and roads really are.

The poor signage on the roads accompanied by poor maintenance and reckless machismo driving leads thousands of people to an early grave every year, while infrastructure for the treatment of victims of road accidents is minimal and insufficient. Unfortunately the number of accidents has been rising steadily as the number of young people are on the road increases.

The roads' poor condition, high number of casualties and expensive tolls have given rise to the "I refuse to pay!" movement, where citizens block tollbooths and encourage other motorists and commuters to avoid paying the highway tolls. Their argument is that the greek citizens have already been taxed for them, turning the country's highways into red zones, and civil rights combat fields.

Destroy Athens - Dreams of a city

Athens, a capital of almost 5 million people, is the locus where half of the population of Greece is concentrated. A city with an important past, with monuments and layers of history next to modern versions of a European lifestyle, Athens is currently undergoing major transformations.

A melting pot of people and influences, the city center in particular is witnessing rapid changes in its population, which is growing and becoming more diverse. The big influx of immigrants who have been settling in different areas in the past few years, has had a great impact on the city's character, creating many multi-cultural communities. The old Athens exists in the minds of the people that still remember it, however, a new generation of Athenians, born and raised in the city, are moving to a higher level of consciousness, creating groups of activism in the urban space and taking initiatives regarding life in the city and envisioning ways to improve the city's aesthetics along with its overall quality of life.

Athenians settle their disputes by recommending news ways to rebuilt the city and regain its lost pride. Different forces and agents come into action, in an urban environment that experiences social unrest and strong cultural and political upheaval. Will Athens surrender to the chaos until it self-destructs or will it find its path towards a more beautiful and harmonious existence? And what can rise from the debris when the old is destroyed?