Prague reveals design plans for the Vltava Philharmonic Hall
The Danish studio Bjarke Ingels Group won the international architectural competition
Greek street artists will modernise the walls of four schools this year
On 1 July, the Greek capital revealed that it has launched a programme to promote contemporary art in urban spaces. Although this project will last three years, this year’s theme will be “From the Roots to the Sky”. With this theme, the Municipality of Athens continues to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the country’s war of independence.
Taking this further, four contemporary murals will be painted on the walls of four schools in Athens. The first mural has now been painted by the Greek street artist Yiorgos Kez who has depicted Erotokritos and Aretousa on the wall of the 104th Elementary School of Panormos.
Yiorgos Kez’ mural is an adaption of the well-known work of the Greek painter Theophilos Hatzimihail (1870-1934). Hatzimihail’s art was inspired by the poem of Vincenzo Cornaros, illustrating the two young lovers from the poem: Erotokritos and Aretousa. Now, these characters have also been brought to life by Yiorgos Kez.
The Municipality of Athens collaborated with the team UrbanAct and several street artists for the implementation of the project. While Yiorgos Kez’ work has now been completed, artists Gera, Same84, and Leonidas Giannakopoulos are yet to modernise the appearance of three more schools.
Commenting on this artistic venture, Mayor of Athens Kostas Bakoyannis explained: “Starting from the schools of the city, we wish to reshape the urban landscape with artistic interventions that will give an air of elegance and liveliness to Athens - organised with absolute respect for the public space and its aesthetics.
With the help of UrbanAct and its many experiences in street art, we create cultural conditions with substantial interaction for children and adults, shaping the cultural map with a modern visual look for the residents and our city.”
The contemporary murals will connect the past and the present as figures and stories from Greek history will be recalled in a new, modern way. In addition to strengthening this link, the programme will further act as inspiration for young people who wish to take up artistic or cultural activities. Lastly, the artworks will increase the attractiveness of the Greek capital, making it even more colourful and rich in culture.
If you want to keep up with how European cities and regions are changing, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The local community welcomed Ukrainians fleeing war with outstanding support
Belgium will now join a small club of countries empowering youth political participation – Austria, Greece and Malta
The REPowerEU 200 billion-euro plan calls for a gradual reduction of Russian fuel imports
The Smart City Alliance has been quietly building functional tools for both citizens and authorities since 2016
Part of an ongoing trend among these institutions to increase convenience for users
Student teams will have 24 hours to come up with solutions for that issue
The Smart City Alliance has been quietly building functional tools for both citizens and authorities since 2016
The cities met last week in Katowice to draft a plan on how to facilitate cycling between their territories
The REPowerEU 200 billion-euro plan calls for a gradual reduction of Russian fuel imports
It is renewing and introducing direct flight connections to attract visitors from the US, Middle East and Europe
The Catalonian capital’s society and the trajectory of its attitudes have been studied since 1998
The Finnish capital will hold ‘Entrepreneur Day for Women’ next month
These will be spread across 11 EU countries and will serve to support the EU Missions
The European Commission has accepted to develop the idea
An interview about AYR, one of the 2021 New European Bauhaus Prize winners
An interview with Nigel Jollands and Sue Goeransson from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
An interview with the President of the City of Athens Reception & Solidarity Centre
A talk with the Mayor of Malmö on the occasion of the city’s UN Resilience Hub status