Walls of Athens

"We alone consider a citizen who does not partake in politics, not only one who minds his own business but useless," Thucydides stated. Athens in the 5th to 4th century B.C. had an extraordinary system of government: democracy. Any citizen could speak to the assembly and vote on decisions by merely holding up their hands.

Nowadays, graffiti, street art, and poster in the capital and largest city of Greece try to resemble the good vibes of ancient times. The financial crisis has been a massive inspiration for artists who wanted to show their own perspective. Athens' public space has become a flourishing way of expression for a country that still feels betrayed by the 2015 bailout referendum.

A selection from the gallery published on Il Fatto Quotidiano, this series is an ethnographic journey into the modern Athenian democracy, revealing human and social struggles, urban matters, and odd contrasts. Rage, despair, and pride take form in a multi-colored visual culture, where the city stands both as the object of discussion and debate and as the contested arena of individual and collective actions.