There is no better way to divulge the internal reality of a city and its culture than to splatter it across the facades of its streetscape, under a movement entitled ‘street art’. As a city’s internal existence is bursting at the seams and crying for attention, street artists are creatives who can take this internal being and place it upon walls, in a bid to ingeniously reflect a city’s status and mood. Key to this reflection is undoubtedly passion; the most powerful weapon on earth that ignites the human soul.

The history of Greece is one that constantly points to the omnipresent existence of passion. Passion has a boundless energy across the socio-historical development of Greece and plays an equally spirited role in the development of Greece’s capital city, Athens; a place that has been a haven for the expression of passion for thousands of years. In ancient times, passion in this city sparked philosophical debate, challenged the minds of enemies and ultimately cultivated social action in the name of its existence. Just like its ability to exalt Athens as an ancient city, passion is something that also exalts those of its contemporary existence, and may be one of the greatest factors of causation currently bringing Athens into modern light. Today, ancient and rich political passion is colourfully echoed onto the facades that constitute the city’s streetscape, in an abundance of incredible street art. While widely underrated, Athenian street art is incredibly variegated, skilfully crafted with precision and on par with that of widely known cities of street art such as Berlin, London and New York. Athenian street art is a movement which has reached its peak in modernity, as a passionate reflection of a city’s endurance in a period of crisis and political stimulation.

Street art in Athens has its roots in ‘situationism, graffiti, post-graffiti, comic culture and stencil’; roots which are indicative of the diverse range of works found in Athens. Like most forms of street art, Athenian street art holds a particular aim in challenging minds, stimulating thought, cultivating change and igniting means of production for social change. The works of street artists in Athens are awe-inspiring, crafted with a precision of artivism and generating an abstract force of energy upon external interaction with the city. Its augmented existence over recent years is one that is linked to the city’s endurance of economic crisis. A response to the crisis allowed for an interesting stimulation of street art on the city’s walls, which reflect the city’s political reaction and demise during a period of unfortunate economic suffering.

In order to promote social conscience and action through art, a contemporary not-for profit organisation entitled the Athens Street Art Festival has been established in Athens. The festival aims to provide a platform for new works within the field of street art in Athens, through the provision of relevant, challenging and dynamic environments for artists, students, gallery goers and the public alike. It consists of a series of citywide exhibitions, events, performances, workshops and debates that can identify, promote and present both pioneers and emerging talents in a scene that has developed significantly over the past few years.

‘Passion Upon Walls’ is a socially explorative project that will collaborate with the Athens Street Art Festival to examine the links between Athenian street art and contemporary Athenian life, in order to provide global exposure to the world of Athenian street art in a further bid to bring Athens into contemporary light. With a weekly online gallery to showcase contemporary art on the streets of Athens, constant reports on the festival’s work and monthly reports that will explore the lives of Athenian street artists, FOREIGN.5 together with ASAF aim to showcase the deep-seated, soul-igniting Athenian passion upon walls to the world; because the most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul fired by passion.

Source: foreignpoint5.com