One hears about the recent phenomenon of artist-run spaces, but rarely is there the chance to discover more about the work of the artists who run the artist-run space. In their second two-person show at FokiaNou Art Space, Mary Cox and Panagiotis Voulgaris present “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”. Almost four years after their first collaboration in the space, the two directors will show work with many commonalities: the use of repurposed materials to produce small-scale abstract gems with vibrant, intense colors, which give rise to the euphoric feeling of gazing into a Tiffany’s display window.

Mary Cox’s tiny collages and digital prints play with appropriation of work from other artists, rejecting the idea of originality and artistic genius. The appropriated reproductions have been through multiple transformations, scale changes and finally collaging and painting, resulting in a new hybrid metamorphosis.

Mary is an American painter with Greek nationality living and working in Greece since 1993. She holds a Masters in Fine Art from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA. Over the years she has taken up different subject matter, and used a range of media, from a mixed-media series on migration which was selected for the Lulea Art Biennial 2011, to a photo-realistic series of paintings of old houses and buildings in the southern suburbs of Athens. 

Panagiotis Voulgaris has long used string, thread and masking tapes to create in situ installations, and interventions in natural and man-made environments. As an artist-in-residence in Valletta, Malta, part of the 2018 European Capital of Culture program, his work included many interventions as well as workshops in schools around Malta. He recorded his ideas for his work in an art book that started as a diary and gradually became a stand-alone work. From this book came the idea for small-scale, easily transportable pieces which are autonomous but also can be combined to form a larger whole: collages on paper, using colored tape and layered with bold shapes, charts, drawings and excerpts from old books.

They are both the recording of a journey to real places as well as the iconography of fantastic geometry and chaos, at once beautiful and spooky. Panagiotis Voulgaris is an artist and curator living and working in Athens. He holds a Masters Degree in Art and Architecture from the University of East London and has participated in numerous exhibitions, festivals and residencies in Greece and abroad.

FokiaNou Art Space is an artist-run project space in the intimacy of a small apartment in an old building in the center of Athens. The space encourages collaborative creative efforts between Greek and foreign artists, thereby promoting and supporting the local art community. The space
hosts exhibitions, workshops and projects under the direction of two artists, Mary Cox and Panagiotis Voulgaris.

Hours

Wedsnesday - Saturday 17:00 - 20:00

Usually referred to as the blue and white ('galanolefki' or 'kyanolefki' in Greek), the national flag of Greece consists of a white cross on a blue background in the upper left corner of the flag and nine horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white.

There is a blue canton in the upper left-side corner bearing a white cross which represents Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the official religion of the Greek nation, and follows a proportion of 2:3. Even though there is no designated shade of blue, most flags in Greece tend to feature dark or royal blue.

 

Even though it is widely accepted that the nine stripes represent the nine syllables of the phrase 'Eleftheria I Thanatos' which means Freedom or Death, some people say they are intended to symbolize the nine letters of the Greek word 'freedom' (eleftheria). A third theory states that the stripes derive from the nine Muses of Greek mythology. However, there is a consensus on chosen colors, which symbolize the colors of the Greek sky and sea.

 

The current Greek national flag was adopted in 1978 and is used on both land and sea is also the war and civil ensign, replacing all other designs surviving until that time.

 

To learn more about the national flag of Greece, please visit: Wikipedia

To safeguard goods produced in the Region of Macedonia, Greece presented a new official trademark and is preparing to submit it to EUIPO, the European Union’s Intellectual Property Office, in Alicante, Spain. The new trademark logo depicts a capital ‘M,’ and the motto “The GReat Land” in blue and white and aims to address potential trade name rights infringement.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attended the presentation of the trademark in Thessaloniki and expressed his confidence that local producers will embrace it. “The new logo that will accompany Macedonian products across the globe offers a unique identity to the products produced on Macedonian land. An identity that points to the glorious past and paves the way for an optimistic future,” he stated through his twitter account.

Over 2,000 Greek businesses have already expressed interest in obtaining the EU trademark.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

 

Every year Condé Nast Traveler magazine, one of the most prestigious and reliable travel publications in the world, calls on their readers to take part in a survey to discover the best of the best in the travel industry. The best hotels, resorts, travel agents, cruise lines, trains, airlines, airports, islands, and of course, the best countries in the world are published every year! For the 32nd annual Readers' Choice Awards survey, a record 600,000 registered voters weighed in, and their responses formed this years' list. 

For the first time, the National Theatre of Greece is staging Carlo Goldoni’s timeless and highly topical comedy, The new house, in which the innovative Italian playwright’s main themes are the pre-eminence of money, middle-class anxiety, and the pitfalls of keeping up appearances.

As the director, Giannis Skourletis, notes: “This dream house is made to be lived in, but the trumping of the collective good by selfishness means that it will never be inhabited. Goldoni’s characters, narcissists and hypocrites to the end, are made to wander like dispossessed shadows in this most tragic comedy of loneliness.”

Newlyweds Anzoletto and Cecilia are preparing to move into the marital home. Cecilia is fussy, and loves luxury and elegance, while the penniless Anzoletto, who is madly in love with her, cannot keep up with her demands. As he runs himself ragged, the vital issues at the heart of the play are revealed.

Schedule

Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 20:30
Wednesdays, Sundays at 19:00

Cast (in alphabetical order)

Haris Andrianos, Antonis Antonopoulos, Angelos Apostolidis, Thanasis Dimou, Antonis Gritsis, Tasos Karahalios, Ioanna Kolliopoulou, Dennis Makris, Vasilis Mihas, Maria Panourgia, Evi Saoulidou, Penelope Tsilika, Stella Vogiatzaki, Polydoros Vogiatzis

BOX OFFICES

ZILLER BUILDING, 22-24 Agiou Konstantinou Str.
Wednesday to Sunday 9:30-21:30

REX THEATRE 48 Panepistimiou Str.
Tuesday: 9:00-16:30
Wednesday to Sunday 9:30-21:30

The magic of a Dickensian Christmas returns to the NTG from November 15 to April 12, this time on the Main Stage, with A Christmas Carol directed by Giannis Moschos. This unique spectacle will capture the hearts of all those who are still able to see the world through the innocent eyes of a child and enter the world of dreams and the imagination. Ebenezer Scrooge believes in strict discipline and hard work and disapproves of Christmas.

But this year he has to re-evaluate his life and the people around him when forced to confront his past, present and future by three ghostly apparitions. Will the hard-hearted Scrooge be moved by the holiday spirit?  And if he is, then who can possibly resist it?

Schedule
Wednesdays at 19:00
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 20:30
Sundays at 17:30
With surtitles in English (Wednesday to Sunday)

Cast (in alphabetical order)
Aliki Alexandraki, Stella Antipa, Evangelia Karakatsani, Ariadni Kavalierou, Laertis Malkotsis,
Christina Maxouri, Zoe Mylona, Alexandros Mylonas, Panagiotis Panagopoulos, Vasilis
Papadimitriou, Christos Stergioglou, Paris Thomopoulos, Giorgos Tzavaras, Melina Vampoula,
Kostas Vasardanis, Thanasis Vlavianos


BOX OFFICES

ZILLER BUILDING, 22-24 Agiou Konstantinou Str.
Wednesday to Sunday 9:30-21:30

REX THEATRE 48 Panepistimiou Str.
Tuesday: 9:00-16:30
Wednesday to Sunday 9:30-21:30

TICKET SERVICES Pesmazoglou Arcade – 39 Panepistimiou Str.
Monday/ Wednesday: 9:00-17:00
Tuesday/ Thursday/ Friday: 9:00-20:00
Saturday: 10:00-14:00

 

 

The Hotel Grande Bretagne has been included, one more year, among the Best Hotels in the World according to the well-known publication of Condé Nast Traveler magazine, as voted by its readers. The King George Hotel is also an honoree in the 2019 list for the second time.

Specifically, the distinguished publication of Condé Nast Traveler has selected the two most luxurious and historical hotels in Athens among the top 10 hotels in Greece and Turkey. The renowned “Readers’ Choice Awards” has honoured 1,800 winners, selected by more than 600,000 registered readers taking part in the 2019 Readers’ Choice Survey, voting for the best cities, islands, hotels and transportation in the world. The awards will be published in the November 2019 issue of the famous magazine.

Having received these important distinctions, Hotels Grande Bretagne and King George are committed to continue delivering exceptional, indigenous experiences for their guests. Both Hotels have the best location in the heart of Athens with spectacular views to the Acropolis and set a significant example in the international hotel industry, offering exceptional services and memorable experiences.

 

The first, and only, purely English comedy club in Greece is a reality!

Is the Athens comedy scene “all Greek” to you? Are you Greek and want to flex your English speaking muscles before the next tourist season? Do you want to try your hand at stand up in English? We are here for YOU!

The Athens English Comedy Club brings you visiting international comedians and local acts every first Sunday of the month, right in the heart of Athens. For our December show we bring you not, 1, not 2, not 3, but 10 comedians in what is the Athens English Comedy Club’s first showcase show!

10 comedians, 5 minutes each. Can you even handle so much humor in one night? (We think you can, but challenge you anyway).

MC: Dimitri Doukoglou.

Comedians (in alphabetical order):

Konstantinos Bouras-Baimakos
Dimitris Christodoulou
Xrysa Katsarini
Athina Kefalopoulou
Blink Mike
Dimitra Nikitea
Paris Roupos
Alex Titkov
Odysseas Deniz Ürem
Thomas Zabras

To learn more information click HERE!  We’ll be posting more details as we count-down to the show!  
 

Come and laugh! Nay! Come and chortle. Or better yet, guffaw!

Time: 21:15 (Doors open at 20:30)
Duration: 80 mins without interval
Where: Eliart Theater, Konstantinoupoleos 127 (Kerameikos metro station)
The theater is wheelchair accessible
Reservations: 6987994689 // athensenglishcomedyclub@gmail.com

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XpatAthens is proud to be a Media Sponsor of The Athens English Comedy Club

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It seems like Greece is finally moving toward a smoke-free future. Earlier this week, the Ministry of Health officially presented the National Action Plan Against Smoking.

During the presentation, the prime minister stated: "The smoking ban is a bold initiative to protect public health. A symbolic move to modernise and refine our daily lives. But it is also an exercise in mutual respect that ultimately strengthens social cohesion."

The Greek administration sympathizes with the 84% of citizens who consider the failure to implement anti-smoking laws a "cultural degradation" and the 76% who declare themselves outraged.

"We are responding to this displeasure with a national strategy and a strict ban on smoking in public spaces, in private work areas, in spaces where there are children, in cars where children are passengers...but also with a good and extremely inventive information and awareness campaign. Our aim is not to divide but an alliance for health. To highlight the individual responsibility that will lead to collective harmony." he said.

Health Unites us: Alliance For A Better Life Without Smoking

The anti-smoking campaign, whose central message is "Health unites us: Alliance for a better life without smoking" marks the start of a nationwide effort, which is also back by strict fines.

The campaign focuses on 4 lines of action

1. Creating a non-smoking culture that emphasizes on prevention.
2. Respect for non-smokers.
3. Care for smokers by increasing medical support for stopping smoking.
4. Evaluating new tobacco products and regulating their circulation on the market.
   
   

Finally, an anti-smoking g information and support hotline has come into operation since Tuesday. By calling 1142, citizens can learn more about the anti-smoking law and what it entails, get help to quit smoking, and report any anti-smoking law violations.


To read more about the anti-smoking campaign, please visit: AMNA

The AWOG City Center Night Area in collaboration with the Cube Athens, will be co-hosting a presentation on Domestic Violence on Tuesday, November 26, at the Cube Athens.

Violence against women and girls is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in our world today. It remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.

November 25 has been designated by the U.N. as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. In 1991, an international campaign was initiated to raise awareness, the ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence’ that runs from November 25 to December 10, which has been designated as Human Rights Day by the U.N.

To commemorate the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and in support of this year's 16 Days to End Violence Against Women and Girls Campaign, we invite you to join us at our presentation with three prominent guests speakers: Criminologist Dr. Maria Alvanou (International Research Doctorate in Criminology), the President of The Social Welfare Center of the Prefecture of Attiki, Sophia Konstantellia and Police Major General Former Director of the Operations Center of GADA, Dimitris Dimitriou.

In addition, all attendees will take turns reading the Articles from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The presentation will be made in Greek with English Translation followed by questions & answers.

The event is free and open to members and friends of AWOG