
In the historic centre of Athens, the façade of an old building at 24 Lekka Street has been given a new lease of life and colour, thanks to the cooperation between the Embassy of Israel in Athens and the Municipality of Athens. On Sunday, October 10, in the presence of the Mayor of Athens, Mr Kostas Bakoyannis and the Ambassador of Israel to Greece, Mr Yossi Amrani, the new façade, painted by the Israeli artist Adi Ioshpe, was unveiled. Her work entitled “Waves” won the open call “Israel – Greece, common values”, in which participated Israeli artists only.
The project was selected by a joint committee of the Municipality of Athens, the Embassy of Israel and the building owners from dozens of proposed ideas. According to the artist, her work reflects the perpetual movement and the movement of people from place to place.
In his greeting, Israel’s Ambassador to Greece, Yossi Amrani, noted that “the mural in the heart of Athens is another example of the creative cooperation between Israel and Greece”, adding that “Israeli tourists visiting the Greek capital will not only enjoy another artistic experience but will also see a reminder of the long-standing friendship between the two countries and peoples”.
The Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, having thanked the exceptional painter for her work, which aesthetically highlights one of the most central parts of the city, stressed that this contemporary piece of art “seals the close, substantial and productive cooperation between the Embassy of Israel in Greece and the Municipality of Athens. Our cultural ties, our intercultural exchanges, build “bridges” of cooperation, understanding and friendship, from the bottom up. It could not be otherwise. We are two peoples, two ancient civilizations with a long history, roots and a common tradition. Culture is the ideal means of communication. It breaks down walls, transcends barriers, and responds best to fanaticism, intolerance and hatred.
Adi Ioshpe was born in 1998 and studies at the Bezalel Academy of Fine Arts in Jerusalem. Presenting her work, she said: “When I started thinking about my idea for the project, the first thing that came to mind was the colors of the flags of Israel and Greece – blue and white. I wanted to give a sense of movement, of airy motion – like the sea waves hitting the shoreline, the clouds in the sky, also giving space to the emptiness and the in-between spaces whose borders are defined by what’s present.”
Credits:
Adi Ioshpe: Painter
Production Executive: UrbanAct
Commissioning and production: Embassy of Israel and Municipality of Athens
Date:
Mon, 11/10/2021 – 17:00
Web: www.cityofathens.gr
- 31 January 2022