“The young drummer of Messolonghi” gazes at the Acropolis from the 13th Primary School of Athens in Mets, as part of the program of four public art murals entitled: “From the Roots to the Sky”, implemented by the Municipality of Athens and Urban Act, with the participation of renown Street Art artists.
The school mural in Mets, inspired by the work of the German painter Johann Georg Christian Perlberg, entitled “The young drummer of Messolonghi” (or “the Drums of the War of Independence”), is hosted in the courtyard of the 13th Primary School of Athens and created by the street artist SAME84.
In this third mural, which is also part of the public art murals program of the Municipality of Athens, the artist used a mixed technique of spray and acrylic paints to freely render the work on an impressively large scale as if he were presenting it on canvas. “Through my work, I wanted to depict the revolution, as I would like it to be nowadays: A young man is setting the pace,” the artist pointed out in a brief message.
The 2021 program was implemented on the walls of four school buildings in Athens and was dedicated to “the 200th anniversary of Greek Independence Day”. The artists drew inspiration from influential personalities who stood out and whose efforts and actions contributed to the country’s cohesion, hope, and future development.
The public wall paintings were realized with the support of the Greek Vechro and Flame paint companies and LIFO Magazine as a communication sponsor.
“The Municipality of Athens will continue introducing contemporary art to the urban landscape, implementing a dynamic public murals program in the new year. Through this “open” form of art, our goal is to introduce more colour, beauty and quality to public space, focusing not only on the city centre but on the neighbourhoods too“, stressed the Mayor of Athens, Kostas Bakoyannis, in a statement.
The program, implemented by Culture is Athens, is part of the 3-year project of the Municipality of Athens, aiming to upgrade, promote and integrate the city’s cultural fabric, and support artists and workers in the cultural sector. The project, in the context of which a total of seven wall paintings were completed, was designed and supervised by Katerina Koskina, art historian and Advisor to the Mayor of Athens in the field of Culture.
Web: www.cityofathens.gr