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Athens is Paradise for Graffiti Artists

Athens, Greece

Graffiti in Athens

Photo by David Coleman

Greece // Athens Greece· street art Location: [post_gps_latitude], [post_gps_longitude]

The Greek economy might be tanking, but at least one group is thriving in Athens: graffiti artists. It has been suggested that Athens might be the best place in the world to be a graffiti artist right now. Or, as one of the practitioners puts it, “a little paradise for the graffiti artists.”

The city is in the middle of a graffiti epidemic. It’s a combination of high youth unemployment and underemployment, a general sense of unrest, and authorities being stretched too thin to do much about it. Frankly, the police have bigger problems. The result is an artistic free-for-all on the city’s streets.

Whether you want to call them vandals or street artists, they’ve been busy. Not all of it is new, of course, but there’s an awful lot of fresh paint adorning the walls downtown in the past five years or so. Shops, homes, bus stops, and pretty much any other wall—except, notably, places that have high security like banks and government buildings (mostly)—are covered in paint. Relatively few walls are spared.

There’s the usual scratchy hit-and-run tagging, but there’s also quite a lot that has taken real thought and effort to pull off. Some of it is youthful rebellion, some of it is political expression, and some of it is art in its purest form. And, of course, it’s constantly morphing, with new paint going over old.

And some of it is quite beautiful. Here’s a small sampling. Credit and kudos to the artists, whoever you are.

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

Graffiti in Athens, Greece

Photo by David Coleman

There’s a very interesting short documentary on graffiti in Athens that shows some of the painters in action. It’s called Alive in the Concrete, and you can watch it online here.

Where to Next?

  • Graffiti in Lisbon Portugal
    Lisbon's Graffiti
  • Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Greece
    Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Greece
  • Fish Market at Dimotiki Agora (Public Market) in Athens, Greece
    The Dimotiki Agora in Athens
  • Antikythera Mechanism Exhibit at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece
    The Antikythera Mechanism, The World's Oldest Computer
  • Torre Latinoamericana
    Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City's Cathedral of Art
  • Brussels Royal Museums of Fine Arts Main Hall
    Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
  • Granada Municipal Cemetery
    Granada Cemetery
  • Blue Mosque Prayer Hall in Istanbul
    The Blue Mosque


Travel Advice for Greece

You can find the latest U.S. Department of State travel advisories and information for Greece (such as entry visa requirements and vaccination requirements) here.

The British and Australian governments offer their own country-specific travel information. You can find the British Government's travel advice for Greece here and the Australian Government's here.

Health & Vaccinations

The CDC makes country-specific recommendations for vaccinations and health for travelers. You can find their latest information for Greece here.

David Coleman Photography

I take photos. I travel. I write. I do it for a living. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between. You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com. Or check out what’s in my go-to travel photography kit. Or get in touch here.


Location: Athens
Country: Greece
Coordinates:
      Latitude: 37.97914669
      Longitude: 23.72660511

      # Athens Greece
      # street art



About David Coleman

I take photos. I travel. I write. I do it for a living.

I’m based in Washington, DC.

You can find my photography gear reviews and tips at havecamerawilltravel.com/photographer.

David Coleman Photography

I take photos. I travel. I write. I do it for a living. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between. You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com. Or check out what’s in my go-to travel photography kit. Or get in touch here.

Licensing & Prints

Looking for travel stock photos or prints? I might be able to help. You can search my collection here:

If you already have a buyer account with Alamy and would prefer to use that, you can search my images directly here.

Get in Touch

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Photos by David Coleman. Please contact me for licensing images.
All images are registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.


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