‘In Waiting,’ is an examination of Athens and its role as a physical stage for the economic crisis. Primarily, I am exploring the interiors of government buildings, institutions, and schools to question how these spaces reflect modern Greek culture and character. The locations I chose are familiar microcosms for Athenians that have now become the public stage for a forced re-negotiation of Greek identity.
Through this work I am also personally trying to rationalize how the deceptively tedious components of urban life factor into the economic crisis. I am specifically attracted to the kitsch aesthetic and surreal atmosphere I encounter in these spaces. These interiors also reveal an almost antiquated and bare aesthetic quality; they evoke in their décor a feeling of dependency on and idolization of the past.
The economic crisis has created a shock that ripples through social and physical structures and affects unpredictably the way we as Greeks perceive our surroundings. During the continuing thriller of monetary installments, the crisis is a reminder of the images of the city we really grew up with. Spaces, which once seemed banal or unimportant, now reveal nuances of Greek reality and have social and political implications. Like the Greek people, these places exist in anticipation of their future.
