Konstantin Kakanias dons an activist hat for his new exhibition using whimsical drawings and ceramic tiles laced with sardonic humour to engage in one of the world's most captivating cultural debates, the Return of the Parthenon Marbles. In the few brief meetings I’ve had with Konstantin Kakanias, it’s always been frenzied, hi...
Read moreIsabelle Merminod and Tim Baster capture the callisthenic poetry of French artist Chloé Moglia whose perches over her six-metre high metal frame can only be described as ‘suspension in disbelief’. Dangling, with no nets, from a bar that barely snakes its way around her body, Moglia relies only on her coarse, callused hands and strong arms...
Read moreMatt Stanley, who penned three crime thrillers under the pseudonym James McCreet, writes his tenth book, A Collar for Cerebrus, under his real name, in a style far-removed from the blood and gore of his Victorian mysteries. In a long, candid interview with Sudha Nair-Iliades, he confesses that this insightful opus is an ode to his beloved...
Read moreJohn Zervos pays tribute to Philip Kerr, a master of historical detective fiction, and the creator of Bernie Gunther, one of the most endearing, wisecracking detectives in crime writing. In his last book, Greeks Bearing Gifts, published a week after his death in March this year, Kerr leaves behind a compelling spy novel that moves swiftly...
Read moreCorfiot resident and cross-culture explorer Richard Pine thinks laterally about the identity debate that has preoccupied much of Greece and suggests embracing a mindful middleway. We should be celebrating much more, and stop feeling sorry for ourselves. Aristotle must take much of the blame for our current gloom. His idea, tha...
Read moreFrom Iraq to Morroco to Eritrea, the Athens 2018 Refugee Food Festival is bringing international flavours to Greek cuisine, promising a week of culinary experiments and cross-cultural discussion. Meet the six chefs involved in this year's festival. MAHBOUBEH TAVIKOLI Cooking Iranian cuisine at Seychelles restaurant (Athens, Gre...
Read moreTo celebrate its National Day in style on June 6, the Swedish Embassy in Athens hosts Jarnna from Sapmi, a band that sculpts sound which simultaneously exalts and transcends tradition. Deeply rooted in old sami jojk traditions, the band's music establishes a mellow, meditative mood that is at once modern, timeless and suggestive, evocativ...
Read moreKonstantinos Kakanias is back with Mrs. Tependris, his eccentric protagonist in a provocative socio-political exhibition, That's Mine Bitch, Don't Touch Her. Back Off! at the Rebecca Camhi Gallery and at The Kalfayan Gallery. In an interview with Athens Insider in 2012, Kakanias confessed how ‘growing up as a gay boy in Greece, in the ‘60...
Read moreFashion high priestess Suzy Menkes once described him as the man who “turned Grecian folds into 21st-century clothes” and his effortlessly fluid designs are anchored on the principles of complex simplicity and impeccable technique. Angelos Bratis – who worked alongside the likes of Vionnet as head designer and was hand-picked by Giorgio A...
Read moreFor almost two decades, the prolific Irish journalist and author Richard Pine was a 'pen pal' to literary legend Lawrence Durrell. The two writers were united in their passion for words but also shared an unshakeable bond with Corfu. Here, Richard Pine - who has just edited a previously unpublished novel of Lawrence Durrell’s set entirel...
Read moreJohn Zervos’ mid-century Spetses was a Spetses of shipping tycoons, Russian ballet legends, kings and presidents. Here, he shares with Insider his enduring impressions of his boarding school days at the Saronic island’s infamous Anargyrios College, which was modelled on Eton and immortalized in John Fowles' classic 'The Magus'. ...
Read moreHe’s been dubbed The Greek Gatsby for his glamorous lifestyle and stellar A-list parties. But it’s in changing the shape and flavour of Athens’ entertainment landscape that Chrysanthos Panas will leave his true legacy, as Amanda Dardanis discovers. Accompanying Chrysanthos Panas for a stroll around his Athens stomping ground i...
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