Athens’ Inventive Minds: A Journey Alongside 7 Young Creatives

Εrmis

Music artist

Ermis, 29, writes authentic music that ranges from cinematic scores to pop songs streamed hundreds of thousands of occasions on Spotify, and from orchestral themes for the campaigns of the Greek Nationwide Tourism Organisation to refreshing new preparations of basic Greek songs, reminiscent of these of Harris Alexiou. On the airport you might need been greeted by his “Cantada” or “42”. It’s additionally potential that you simply noticed a video selling Greek summer season tourism with the candy sound of his composition “Oinousses” as its soundtrack.

Ermis lives within the southern suburbs of Athens, and takes a each day morning dip on one of many seashores of the Athenian Riviera. The sound of the ocean evokes him, discovering its manner into his addictive music. “Music sweetens our experiences, however I consider that essentially the most lovely moments are these the place even music is pointless: walks by way of the beautiful lanes of Anafiotika in Plaka, the place you’re feeling you’re on a Cycladic island, or a night tour of the Observatory on the Hill of the Nymphs, with brilliant stars above.” -Vlasis Kostouros

Spotify: Ermis | Instagram: @ermismusic

Eftihia Stefanidi

Photographer and inventive director

Eftihia is a photographer and the artistic director and co-creator of the boutique accommodations Mona and Shila. For Stefanidi, it’s necessary that Athens, her house, nonetheless maintains a love of group and a need to protect conventional crafts, notions that match properly with its respect for a top quality of life that many different locations appear to have left behind. There’s additionally a way of freedom to town, she feels, that goes hand in hand with an enormously interesting sense of spontaneity.

She enjoys town’s diversified structure and the truth that it might provide each cultural rewards and escapist aid in equal measures: “You’ll be able to actually be transported from the middle to the seaside in brief order, making it really feel as if you happen to’re on an island as a substitute of a metropolis.” Solely a bit additional out than these seashores lies the Temple of Poseidon in Cape Sounion. “You’ll be able to mix a go to to this magical place with a swim in one of many close by coves.” Inside the metropolis itself, there’s one other sort of magic: “A stroll by way of the outdated elements of town middle is an act of romance. Observe that with a film at one of many open-air cinemas, and you’ve got an important summer season outing.” -Nena Dimitriou

Instagram: @eftihia

Markellos Polydorou

Clothier

The high fashion creations of designer Markellos Polydorou impressed singer-songwriter Risn Murphy a lot that she selected a surprising yellow costume from his assortment for her Athens live performance just a few years in the past. After ending his Grasp’s diploma in Vogue Design on the Polytechnic College of Milan, Polydorou moved to Amsterdam, working for a yr alongside the legendary Iris Van Herpen. After gaining a wealth of expertise, he returned to Athens and opened a studio on Filopappou Hill, one of the vital fascinating neighborhoods in Athens. “There I design my collections and undertake customized orders. My designs have subversive cuts and geometric shapes, and spotlight particular elements of the physique. The purpose is for my garments to flatter the lady who wears them and permit her to precise herself as she needs,” he says.

His return to Athens was fueled by his love for town. “The contrasts in Athens imply that I by no means get bored. Its charming anarchy is refreshing.” Summer season in Athens for Polydorou means: “Afternoon hikes on Mt Imittos, the closest inexperienced house to the middle of Athens, or Sunday visits to museums such because the Nationwide Museum of Modern Artwork.” The liberty he feels in Athens, he says, helps to convey out his finest self. “The Greek mild, the nice and cozy individuals, the smells of Greek delicacies, the ocean… the whole lot helps me uncover who I’m and fills me with inspiration.” -Vlasis Kostouros

Instagram: @markellospolydorou

Eva Papadaki

Founder and managing director of 10AM Lofts

There’s one thing fascinating taking place almost day-after-day at 10AM Lofts, a multi-purpose hub in Gazi created by Eva Papadaki, who remodeled an outdated warehouse into a middle open to creatives in promoting, movie and digital content material, an alternate multi-purpose house that has up to now hosted such necessary personalities as Giorgos Lanthimos – he accomplished the enhancing of “Poor Issues” right here – and Marina Abramovic, who rehearsed her efficiency “As One” on this house. The hub additionally hosts artwork exhibitions, photographic productions, non-public dinners, dwell music performances, pop-up shops, workshops and artist residencies. Within the basement of the constructing might be discovered the middle’s most up-to-date enterprise, 10AM Apotheke, a big house with a variety of conventional merchandise – frankincense; candles with pure honeycomb sourced from a monastery on Mount Athos; pure soaps; herbs; and olive oil – in addition to ceramic objects by Greek and international artists. “I wish to provide a particular purchasing expertise by way of merchandise that join with the senses and with reminiscence, engendering recollections of a purer time,” 10AM Loft’s founder says.

Papadaki loves Athens for its heterogeneous character, on show at its finest in Gazi. “I believe that is the place the capital’s repute as a ‘metropolis of contrasts’ is finest captured. Apart from, how will you not be impressed day-after-day by a metropolis that doesn’t narrate its previous, however accommodates it, like a hand accommodates its strains? I’m by no means bored right here.” Among the many many issues that retains boredom at bay are the exhibitions at studios reminiscent of Theodore Psychoyos’. She’s additionally fast to reward town’s nice eateries and its great close by seashores, just like the one at Aghios Nikolaos Anavissos, an enthralling spot simply 90 minutes from downtown. -Nena Dimitriou

→ Instagram: @ev_pap

Dimitra Louana Marlanti & Alexandros Kalogiros

Homeowners of PHON

Dimitra Louana Marlanti studied structure on the Polytechnical College of Milan, and style communication and advertising on the Instituto Europeo di Design in the identical metropolis. Her shopper roster has included famend manufacturers reminiscent of Gucci, Fendi, Ferragamo and Zara. Alexandros Kalogiros spent most of his working life in Rome earlier than shifting again to Athens in 2021. He labored at Riccardo Ruini and Olivia Mariotti Studio and as an unbiased artwork director, collaborating with prestigious manufacturers that included Bulgari, Valentino and Ferragamo.

Their new three way partnership PHON is a perfumery and flower retailer in Athens. Each month, the store gives a number of bouquets composed by famend designers and artists. A number of artworks from upcoming ceramists, painters, sculptors and photographers are additionally on show on the retailer, which is situated in Kolonaki, slightly below Lycabettus Hill. Marlanti and Kalogiros advocate that guests to town discover the slopes and benefit from the vistas from the summit of this iconic city peak: “Gazing down upon the cityscape, which stretches all the way in which right down to Piraeus and the ocean, is an expertise you’ll keep in mind.” One other vacation spot they’d counsel to vacationers is the Vorres Museum of People and Modern Artwork. “With its assortment of over 6,000 items, this museum showcases a outstanding mix of conventional and trendy artwork.” -Nena Dimitriou

Instagram: @phaon.athens

Noura Djurić

Painter

Noura Djuric is a 25-year-old Serbian-Moroccan painter working primarily with oil portray and drawing. In her Athens studio – she additionally lives and works in Paris a part of the yr – a customer can discover portraits which method the sense of self by masking topics reminiscent of intimacy, physique reminiscence and tenderness. She’s presently engaged on an upcoming Athens exhibition; her final three reveals came about in Brussels and Paris, however she needs to indicate these works in Athens first: “They’ve been strongly impressed by the surroundings right here.”

Djuric loves town: “I’m very keen on the kafeneia (conventional espresso retailers), the hills, the church buildings, the structure and the older retailers, however what I like most about Athens is its individuals.” She identifies a strong vitality within the youth and the way in which younger individuals categorical themselves. “I like the way in which individuals work together right here; I discover that the connections are very pure.”

A must-see in Athens for her is the Nationwide Archaeological Museum. In relation to artwork galleries she suggests visits to The Breeder, the Rebecca Camhi and the Alkinois galleries. “For an outing past downtown, I’d advocate a tour of the Piraeus artwork galleries, adopted by dinner on the fish taverna Yperokeanio,” Djuric says. -Giorgos Psomiadis

Instagram: @nouradjuric_