Iakovos Volkov: magazine

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Thursday, September 23, 2021

the seven samurai...

I discovered the existence of this small mag. around in 2009. Most of the artworks (70%) have been made in 2001 but the mag. was printed in 2006. The abandoned place is the very known chemical factory Diana in Thessaloniki. The reason it was made is the wall from the protagonist of the movie The Seven Samurai. It was printed by the municipality of Stavroupoli in 2000 copies. Some small poems are included too. This is the only one that is left.

about this diary

I started painting graffiti on walls when I was 15 and living in Thessaloniki. Over time, my thoughts about art evolved. I began creating installations in deteriorating areas of the city, mainly in abandoned factories. Since moving to Athens in 2014, I have frequently been invited to participate in gallery and museum exhibitions. For these venues I created sculptures that were site specific, independent freestanding works or pieces that could be installed on a gallery wall.

Primarily I work with discarded things - plastic, clothes, textiles and everyday items are my basic materials nowadays. I see value in things overlooked by others. Flowing from my history as a graffiti artist, I began building word sculptures. More recently I have also explored working abstractly, building objects and installations focused on composition and materials.

I deeply feel one can create meaningful work from small, ordinary things found abandoned on the street. Carefully observing my environment and experimenting with discovered materials, I construct meaning from the discarded, meticulously reconfiguring what society has worn out and broken. I restore life into forgotten places with what I have saved, giving a reason to consider places no longer noticed. For me, this work is essential.