Iakovos Volkov: walls

Showing posts with label walls. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

a surprise...

in the outskirts of Athens. About 150km from the big city, we discovered a magnificent place. It looks like abandoned for few years but in use mostly the back part for stocklive or something even if we didnt meet anyone or anything. Some outdoor walls are already painted but inside is still virgin with some materials scattered. Definitely must visit it again in the near future if there is any left.

Monday, November 18, 2024

out of time...

Wanted to visit this place since 2014 but was not possible. Last days found out a new entrance and entered for the first time today. For almost two hours forgot all my issues and everything in general. One of the best abandoned factories ever visited. Next weekend plans to make some installations.

Thank you for the pics Ivana

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.