Iakovos Volkov

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.

Iakovos Volkov

Friday, December 26, 2014

it has been a long time...

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

must do something in the streets... i apologise for this...

Sunday, October 26, 2014

exploring in Athens...

Saturday, October 11, 2014

my first official solo exhibition...

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

probably the most beautiful ''looks like'' abandoned place in Thessaloniki owned by Zafiridis family but you can still enter if you know the security guard...

Thursday, September 18, 2014

call me a toy...

Saturday, September 6, 2014

sometimes i think ''if she is alone''...

Monday, August 25, 2014

experimenting with syringes, next time better...

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

commissioned work for the Museum of Photography Thessaloniki during the 43th Olympus Festival ( and as part of the PhotoBiennale ) that took place in the Mediterranean Mosaics Centre in Dion...