Dave's Travel Pages

Greek Island Hopping | Greece Travel Itineraries | Bicycle Touring

Travel Tips, Itineraries and Guides to Greece, Europe and beyond!

  • Greece Travel
  • Greek Islands
  • Athens
  • Santorini
  • Mykonos
  • Bike Touring

Last Updated On January 5, 2022 by Dave Briggs 11 Comments

Athens Polytechnic Graffiti – Mysterious Graffiti Appears Overnight

The Athens Polytechnic graffiti that appeared overnight on the exterior of the building on the 6th of March 2015 made the national news. It might not be there for long, so here are some photos before they are erased forever.

Athens Polytechnic Graffiti Photo

Athens Polytechnic Graffiti Photos – Outside

Athens polytechnic graffiti

It seems likely that the exterior of the building will be cleaned, if it is even possible, over the coming weeks.

Athens Poly Graffiti

How they managed to create this without anyone noticing is something else.

 

Athens Polytechnic Street Art

In Athens, the street artists are amazingly creative. The Athens Polytechnic and the surrounding Exarchia area are at the heart of this.

It is a breeding ground for the political and social alternative, and this has for a long time been expressed on the interior of the polytechnic. The inside is covered in graffiti. But never before the outside.

Inside Athens Polytechnic University

Athens polytechnic graffiti

The inside of the Athens Polytechnic has long been covered in graffiti.

Athens Polytechnic University graffiti Boyda

No one is likely to remove the Athens polytechnic graffiti from inside.

Athens poly graffiti

The Athens Poly seems to be a law unto itself.

Graffiti on a door at Athens PolytechnicWelcome to Athens Polytechnic!

On the 6th March the outside of the building was sprayed. It provoked calls of vandalism from some corners. It embodied a bigger political statement from others. How it was created without anyone either noticing at the time, or even caring, is probably equally important.

The result was, that a national monument had been defaced. And yet the truth is, the interior of the polytechnic had been this way for some while.

What was the difference now? Why was this act significant? Is society happy for people to express themselves as long as they do it privately? Or is this a bigger political statement?

Athens Polytechnic inside

Interested in finding out more about Athens? Check out these other Athens blog posts:

  • 2 Days in Athens
  • Athens in March
  • Ancient Athens
  • The Ancient Agora of Athens
  • The Panathenaic Stadium in Athens
  • Walking tours in Athens
  • Museums in Athens
  • Athens inside tips
  • Exploring Alternative Athens

Filed Under: Athens

Comments

  1. Natalie says

    March 23, 2015 at 7:16 am

    I actually like it!

    Reply
  2. Vicky and Buddy says

    March 16, 2015 at 1:43 am

    Wow! That’s so crazy! Street artists can be so creative. And quick!

    Reply
  3. Izabela says

    March 15, 2015 at 8:45 pm

    Well, probably I’m in the minority but I would say that (unfortunately) most of the graffiti are simply… ugly. I’d really prefer to see nice, plain or colorful walls in a neat city rather than a content of rather questionable quality…

    Reply
  4. Raphael Alexander Zoren says

    March 15, 2015 at 7:15 pm

    I really love the street art of Athens! It’s a city with so much life!

    Reply
  5. Dave Briggs says

    March 15, 2015 at 5:15 pm

    I think how they did it so quickly without anyone noticing is incredible! The street art here is some of the best I’ve seen… if you head back this way, be sure to check it out!

    Reply
  6. Yvonne says

    March 15, 2015 at 6:57 pm

    I am on the fence on graffiti. Sometimes it really does add something to the murals, but other times it just looks messy and ugly.

    Reply
  7. Sue Reddel says

    March 15, 2015 at 2:39 am

    How unusual. The creativity is inspiring. But the graffiti on the public buildings? Just doesn’t seem right.

    Reply
  8. Meg @ Mapping Megan says

    March 15, 2015 at 12:03 am

    Interesting – thanks for posting this and offering a new perspectove – that’s some impressive work to have just popped up overnight! I’m constantly amazed at the skill of graffiti artists, though to do something of this scale and overnight when I’m assuming there wasn’t much light, that’s even more so.

    Funny how it’s either art or vandalism depending on who you ask!

    Reply
  9. Toni | 2 Aussie Travellers says

    March 14, 2015 at 11:51 pm

    Amazing that they managed to paint that in one night and without anyone noticing. It looks really good, like art not the destructive tagging and graffiti seen in so many cities.

    Reply
  10. Jennifer says

    March 14, 2015 at 11:00 pm

    I visited Greece recently and really enjoyed the street art. It was actually interesting meeting an actual street artist there who hated street art that was more accessible – images that spoke to everyone rather than a play on letters that spoke only to other graffiti artists. A debate within a debate within a debate.

    Reply
  11. Fiona says

    March 14, 2015 at 10:19 pm

    Fabulous graffiti! We have some wonderful street art in the East End of London these days but I haven’t seen anything like that

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Dave’s Travel Blog

Dave Briggs, writer at Dave's Travel Pages

On this travel site, you'll find detailed guides and tips on traveling to Greece, as well as bikepacking blogs about cycling around the world. Dave's Travel Pages is an essential resource for planning trips to popular destinations like the Greek islands as well as preparing for adventures in off the beaten path destinations.

Find out more about Dave Briggs and this blog by clicking here

Recent Travel Posts

  • Can you bring spices on a plane?
  • River Captions And Quotes That Flow Beautifully!
  • What Are Bike Tire Caps And Do You Need Them?
  • Songs About Bicycles

Dave’s Travel Pages has a number of affiliate links placed within the travel blog. If you decide to buy items through these links, you will be helping Dave to fund this site and perhaps the next adventure. More importantly, it doesn’t cost you anything extra. Win win – we like that!

Dave’s Travel Blog Privacy Policy

Read our privacy policy here

You might also be interested in:

  • Travel by Bicycle
  • Travel Quotes
  • Travel to Athens
  • Greece Travel Guides
  • Dave’s Santorini Travel Guide

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Europe Travel Blogs
  • Asia Travel Blogs
  • Americas Travel Blogs

"Copyright Dave's Travel Pages (c) 2005- - 2022 "