Lathos

Athens is full of graffitti and street art. Some is intriguing, some interesting and most of it is an eyesore, tags that don't mean anything except to those in the know.

 

One that keeps recurring is Vasanizome - I am being tortured which has been around for 2-3 years and which has always intrigued me: is s/he being tortured by love, or because of the economic situation? I always wonder.

The most common one, which is literally everywhere, is Wake up

This is an extended version in Exarheia opposite the Stigma Lab gallery

Lathos, the one above, I saw for the first time this summer on Pireos Street. Lathos means mistake, except that it is misspelt - it should be an omikron rather than omega. I have been trying to work out what exactly it is about since we arrived here almost five weeks ago and it is another one that I find intriguing.

When I read in Kathimerini that the gallery Stigma Lab in Exarheia had an exhibition based on the Lathos street artists, I decided to go and explore.

Stigma Lab is a gallery that is dedicated to street art and graffitti.

It is in a basement, so down the steps we went

One of the exhibition rooms is given over to the Lathos artists

a much more intricate rendering

The exhibition catalogue gave me a clue as to what it might mean. Lathos means mistake, but when used as an adjective the meaning can change to wrong. The title of the exhibition catalogue is wrong epoch/times.

Spot the word

and again

this time it's lathos as signature

the second exhibition room

I've seen a similar picture before and find the four eyes really disconcerting.

The yard at the back of the gallery

Finally, lots of spray cans for sale.