The adventure of the “Runner” of Athens: The great “journey” until he reaches the Hilton.
The impressive glass sculpture by Kostas Varotsos is a landmark for Athens.
THE “Runner», The imposing glass sculpture by Kostas Varotsos, where since 1995 dominates opposite the Hilton Hotel, in the square of the Great School of the Nation, was cleansed and shone again, under the sun of the Attic sky or reflecting the lights of night Athens.
The story of the “Runner”
The impressive anthropomorphic sculpture crafted him August 1988 and was placed in Omonia square, at the top of the pyramidal fountain that existed then. The imposing work, height 8 meters, is constructed of glass (favorite material of Varotsos) and iron and was created in the context of the artistic action “EventsOrganized by the Municipality of Athens during the mayoralty of Miltiadis Evert, on his own initiative Deputy Mayor for Culture Stavros Xarchakos.
The “Runner” was destined to stay on the spot for a month -that is, as long as the “Events” lasted – however, the impression it caused was so great that it encouraged me and Melina Mercouri, she decided to stay on the spot.
The “Runner” was a shock to the city. Quickly became a point of reference in Athens, while it was one of the few times that while the public enthusiastically accepted and supported a sculpture of contemporary art, its system spoke ill of the work. As the artist himself has stated, due to “Dromeas” he was forced to leave Greece, but thus starting his international career.
The “Runner” who in the beginning was a “Stranger”
As revealed by Costas Varotsos, the original name of the sculpture was “Xenos”, a name inspired by its creator. That is, a passer-by of the modern urban landscape who comes and goes quickly almost like a ghost. Varotsos’s source of inspiration for the sculpture was the thousands of people who come and go from Omonia Square. However, Evert and Xarchakos considered the “Runner” a better name, something that perfectly represents the posture of the sculpture, suggesting a forward movement. The “Runner” is the composition of fragments in one motion.
The construction and installation of a project of this size in the center of the mall, was particularly complex and difficult for the 80’s, as there are no technological means that exist today. Also for its construction, the artist followed the same technique with which he had created the work “Poet” in Nicosia in 1983.
The “journey” of the “Runner”
The “Runner” remained in Omonia Square for about five years, that is until work began on the construction of the metro station in 1993. The sculpture was redesigned, faced its stability and stability problems and was placed in a new part of the city. From May 1994 until today, the “Runner” adorns the Great School Square across from the Hilton, that is, at the junction of Vasilissis Sofias Avenue with Vassileos Konstantinou Avenue.
The proposal for the transfer of the “Runner” to Skopje
In March 2019, in the framework of the Prespa agreement, the then Minister of Culture, Myrsini, Zorba proposed to Costas Varotsos that the work be moved to Skopje and replaced by a statue of Alexander the Great from Skopje, as a sign of reconciliation between the two states. . . Varotsos, who owns the copyright to the sculpture, rejected the proposal, replying that the sculpture could not leave the Greek capital for many reasons and so the “Runner” remained in Athens. It is noted that Myrsini Zorba had denied the allegations of the artist, stating that no proposal had ever been made to transfer the sculpture to Skopje.
The … bathroom of “Dromeas”
The “Runner” cleaned after 7 years. The last time it was cleaned was in 2014. And this time, like the previous ones (in 2003, 2012 and 2014), preceded by a laboratory test to ensure the best possible result, while the method emerged after a study by the University of Stuttgart.
As for the process itself, the sculpture was initially sprayed with foamers for more than 4 hours, during which time it was kept in a moist environment so that it did not dry out at any point. In the second phase, the “Runner” was rinsed with water at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius and with measured pressure, so as not to cause damage, while at the end it was rinsed again with deionized water to avoid spots from salts on the glass surfaces. The required cleaning process lasted over 15 hours, in the presence of its sculptor and creator, Costa Varotsou.
In the near future, with the actions of the Municipality of Athens, restoration works of the glass pieces will follow, as well as a static check of the sculpture, while a relevant documentation issue and a digital three-dimensional imprint of the sculpture will emerge.
The symbolic meaning of “Runner”
The “Runner” was “born” in the city, expressing Athens itself. He defined the artist himself and an entire era. The imposing sculpture symbolizes the man who leaves one place to reach another. We are all runners with goals and dreams that move to achieve this journey of life, full of starting points and destinations.
The “Runner” talks about us, our life, identifies with our existential being and with the very course of life … forward …
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