WELCOME AND ENJOY THE RUINS - RESTORATION

Off-site project

Artist: Nektarios Pappas
Restoration: 2023
Mural: 2017
Opening: 29.06.2023, 18:00
Opening hours: Opening hours of the National Museum of Contemporary Art Αthens (EMST)
Location: Terrace of the National Museum of Contemporary Art Αthens (EMST), Kallirrois Avenue and Amvrosiou Frantzi Street, 117 43 Athens

Nektarios Pappas originally created Welcome and Enjoy the Ruins in June 2017 on the rooftop of the then-abandoned hotel at 94 Andrea Syngrou Avenue in Athens. It was visible only from the terrace of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, Athens (EMST), which at that time was serving as the main exhibition venue for documenta 14. In fact, the mural’s typography was based on a font created by the international art exhibition’s graphic designers, inspired by the street-art culture of Athens, thus prompting ambiguity as to whether the mural was an official participation or not.
The museum’s top-floor terrace functions as a platform for reflection, offering a final view that juxtaposes contemporary art with the ancient ruins of the Acropolis—an invitation to consider historical continuity and contextual resonance. Framed by the Acropolis hill in the distance, the untagged graffiti presented a welcoming message that alluded both to the remnants of the former hotel that hosted it and to the Greeks’ renowned hospitality—the foundation of the country’s largest industry: tourism. Written in English, it addressed the international art audience visiting a city visibly marked by the devastation of Greece’s decade-long financial crisis. As often happens in such cases, the local population’s impoverishment and the loss of income and property created opportunities. The wealthier could buy affordable homes and enjoy the low-cost services the country had to offer, investing in a city then promoted as the new epicentre for contemporary art.
Over the years, the hotel underwent renovation, the mural was painted over—except for the word “Ruins,” written on the adjacent building—and EMST opened to the public in full operation after twenty years of a troubled, nomadic existence. In June 2023, Closing Soon undertook the artwork’s restoration, applying a process similar to that used for classical monument restoration: piecing together fragments and historical documentation to achieve the most accurate reconstruction possible. The aim was to contribute to ongoing conversations around the boundaries between the private (hotel) and the public (museum), the value of preserving contemporary artistic heritage, and the influence of both ancient and modern ruins in shaping the country’s cultural identity. The mural’s (re)inauguration was held on EMST’s terrace, coinciding with the museum’s summer opening. For the occasion, the artwork was lit to harmonise with the illuminated Acropolis in the background.

Bio:
Nektarios Pappas (b.1972, Athens) is a visual artist and a PhD candidate at the Athens School of Fine Arts.

Light design: Sophia Berdelis

Press release: Download pdf