The Runner

When "The Runner" first stood in Athens, in 1994, lots of people were shocked. That "thing" - as many used to call the sculpture of Costas Varotsos- had nothing to do with what was already known and Greeks were not that open to new ideas yet.

In fact "The Runner" is the first work of contemporary art that was ever introduced in town and it was commissioned by the City of Athens. It is made of glass stack on iron and by that time it was the tallest sculpture made of glass in the whole world. Actually, it is 12 meters tall and it demonstrates the relation between man and the contemporary city.

Earlier I passed in front of it. Though I've always liked it, lately I appreciate it even more. To me, it represents both the speed with which everything changes and moves on and the passage from one time to another as well.

By the time it was built, Greece was so different. It is indicative that, according to a research run by the "Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders", in 1997, the 81% of Athens' citizens believed that without the Greek Orthodox Church, Greeks could not possibly have any future as a nation.

The transition of the traditional, introverted Greek society to an open, multi-culti one, happened rapidly. In a research of 2006, the 65% of Greeks advocated the total and official separation of State and Church. As globalization extended, the whole Greek way of thinking and living changed.

Now days, Greece is going through one more phase of transition. Only this time, it's more difficult and less glamorous. No one knows where we are heading to. "The Runner" though is still there constantly reminding that times not only change but can change for better too. Today, he's considered as one of the most important pieces of modern art in Greece.