“They say recessions are good for creativity. With the latest general strike taking place in Athens only last Thursday and news of food queues cropping up on a regular basis, how are the arts faring in the city that gave us Sophocles and Phidias?” Olympia Zographos went along to the cutting-edge Athenian district of Ghazi to find out.
“Olympic Games accreditation, which is designed to control access to venues and transport for the likes of athletes, officials and VIPs, creates a hierarchical society of bewildering complexity. The significance of the accreditation badge goes far beyond mere utility and reflects the status of the wearer, much like the ownership of cows or fast cars in other societies.” Rowland Jack gets to go behind the scenes at the world’s biggest sports event.