Every year Hermès invites a local artist to tell stories through the windows of the store. This year Hermès chose “Ordinary Fairy Tales,” an installation by architect and artist Philippos Photiadis.
The story told through the installation of Philippos Photiadis, is one of a double world. The fantastic hero Zafiris, from his fairy tale “Zafiris Kontopitharos”, is puzzled while trying to process this incomprehensible, to him, natural environment he is wandering about in.
Meanwhile, in a virtual microcosm, ordinary figures grapple with carefree activities, unperturbed by the “real world” surrounding them on a larger scale. Aside from the obvious reference to the puzzling nature of everyday life, there is also a symbolic reference made to the tale of Zafiris Kontopitharos, who throughout his journey and adventure is accompanied by a mysterious box that symbolizes forbidden desire and happy fairy tale endings.
And here a small selection of his artistic work.
About the artist
Philippos Photiadis studied architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design (BFA 1993, BArch 1994) and at Harvard Graduate School of Design (March 1999). He is a founding member of the creative company "we design", based in Athens (since 2001). He has taught as appointed lecturer at the Architecture Department of the University of Patras (2008-2010). Alongside his practice as an architect he has been painting and is involved in illustration as well. He has participated in numerous group and solo art exhibitions in Athens, at the galleries Agathi, Martinos and Zoumboulakis. In 2011 his fairy tale 'Zaphiris Kontopitharos' was published by Militos publications.
Source: Press Release, photos courtesy of Hermès Athens by George Savvoulidis
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