Street art conservation in Athens: Critical conservation in a time of crisis

Street art, public murals, and graffiti are forms of contemporary art which flourish in the urban environment. The current socioeconomic and political crisis in Greece has rendered Athens a living city canvas that attracts artists, art lovers, young people, tourists, journalists, and photographers. The conservation of street art in extreme outdoor conditions is a new area of interest for conservation research and practice. Since 2010 the Conservation of Wall Paintings Laboratory of the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art (CAWA) of the Technological Educational Institute (TEI), Athens has been engaged in a project to explore ethics, carry out documentation, and initiate new research into street art and its conservation. Since 2012, Street Art Conservators (St.a.co.), a team comprising academics, conservators, and students from CAWA has worked in the streets of Athens for the preservation of street art. The protection and conservation of street art require the creation of a critical mass of people who are interested in the study and preservation of street art, co-operative conservation work and research, and the documentation and digital mapping of street art as an alternative means for its preservation.