Umbrellas

What I can see

It is a large, 13-metre high, metal construction from stainless steel, which dominates the New Seafront. It is located near the Makedonia Palace Hotel and the City Hall. It consists of tall, vertical metal elements with a slight inclination that support 40 metal umbrellas. Smaller and thinner horizontal metal bars create a sense of continuity and stabilize the sculptural composition, which manages to brace the strong winds that often strike the city’s seafront. The bars symbolize the rain and the wind. The sculpture is placed on a cantilever, lined with a wooden floor, while next to it, a fountain with 48 low-water jets has been constructed. In the evening, the work is impressively lit, attracting residents and tourists alike.

What I can't see

The sculpture was created by the great Greek sculptor Giorgos Zongolopoulos (Athens 1903-2004). It was introduced in the 46^th Venice Biennale and received positive reviews. The artist said: “For an artist, there is always a vision for the work you do, especially if you love it: to see it placed in the desired location. The project always needs its own living space. It cannot survive anywhere else. The first phase of this living space for the Umbrellas was the Venice Biennale, where I put it in the sea and it really “lived” there and had an impact. Here in Thessaloniki, it is much better. I don’t know what’s going on. Is it the great horizon, the perspectives, this strictly paved seafront? There is personality here, that interested me very much and I loved it”. Following the seafront’s recent redevelopment, it was moved closer to the city centre, so as to be visible from the White Tower area. This is an ideal location for this emblematic work, which is “coloured” according to weather conditions and is a popular meeting point and a landmark for photography.

Info

• Address: New Sea-front

Bibliography