Municipal workers in Athens completed a comprehensive cleaning operation on Saturday for the city's iconic glass sculpture "Dromeas" (The Runner), created by renowned Greek artist Costas Varotsos. The cleaning process was carried out in collaboration with Karcher systems, marking another routine maintenance cycle for one of the city's most recognizable public artworks.
The massive 12-meter-high sculpture undergoes this thorough cleaning every two years to maintain its pristine appearance and structural integrity. Located strategically across from the Athens Hilton, the artwork has been a prominent fixture in the city's landscape since its installation in 1998, serving as both a cultural landmark and tourist attraction.
The sculpture itself represents a remarkable feat of artistic engineering, composed of thousands of jagged glass panes that are carefully mounted on a sturdy iron frame. These glass pieces are arranged in a way that creates the visual impression of a runner in motion, capturing the dynamic energy of human movement through the interplay of light and shadow across the fragmented glass surfaces.
"We are preserving a symbol. We are keeping Athens monuments bright – they are the city's history and memory," stated Athens Mayor Haris Doukas, emphasizing the cultural significance of maintaining such public artworks. His comments highlight the city's commitment to preserving its contemporary artistic heritage alongside its ancient monuments.
The biennial cleaning schedule ensures that the sculpture continues to serve as a shining example of modern Greek artistry while maintaining its role as an important cultural touchstone for both residents and visitors to the Greek capital.
