Written by Zeta Tzioti

In the first half of November 2025, the non-profit organization artefact athens presented a contemporary art exhibition titled “All Aboard”, curated by Kostas Prapoglou, at Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos.

Athens became the center of a bold artistic endeavor. “All Aboard,” with the participation of 40 artists from various generations and countries, was the first exhibition of its kind in Greece—and one of the few worldwide—where a large-scale contemporary art exhibition took place within a functioning airport. The chosen venue was the Express Facility, a building adjacent to the western runway.

The airport, as a geographical and emotional crossroads, transformed into a place of experience. In the waiting rooms and corridors, narratives of departure, transition, and return were inscribed. Waiting became a transitional experience with no clear beginning or end, where time became elastic, and art expanded consciousness.

Greek and international artists presented installations, sculptures, videos, paintings, and performance actions that brought life to the building as an “archive of suspended intentions,” turning it into a field of reflection. The sounds of airplanes and airport announcements became a poetic backdrop, conversing with the artworks and highlighting the traveler as a fragmented entity, constantly “under interpretation.”

The “All Aboard” exhibition did not focus on the destination but rather on the in-between. It explored the experience of travel as an allegory, as an internal journey where identity is reconstructed, space becomes a field of memory, and art invites the visitor to redefine their position—not as a passenger, but as a co-creator of an existential landscape.

With this exhibition, Athens marked its place on the international cultural map, aiming to transform an infrastructure building into a vessel for activating dialogue between artistic practice, society, and public space.

Notable international artists who participated in the exhibition included Anna Abarioti, Alexandra Athanasiadi, John Baldessari, Robert Cahen, Olafur Eliasson, Michal Heiman, Francesca Woodman, and Ridley Scott, among others.

We met with the painter Vassilis Karakatsanis, who spoke to us about his journey and the revival of his imaginary airline “TITANIA” in the context of the exhibition.

Zeta Tzioti: Vassilis, how did you feel when Kostas Prapoglou invited you to participate in “All Aboard”?

Vassilis Karakatsanis: When Kostas proposed, my reaction was immediate and positive. It felt like a door opened to something new and interesting. The truth is that my mind immediately turned to the idea of “TITANIA”, a project I developed during the pandemic lockdown. This invitation came at a time when I wanted to explore new artistic possibilities and create something that would take the audience on a unique journey.

Zeta Tzioti: The creation of “TITANIA” seems to be connected to your personal experience. How exactly did that period influence your art?

Vassilis Karakatsanis: I created the “TITANIA” as a kind of “artistic fairy tale,” a refuge from reality. The imagination and images in my mind became the means for me to escape from the confined environment. I wanted to create something that would allow me to “travel” artistically to places I couldn’t physically visit.

Zeta Tzioti: You mentioned your previous series, “Distinct District,” before “TITANIA.” How do you think your works from that period connect with “TITANIA”?

Vassilis Karakatsanis: The “Distinct District” series, which I presented in 2019, already had elements that led to the development of “TITANIA.” In one of my works, I included the element of the airplane, which started to captivate me at that time. The airplane, as a symbol of travel, freedom, and escape, reappeared in “TITANIA”. When I received a commission for two airplane-themed pieces, the idea began to take flight, and the concept of the imaginary airline started to form more clearly in my mind.

Zeta Tzioti: “TITANIA” seems to function as an “artistic vehicle” for traveling to emotionally charged destinations. How do you choose the locations you depict in your works?

Vassilis Karakatsanis: The choice of destinations is very personal. They are usually places I’ve visited and left a strong mark on my memory, either because of their landscape or due to specific experiences I had there. At the same time, “TITANIA” allows me to create fictional destinations—places that never actually existed, but somehow feel so vivid and real in my mind.

Zeta Tzioti: How has the airplane, as a mode of transport, influenced your artistic expression?

Vassilis Karakatsanis: For me, the airplane is the ultimate symbol of movement, freedom, and the ability to escape and discover new places in a very short time. I love the idea that with the airplane, time and distance are lost, and this is reflected in my works through the intensity of movement and the sense of “takeoff” that I try to convey through color and composition.

Zeta Tzioti: The moment when one of your students from 1996 mentioned that you had given them an assignment with the name “TITANIA” is intriguing. How did you feel when they reminded you of that?

Vassilis Karakatsanis: Honestly, I felt both embarrassed and surprised. I had completely forgotten about it, but as soon as I heard it, I realized that something unconscious must have been happening back then. It was like an old prophecy being revealed to me that I had forgotten. Perhaps “TITANIA” had already been inside me, and the realization came much later.

Zeta Tzioti: Tell us about your experience presenting “TITANIA” at Gallery Genesis and the support of Athens International Airport. How did these collaborators integrate into your work?

Vassilis Karakatsanis: Presenting at Gallery Genesis was a very special moment for me. The collaboration with Athens International Airport and the George N. Vogiatzoglou Gallery gave my work a dimension that went beyond the visual aspect. The airport, as a place connecting different cultures, was the perfect “stage” for “TITANIA”. It felt as if my work was “traveling” around the world, just as the airplane takes people to distant destinations.

Zeta Tzioti: Art historian Louisa Karapidakis’ comment about the “absence of human presence” in your works is particularly interesting. What role does human absence play in your artistic narrative?

Vassilis Karakatsanis: The absence of people in my works is intentional and an integral part of the atmosphere I want to create. The landscapes are full of life and intensity, but human presence always seems secondary. This works for me as a metaphor for how people often “pass through” landscapes without always leaving a mark. In the end, the presence of travelers is a small, almost implied element that completes the sense of the journey.

Zeta Tzioti: You mentioned that “TITANIA” has closed a chapter after its presentation in Nicosia and Limassol. What is the next direction for you as an artist?

Vassilis Karakatsanis: Even though “TITANIA” seems to have completed its cycle, it doesn’t mean that my creative journey stops there. On the contrary, I feel that this series of works has opened new artistic horizons for me. I am exploring new themes and techniques that interest me, and I am looking for ways to combine visual creation with other forms of art, such as digital art.

Zeta Tzioti: From your experience, what is the relationship between visual artists, curators, and art historians?

Vassilis Karakatsanis: It’s like all human relationships—sometimes traumatic, sometimes extraordinary. From meaningless to meaningful. It’s a long and painful story, but I will only refer to this specific project and the approach of Louisa Karapidakis and Kostas Prapoglou. Louisa is the art historian and curator who approaches your soul most gently and sweetly I’ve felt in recent years. Kostas is the curator, orchestrator of a vision, who, combined with his need for spaces that converse with art, touches you simply and clearly. Fortunately for me, both of them say much. There’s a smile and professionalism. I thank them both, feeling lucky for our encounter and hoping for new travels together