Camper Van

“HOMMAGE’’

A moving art consolation.

For regions stripped of their privilege.

Or: ‘Don’t you feel bad’

Camper Van was born from an idea by Olia Lazaridou and designed by installation artist Socratis Socratous. It was a bright moving scene made of plexiglass, which in 2008 hosted Gelsomina, a play based on Federico Fellini’s movie La Strada (1954).

The following year, it travelled in Athenian neighbourhoods, like Pedion tou Areos, Kolonos, the Korean Market — offering a vaudeville spectacle with the participation of many artists, entitled A night that’s yours — as well as in Ancient Olympia.

It was an idea warmly embraced by the Athens Epidaurus Festival’s Artistic Director, Yorgos Loukos. To have the Festival out of its strictly limited spaces, to travel through neighbourhoods, to reach an audience other than the one normally attending its events. Everywhere, the response was quite generous.

With Yorgos Loukos’ departure, Camper Van, this marvelous ‘gadget’ of the Festival, fell into disuse. Just before it surrenders to oblivion, it comes back to illuminate again the summer nights at Peiraios 260, aspiring to leave its limits again next year, and get on the road.