The cultural and folklore character in Xanthi of yesterday and today

The route is about 800 meters long, lasts about 50 minutes and is of low difficulty. In it, the visitor will come into contact with an incomparably rich cultural character, which Xanthi has highlighted over the years and has been indelibly imprinted on its urban fabric. There are several surviving points that remind and can reconstruct the so-called Belle Époque period (1871-1914), during which the city experienced great economic and artistic flourishing.

The frescoes with Bavarian or German landscapes in the Kougioumtzoglou Mansion and the ceiling paintings with decorative and floral motifs in the Daniel Mansion or the Megha Kin cinema and the "Apollo" theater, in which the French actress Sarah Bernhardt is rumored to have played in some performances, give a taste of the arts of painting and theater, as they were expressed at that time.

On the other hand, dozens of places and buildings function today as expressions of the city's folklore, where artistic events and events of small and large scale take place. Starting from the Daniel Mansion and ending at the Adamides House, near Mitropoleos Square, the visitor will have the opportunity to get to know the city through buildings that functioned and function as seats of cultural associations, groups, writers and artists who have been and are active in the city of Xanthi.

Apart from the established Old Town Festivals (late August-early September), some of these spaces are functional throughout the year. They function either as visitable exhibition spaces, such as the Folklore and Historical Museum of F.E.X., the House of Shadow and the Municipal Art Gallery, or as venues for events, concerts, etc., such as the House of Culture of F.E.X.

Points Expand/Collapse

54. The House of Shadow

Brief documentation:

The building was originally designed, at an unknown date, to function as a residence. In recent years, the House of Shadow has been housed there, which started operating in the city in 2014, initially in another part of old Xanthi.
The House of Shadow houses the shadow works of the artist Triantafyllos Vaitsis. The exhibition, in which there is also the artist's workshop, presents sculptures made of garbage and recyclable materials, which when properly illuminated produce recognizable forms of shadow.
Triantafyllos Vaitsis was born in Sarantaporo, Larissa in 1976, where he grew up. He studied environmental engineering at the Polytechnic School of the Democritus University of Thrace, in Xanthi. He was working as an environmental engineer from 2003 until 2013, when he becamecompletely dedicated to the art and specifically the art of shadow (Shadow art).
He has had more than 15 solo and group exhibitions in Greece and 6 exhibitions internationally (UK, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Turkey, Cyprus and Taiwan). His works belong to various private collections in Greece and abroad and he has made various collaborations with major companies and organizations. His sculptures have been used in films, such as Roza of Smyrna, and in shows of worldwide recognition.
The building that houses the House of Shadow is a two-storey tiled building of middle class character, which consists of two separate residences. One is located on the ground floor, while the other is on the first floor of the building.
The decoration on its exterior is quite simple. The doors are arched, while the windows of the building are rectangular. The building has been restored.

Category of thematic interest: CULTURAL / FOLKLORE INTEREST

History:

The building was originally designed, at an unknown date, to function as a residence. In recent years, the House of Shadow has been housed there, which started operating in the city in 2014, initially in another part of old Xanthi.
The House of Shadow houses the shadow works of the artist Triantafyllos Vaitsis. The exhibition, in which there is also the artist's workshop, presents sculptures made of garbage and recyclable materials, which when properly illuminated produce recognizable forms of shadow.

Triantafyllos Vaitsis was born in Sarantaporo, Larissa in 1976, where he grew up. He studied environmental engineering at the Polytechnic School of the Democritus University of Thrace, in Xanthi. He was workings as an environmental engineer from 2003 until 2013, when he became completely dedicated to the art and specifically the art of shadow.
He has had more than 15 solo and group exhibitions in Greece and 6 exhibitions internationally (UK, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Turkey, Cyprus and Taiwan). His works belong to various private collections in Greece and abroad and he has made various collaborations with major companies and organizations. His sculptures have been used in films, such as "Roza of Smyrna" and in shows of worldwide recognition.

Elements of architecture:

The building that houses the House of Shadow is a two-storey tiled building of middle class character, which consists of two separate residences. One is located on the ground floor, while the other is on the first floor of the building.

Description of other elements:

The decoration on its exterior is quite simple. The doors are arched, while the windows of the building are rectangular. The building has been restored.

Purpose - Use: Residence, Cultural space

Characterization: It belongs to the non-listed buildings of categories D and E.

Dating (period): Unknown

Year of construction: Unknown

Location of the monument: 41.14325244351348, 24.887678039213014

Bibliographic references:

https://vaitsis.com/el/arxikh/

Address: Orfeos 33

Visitable: Yes