The cultural and folklore character in Xanthi today

The city of Xanthi has highlighted over the years an incomparably rich cultural character, which has been indelibly imprinted on its urban fabric. Dozens of places and buildings in old Xanthi function as expressions of the culture and folklore of the city, where artistic events and events of small and large scale take place.

On this route, about 2 km, lasting about 60 minutes and of moderate difficulty, the visitor will have the opportunity to tour almost the entire area of Old Xanthi and visit buildings and places of cultural and artistic activities, as well as places where folklore customs regarding religious ceremonies continue. This route mainly concerns the period of the Old Town Festivals, which take place every year since 1991 in late August-early September.

Starting from the Daniel Mansion, the famous house of Manos Hadjidakis, and ending at the Chapel of Agioi Theodoroi, the visitor will have the opportunity to get to know places that have operated and still operate throughout the year as seats of cultural associations, groups, writers and artists active in the city of Xanthi.

Apart from the established Old Town Festivals, these spaces are functional throughout the year, either as visitable exhibition spaces, such as the Folklore Museum, the House of Shadow and the Municipal Art Gallery, or as venues for events, concerts, etc., such as the F.E.X. House of Culture.

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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