“Angels Martyrs” is a series of paintings and portraits of our contemporary fellow human beings who lost their lives in martyrdom. It is
a visual commentary, memorial, and protest at the same time, against social marginalization, social stereotypes, vulgar hubris, the insult
to human dignity, the violence if you don’t cooperate, if you don’t surrender, if you don’t resemble me, if you don’t want to have sex with
me.
In reality, there are so many martyrs. Most of them, unknown, are lost in the daily life and survival, mental, spiritual, physical. Each is a
special case of drama. I could not of course include them all. What are these artworks in the face of drama anyway? The focus, the
emotion and the crushing in front of the drama of a stranger I met through the media. No matter how distant they are. They could be my
son, my daughter, me, or you. You bow your head, you feel sorry for what happened to the person, whom you didn’t know personally,
yet you live their pain, you identify with them because a part of their pain, what they were living before the fateful moment, is also yours.
We are talking about horrific crimes that seem distant to us, but their causes are not far from us at all. Many of us may carry a socially
unacceptable part within us that, fortunately, we slipped away from, escaped, hid; I don’t know how each of us managed it and avoided
an extreme manifestation of social rejection as happened in these stories. On the other hand, what I describe has a limit of human
endurance for how much you can identify with the martyr. Beyond this limit, you enclose yourself from the drama, keep a distance, raise
a wall, and continue your life, inwardly perhaps saying thank God it didn’t happen to me and move on to manage your personal dead-
end stories. That’s as far as I could go, and I made these works so we wouldn’t forget. If something moves me deeply in the Orthodox
Church, it is the reading by the priest of the names one by one of the living or deceased. They are commemorated during the
Proskomide, during the service of preparation which takes place at Orthros before the Divine Liturgy. At the Proskomide, the preparation
of the offered gifts, the bread and wine, which will be transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, takes place. I have heard stories
where each time the priest reads entire notebooks with the names he has recorded in his life and does this at every Divine Liturgy.
Memory is a unit of measurement of civilization. On the contrary, the consumption of objects inevitably leads to the consumption of
people, moving on to the next one. Memory distinguishes you from the beast and makes you human. And these heroes of mine,
different from each other, heterogeneous, some simple people, others with more complex lives, some socially accepted now and
heroes, others still insulted even in death.
“Vangelis Giakoumakis. Murdered by brave men”
Vangelis Giakoumakis (March 23, 1995 – February 2015) was a Greek university student of Cretan origin who attended the Dairy School of Ioannina. He disappeared on February 6, 2015, and was found dead about a month later, on March 15, with knife wounds. Evidence and testimonies that came to light indicated that, even before his death, he had been a victim of physical and verbal abuse by his fellow students, specifically a group of his fellow residents with intense delinquent behavior. His case attracted significant media and
social network attention due to his tragic death and the publication of details about his personal life. In June 2015, the prosecutor’s office filed charges for premeditated murder in connection with his death.
Giakoumakis’s disappearance was noticed by his mother, who called his mobile phone but received no answer. She then called his fellow students to see if they knew where he was, and the search for him began the same day. Following a prosecutor’s order, television networks began broadcasting Giakoumaki’s identity card to facilitate investigations to locate him, while scattered witnesses wanted him to be in various parts of Greece. During the investigations, incidents of violence and bullying against Giakoumakis were revealed,
which are believed to have driven him to disappear.
On March 15, 2015, after about 40 days of searching, Giakoumakis’s body was found 800 meters away from the Dairy School of Ioannina. The body was identified by the victim’s uncle. The news shocked the entire country, and thousands of people bid farewell to Giakoumakis through social media. He was buried two days later, on March 17, 2015.
Investigations into Giakoumakis’s death continued, as did revelations of the bullying he had endured. After his body was found, gatherings were organized in his memory against violence and bullying in various cities across Greece, and new incidents of violence towards him were continually uncovered, culminating in the release of a video on July 4, 2016, showing a group of kids verbally and physically abusing him.
In 2023, the Municipal and Regional Theatre of Ioannina performed a series of theatrical plays on this case.
They say that Vangelis Giakoumakis was weak. Yes, I thought so too at first, which is why he couldn’t react to the violence of his fellow students. It’s a thought, but if one delves deeper into the stance of this young man and his oppressors, they will think that the victim was more of a hero and stronger mentally than his tormentors. Despite being tortured, he maintained his identity until his martyrdom. But why did his persecutors have so much hatred against him? His persecutors were truly submissive, while Vangelis was
free, and he paid for it with his life.
Anna Ivankova. Murdered by brave men.
One might wonder why the plural is used when we know that only one person killed Anna Ivankova. It is not a mistake; many are morally responsible and educate each criminal to carry out their act.
Anna Ivankova was from Cuba, born in 1977, and migrated to Greece a few years ago to escape the discrimination and violence she faced because of her gender identity—she was a trans woman. On July 10, 2023, she was found dead in the apartment she rented in the Agios Panteleimon area of Athens. The police found Anna dead, and reports indicate that her apartment was filled with blood. Additionally, there are reports of marks resembling cuts or whiplashes, indicating that she fought for her life. Together with the medical examiner, the police are conducting an investigation to determine the exact cause of her death, while the
Attica Security Directorate has undertaken the preliminary investigation of the case. A 35-year-old Bangladeshi man was arrested for the brutal murder of the trans woman from Cuba.
“The tax collectors (hated people in the years of Christ who collected the taxes) with ugliness and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.” Father Ioustinos Ioannis Kefalouros writes: Anna from Cuba had a martyrdom. She was whipped and then murdered with scissors and left dead in her apartment in Agios Panteleimon.
Anna from Cuba was a trans woman. She came from afar and made Greece her home. Perhaps because in her homeland, Cuba, she had heard about Xenios Zeus and the Orthodox faith of the Greeks.
She was happy because she could freely be what defined her. She danced, entertained people, gave and received joy. Now she is dead. And while one would expect only sadness and grief from anyone publicly expressing themselves, the world of the internet continues her martyrdom and moral assassination, which once her killer committed.
The reason has to do with how different Anna was from Cuba. And the worst part is that some commentators on this heinous event declare themselves defenders of Orthodoxy.
Their own version of Orthodoxy. One they have tailored to suit their own needs.
Anna from Cuba had a martyrdom because she was different. Like all those women and men who had martyrdoms because they were different. Something like the Saints of the Church, who were murdered because they differed in their faith and gave their lives for visibility and inclusion—these two demands of our time.
Anna from Cuba may never become a saint in any church, but she was martyred for being who she was, for not hiding, and for claiming the life she wanted for herself.
Safe journey, Anna!
“Giorgos Lyggeridis. Murdered by brave men”
“According to information from the attending doctors, the patient police officer who
was hospitalized at the General State Hospital of Nikaia after his serious injury in
the area of Rentis, passed away in the Intensive Care Unit today, Wednesday,
December 27, 2023, at 12:34 PM.”
The premeditated murder of Giorgos Lyggeridis, a thirty-one-year-old young man
who was hit by a marine flare while on duty in the Rentis area outside the stadium
where a volleyball match was taking place, saddens and enrages me. Some inside
the stadium said, “let’s go outside and beat the cops.”
Unfortunately, in Greece, and not perhaps without reason related to events from the
distant past connected to the civil war, there is a negative social stereotype about
the security forces. This needs to end somewhere.
The Greek Police have been entrusted by the State with the responsibility of
protecting the most valuable legal goods, while its competence and operation are
described by the Constitution and the Laws. Its main mission is the protection of
individual freedoms, individual and social rights of Greek citizens, and all
constitutionally guaranteed rights of individuals within the Greek territory.
No one imposed them on us; we chose them. We chose to have a Democracy,
constitutionally guaranteed freedoms, and a Police force precisely to ensure these
and to prevent us from becoming a jungle.
May the earth that covers the young man be light. And may we never forget him.
“Eleni Topaloudi. Murdered by brave men”
Eleni Topaloudi (Serres, January 15, 1997 – Rhodes, November 28, 2018) was a
Greek fourth-year student of Mediterranean Studies in Rhodes, originally from
Didymoteicho, Evros. On November 28, 2018, she was gang-raped and murdered
by two men on the island of Rhodes.
Eleni Topaloudi’s lifeless body was found on November 28, 2018, by a Coast Guard
team in Lindos, in the “Fokia” area of Pefkos. The previous night, the murderers
had asked her to meet them at the home of one of the two. She followed the two
men but refused any sexual contact, which led to a violent reaction from the
perpetrators.
According to the forensic report, Eleni Topaloudi was gang-raped. She was then
attacked with an iron object and lost consciousness, prompting the two men to
move her body to a nearby beach and throw her into the sea alive. After falling onto
rocks, which the two men caused, she completely lost consciousness due to a
severe injury and drowned in the sea.
The trial of the case lasted almost five months at the Mixed Jury Court of Athens,
and upon completion on May 15, 2020, life imprisonment and 15-year sentences
were announced for the two perpetrators. They were unanimously found guilty of
gang rape and premeditated murder. In her speech, the prosecutor stated: “I told
Eleni Topaloudi’s father, don’t worry. I live with this girl. I don’t have children. But I
have case files with children. I also want the truth to come out. What best reflects
the truth you want to hear is that your child was led as a sheep to slaughter and as
an unblemished lamb. Let Justice prevail. This expresses the Prosecutor of the
Court.”
The brutality of Eleni Topaloudi’s murder, as well as the preceding rape, caused
intense reactions from feminist movements and human rights organizations, both
within and outside Greece. The case of Eleni Topaloudi sparked discussions about
the real extent of femicides taking place in Greece, focusing on sexism, and the
freedom and safety of women in the 21st century.
“Zak Kostopoulos . Murdered by brave men”
Zak Kostopoulos was killed on September 21, 2018, from a fatal injury in an incident that took place in the area of Omonia Square in Athens. Specifically, Kostopoulos was found trapped inside a jewelry store. He was beaten by the store owner and someone who claimed to be a real estate owner. After the beating, the bloodied Kostopoulos was arrested by at least eight police officers who rushed to the scene of the violent incident. Kostopoulos died while being transported by ambulance to the hospital.
After his death, protests and gatherings were held in various cities of Greece, while associations, parties, and other organizations issued statements condemning mainly the phenomenon of self-righteousness, which occupied Greek public opinion for several months. Annual marches and memorial events are held on September 21st in Athens, Thessaloniki, and other cities.
Zak Kostopoulos was a Greek activist for the LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV.
After the incident became known, the Prosecutor’s Office filed criminal charges against the jeweler and another person for Kostopoulos’ death. According to the Prosecution, there were serious omissions in the initial case file against the two men who kicked Kostopoulos in the head, as there was no mention of the violent nature of the incident. Moreover, although there was a video showing the two men beating the fallen Kostopoulos, it was not included in the initial case file. According to the lawyer for Kostopoulos’ family, if the video had not been made public, no one would have known that Kostopoulos was subjected to a severe
attack.
A subsequent video again overturned the events, showing that Kostopoulos was being harassed while trying to enter a nearby fast-food restaurant to get a bottle of water. There is also a testimony from a young girl stating that he was calling for help before entering the jewelry store, which dispels the scenario of robbery or theft, as Kostopoulos remained outside the fast-food restaurant for several minutes holding only a bottle of
water.
“Zina Amini. Murdered by brave men”
Amini, a 22-year-old woman from the city of Saqqez in Kurdistan province, western Iran, who was traveling to Tehran with her family, was arrested on September 13, 2022, at the entrance of Hakani Highway by the so-called morality police while she was with her brother. Her brother was informed that she would be taken to a detention center for a lesson on the hijab and would be released in an hour, but she was eventually transferred to a hospital.
For two days, Amini was in a coma at Kasra Hospital in Tehran, sparking protests against the hijab. She died while hospitalized in the intensive care unit on September 16. The clinic where Amini was hospitalized posted a statement claiming that Amini was brain-dead upon admission, but the post was later deleted.
Amini’s brother, Kiarash, noticed bruises on her head and legs. Women detained with Amini said she was brutally beaten for resisting the insults and curses of the police who arrested her. In 2020, Ali Khamenei stated that women who “do not wear the hijab properly should feel insecure,” a statement supported by several clerics and officials, paving the way for more violence against women.
Riots broke out in Tehran following the death of Mahsa Amini. The protests began in Kurdistan province in northern Iran, where the 22-year-old girl was from, but soon spread to many cities, including Tehran, Mashhad, Hamedan, and Tabriz. “Woman, Life, Freedom” was the main slogan of the protests. It was the largest wave of demonstrations Iran had seen since the “Islamic Revolution” of 1979. Reactions also erupted on social media, with many women posting videos showing them silently cutting their hair in protest against
the oppression they experience.
The Iranian government tried to suppress the protests by shooting protesters, using tear gas and water cannons, blocking access to applications like Instagram and WhatsApp, and reducing internet accessibility to hinder protesters’ ability to organize. There are no reliable figures, but according to independent humanitarian organizations, by January 2023, security forces had killed at least 527 dissidents during the protests, including 17 minors.
Protests against the Iranian regime were also recorded elsewhere, such as in Beirut and Istanbul, with women cutting their braids in front of cameras to show that their hair belongs to them and that they can do whatever they want with it. In the northeast, protesters chanted “we will die, we will die but we will take back Iran” near a police station that was also set on fire.
Information from Reuters, CNN, The New York Times, Wikipedia, Marie Claire, Athens Voice, and Deutsche Welle.
Many have told me not to forget him, her, or that particular person. All these requests are justified. We have a deep human need to
remember all those who were unjustly lost, to participate in some kind of memorial ceremony. The list is long, and new names are added
daily. Just a few days ago, Kyriaki was murdered, holding her phone in her hand, calling for help and protection from the police in order
to save herself.
So, the least memorial we can offer, beyond the limits of how much we care about the pain of a stranger while dealing with our own daily
small dramas. The goal, apart from memory, is perhaps a small contribution to education, to raising awareness with the hope that it will
never happen again. They were drawn from time to time when circumstances and current events demanded it.
May their memory be eternal. The series began with the portrait of Vangelis Giakoumakis.
One might wonder, of course, why this exhibition exists. Why revisit these so painful events? Let’s move on. What happens around us
concerns us, even if it doesn’t disturb our personal comfort. We weren’t in that fateful position at the most inappropriate moment—not
because we did something better or because we were foresighted. We just weren’t there this time. The wound that has opened
concerns us. I believe deeply in memory; whoever forgets deprives and is deprived of a crucial internal process.
Perhaps the beloved poet Dinos Christianopoulos expresses it better:
The Bad Moment
Have you heard? So and so, this and that.
So one day, our turn will come;
a mistake, a bad moment,
and you are ruined for the rest of your life.
My God, protect us from the bad moment,
make the inevitable moment delay,
when nemesis is handed to the gossips
and they make a feast of our destruction.
“Angels Witnesses” will be presented for the first time at the 1st World Digital Storytelling Festival in Zakynthos September 27-29, 2024.https://dstfestival.org/