The Runner

The Runner, is made of individual pieces of glass stacked on top of each other to form the blurred shape of a runner in motion. Thousands of sharp, jagged pieces of glass form the sculpture.
The runner figure is the work of Kostas Varotsos, who began working on this piece in 1988 and did not complete it until 1994. It was originally erected in Omonia Square, but was later moved because people were concerned that the construction and vibrations from the underground subway would cause it to break or topple over.
It’s a fitting sculpture for a city with such a long history of running – Athens was, after all, the final destination of Pheidippides’ famous run from the Battle of Marathon. Unfortunately, however, the artwork was not unanimously accepted. Although some people exclaimed over the innovative sculpture, others were less than pleased with its unusual appearance.