Breathing Exercises in Athens

• Published in: Parse journal Vol. Violence: State Practice; no. 15
• Main Author: Eleni Michaelidi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: University of Gothenburg 01.04.2024
• Subjects: collective; collective resistance; contemporary greek society; murder; queer; zakieo
• ISSN: 2002-0511; 2002-0953

On September 21, 2018, an extremely brutal murder took place in the vicinity of Omonia Square, in the center of Athens, Greece. Zak Kostopoulos, aka JackieO, a young queer artist, activist, and prominent member of the local LBGTQI+ communities, was brutally beaten to death in plain sight and broad daylight. For reasons still unclear, Zak was being chased and tried to find “refuge” in a nearby jewelry shop. The shop owner, joined by a group of men, brutally lynched Zak, who was severely injured and clearly incapable of posing any threat. The beating continued after the police arrived at the scene, with their active participation. Zak was declared dead once brought to the hospital, unconscious yet still handcuffed. In presenting the victim as abnormal, marginal, and intoxicated, the subject of collateral damage in a series of “unfortunate events,” the national mass media amplified and normalized the violence. The entire sequence of events was recorded in full detail on cellphone cameras by various passers-by, with plenty of witnesses and evidence on site, however, the police made practically no effort to investigate the murder. The victim’s family and community initiatives have taken it up upon themselves to shed light on the case. A prominent example of extreme systemic violence—racist, patriarchal, repressive, class, and the “intrinsic” violence of the state— Zak/ZackieO’s murder exemplifies the aggression that is deeply rooted in Greek society and the nation-state. Against this backdrop, and among other implications, many artistic responses have stemmed from or were deeply influenced by this event. Whether pursuing accountability, dealing with trauma, or exploring alternatives, such artworks function as “breathing exercises”—gestures of healing, regaining strength, and finding ways to cope with systemic state violence, individually and collectively. They seek to forge aesthetic and social alliances that expose, critique, and look beyond systemic state violence.