Pepi Nikolopoulou
“Life often feels neat and orderly, but here, the cracks and imperfections are an integral part of daily existence“
Aaron Gaab is the photographer behind Titanium X, a striking photographic study that captures the battered and bruised vehicles scattered across the streets of Athens. Through his lens, Gaab turns everyday scenes of urban decay into a poetic narrative about resilience, fragility, and the silent stories imprinted on metal and asphalt. His work moves beyond documentation, inviting viewers to reflect on the passage of time, the unpredictability of the city, and the beauty hidden in what is often overlooked. In our conversation, Gaab opens up about the inspiration behind Titanium X, his relationship with Athens, and how he approaches photography as a means of observation and storytelling.
How has your experience living in or spending time in Athens influenced your artistic perspective?
Athens taught me to work on elevating my awareness. During my stay, I would always have my camera with me everywhere I went and it really paid off. Titanium X was kind of a fun exercise I had made for myself. I first started noticing these car hoods with peeled shellac, then the bumps, the missing headlights, until the damaged cars were everything I saw.
It stood out to me so much that I had to document it. Showing these pictures to my friends, I realized that everyone else was aware of it too but no one had noticed them consciously. So much of Athens exists outside on the streets, the city’s vibrant spirit worn proudly on its sleeve. There’s such a rich tapestry of life here, where everything seems to blend into one another. I truly appreciate that, and I’ve always been captivated by the subtle beauty of capturing these small, meaningful details.
What struck you most about the city when you first arrived? Has that impression changed over time?
Athens at first appeared to me like a concrete jungle and at first I was truly intrigued by everything. The noises, the political demonstrations and protests, the food, the architecture and the chaos of it all of course, but also the way people managed to deal with it. Back home in Vienna and Berlin, everything always follows a certain order and rules. Graffiti eventually gets removed, you always have to make appointments and everything is in its place. Life often feels neat and orderly, but here, the cracks and imperfections are an integral part of daily existence. It was a bit of a culture shock to realize that life isn’t governed by rules, but rather by the ebb and flow of unpredictability.
Returning to the city for the exhibition, in a strange way the jungle feels smaller. Maybe it’s because everything is familiar, but the houses touched the sun a little less.
Did your daily life in Athens play a role in shaping Titanium X? Were there particular neighborhoods or routes that inspired you?
When moving here I had a very high demand of seeing as much of the city as I could. I would frequently take long walks through certain districts and would always come back to the cars as the main subject of my photographs. I think Kalithea in particular was a neighborhood that inspired this photo series. I was studying at ASKT which is in Kalithea and the route from the Metro to the campus is filled with these garages and car repairs. Walking past them every day made the broken vehicles very apparent. During my morning walks to school I took the first pictures.
The campus is also right on Pireos. The crossing there is kinda very intense as the street is so big and the cars so fast, it became quite common to witness several accidents on the way to and from school.
Beyond the damaged cars, did you find other visual or cultural elements of Athens that fascinated you?
I am always very interested in signs of residues and damage. The marks that are left behind always tell a story. They are signs of a collective memory in a way, whether we want to or not. Besides the cars, I would often look at other assimilations of things in the streets like worn-out posters, rundown shops, gap sites, graffiti covering constructions or info boards, or old walls.
I was also very fascinated by the way styles in fashion and youth scenes differed from back home. Specifically men in big hoop earrings and all the types of piercings. I guess I am always drawn to Metal.
Athens is a city of contrasts—ancient ruins, modern chaos, and everything in between. How did you experience this duality during your stay?
I don’t know if I see it as a duality. It’s more of a coming together of all these histories the city possesses. I once visited the Eleonas flea market, where the ruins of Athens’ ancient city walls were right next to the subway station. People spread their goods around the site or hung clothes on the glass fence. The walls faded into the background, repurposed as a backdrop for items from another era, sold for survival. I find the paradox intriguing—Athens’ ancient history blending with the everyday struggle, as everything disappears into the city’s constant flow.
What was your biggest challenge in capturing the city the way you envisioned it?
I think putting myself into the bigger picture was something I always wanted to keep in mind. Living in Athens under a set time period always left me feeling like a visitor in a way. At the same time, I felt like I had discovered so much about this city I wanted to share, and there is still so much I have not seen. Therefore, I tried not to jump to any presumptuous conclusions and let the pictures speak for themselves.
The zine Titanium X is sold exclusively by Hyper Hypo (Voreou 10, Athens)
