This edition accompanies the eponymous exhibition held at the Eynard Mansion in Athens (May 9–July 28, 2018) and is the result of eight years of research focused on the landscape of Philopappos Hill. The daily walks of N. Papadopoulos with his dog on the hill sparked this exploration, which transformed into an interdisciplinary artistic project, enriched by the contributions of botanists, archaeologists, and theorists.
The project led the artist to a historical retrospective reaching back to the discovery of America by Christopher Columbus, because during that time, new species of plants came to light, which were transferred in various ways to old Europe and correspondingly altered its flora. Thus, the concept of globalization acquires a new dimension as it permeates the plant kingdom, through the voluntary or involuntary movements of plants from one place to another and from continent to continent.
Meanwhile, the research revealed that until the 19th century, the hill was devoid of vegetation, and indeed, because of the image it presented, it earned the nickname "City of Rocks". The introduction of foreign flora, which gradually greened the hill, was solely the result of human interventions in the Attic landscape and was precisely what gave it the appearance of a vast, open garden within nature.
The garden is an ancient invention of humanity, aimed not only at aesthetic enjoyment but also at its symbolic function as an enclosed, safe, and somewhat sacred space. In its cultivation, parallels were found with the cultivation of the spirit, while simultaneously, a reflection developed regarding the respect that humanity owes when attempting to tame nature.
The vital importance of the unique garden of the hill for the people living nearby, as well as for the ever-growing Athens around it, is demonstrated by the care of the locals, who initially planted and tended the plants, and later added the necessary permanent infrastructure. The entire endeavor serves as a tribute to the hill itself, which remains one of the few green lungs in the heart of this concrete city.
Manufacturer
- Publisher
- Morfotiko Idryma Ethnikis Trapezis
- Language
- Greek
- Subtitle
- A journey from the city of rocks to the garden
- Cover
- Soft
- Number of Pages
- 80
- Release Date
- 5/2018
- Publication Date
- 2018
- Award
- -
- Dimensions
- 12x17 cm
- Art Movement
- Modernism
- Art Albums
- Yes
- Subjects
- Movie, theater
- ISBN-13
- 9789602507179
Important information
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