Ilissos as a Road

Urban signs which signify the underground flow of Ilissos River were placed along roads that run above the covered river, on sidewalks, and squares, and in the underground river bed. The signs were made of adobe bricks (as a building unit) with incorporated wild plant seeds that were collected from the uncovered parts of the river on mount Hymettus. Every brick carries a stamp carving (made with a stamp) forming the name “Ilissos”. The structures make a symbolic reference to the river, recalling riparian structures of the past.
With autumn rains the seeds inside the bricks start sprouting and the structures start to decompose and to embody into the landscape. They gradually turn into soil lumps covered with plants, enriching the biodiversity of the place with indigenous species that are extinct from those particular urban areas.
The construction and assembling of the adobe bricks was realized through participatory workshops, with local residents and collectives, and also with architects, artists, and other collaborators and friends. The locations where the signs were placed are of particular significance for the cultural landscape of Ilissos River, in relation to the manmade and environmental (natural) narrative of the areas it runs through.
The project was realized with the support of Microgeographies and the Institute of Greek Mills and as a part of This is Athens-Polis program of the City of Athens.