One of the most fascinating and important aspects of Project Nero is the process leading up to the production of major public art works. When we started Project Nero, we began by collecting research material, assembling an eclectic group of Greek experts, including chemists, urban planners, economists, archeologists, etc., and involving the local communities by asking them to share their stories.

German artist, Alexander Schellow was commissioned to create an artwork on the perception of water stemming from the Kifissos River, one of the main rivers in the city of Athens. Schellow has spent hundreds of hours wandering alongside the fringes of the Kifissos, from the south where it flows into the sea, to its sources in the north of the city. Through his daily practice of visual memory reconstruction, Schellow captures the many faces of the Kifissos. He absorbs the urban landscape on the periphery of the river, collecting the stories of its inhabitants and bringing to light the collective memory of the city and its urban development. He goes into territories rarely before entered, not to criticize or judge, but to better understand the realities of the city. Via the Meld platform , Schellow’s drawing animations will be projected as video installations in outdoor public venues throughout the city of Athens to confront the public and ultimately inspire dialogue and action.

«De-constructing the Kifissos»,  is a collection of each of these stories which reflect both the human and urban landscape alongside the river. Every 10 days, we will post a new fragment from these stories to enlighten the general public on the process of making Project Nero. Our first post in the series features Galatea, an 80-year old woman living in Kallithea, who today dedicates her life to feeding pigeons.

…to be continued