Mystery 85 City Patterns
project
Description
Mystery 85 – City Patterns is a visual narrative project that aims to restore the collective memory of the city of Elefsina and its people through the language of visual communication. The project was presented as part of Mystery 0: Opening Ceremony (Cultural Coastline), in the form of a public space installation: ten original patterns, printed on fabric banners, were displayed on the corner building at 17 Kanellopoulou Street.
The patterns were the result of research and documentation of the experiences and folk heritage of Elefsina’s ethnolocal communities. Inspired by the places of origin of the cultural associations, the patterns formed a visual narrative and opened a dialogue with the city’s contemporary identity.
The project was carried out in the following stages:
1. Research and Design
In collaboration with the local folklor associations, memories and experiences from their ancestral homelands were recorded, along with artistic motifs and symbols found in embroidery and other traditional crafts. Selected visual details and narratives were then processed and reinterpreted into monochromatic compositions, featuring symbols and elements at varying scales and sizes.
2. Implementation
Ten patterns were created, each corresponding to a different region: Dodecanese, Elefsina, Epirus, Thessaly, Corfu, Crete, Asia Minor, Peloponnese, Pontus, and Chios. The designs were silkscreen printed using environmentally friendly materials. The repetition of patterns on fabric from a distance resembled banners adorned with hieroglyphic-like symbols. Each pattern interacted with the others, forming a cohesive visual dialogue as they were exhibited outdoors for several days.
3. Engagement and Workshop
In November 2023, as part of Mystery 56: Culture 2030 Meeting – 4th Edition, the experiential workshop “Repurposing_Remembering” was held. It was an open invitation to the public to explore the imaginative reuse of the patterns and to discover how tradition and memory can inspire new forms of creativity.
In June 2024, a presentation of the project's outcomes took place at Cine Eleusis, where the ten new patterns and the publication documenting the entire Mystery 85 project were unveiled. The banners were handed over to the communities for future use and reinterpretation, along with a booklet featuring the process of the project.
The project “Mystery 85 City Patterns” was awarded both the EBGE Award and the Gold EBGE in the Graphic Applications category at the Greek Graphic Design & Illustration Awards (EBGE) 2024.
In the same ceremony, 2023 Eleusis – European Capital of Culture received the Client Award for its contribution to the project and its promotion of Greek design.
Archival Research
Artists
Αλίκη Κακουλίδου(Aliki Kakoulidou), Δήμητρα Βασιλάκου(Dimitra Vasilakou), Γιώργος Δρόσος(Yorgos Drosos), Κική Κελεσίδου(Kiki Kelesidou), Γιάννης Ζινδριλής(Yannis Zindrilis), Μιχάλης Καράμαλης(Michalis Karamalis), Παντελίτσα Τσαλιμοπούλου(Pantelitsa Tsalimopoulou), Ντίνα Τριλίκη(Ntina Triliki), Θοδωρής Τζαρτζούλης(Thodoris Tzartzoulis), Γεωργία Γιαγτζόγλου(Georgia Giagtzoglou), Κώστα Μαλαχιά (Costa Malachia), Παναγιώτα Παππά(Panagiota Pappa), Γαληνός Παρζακώνης(Galinos Parzakonis), Ελένη Γκόγκου(Eleni Gkogkou), Βασίλειος Παππάς (Vassileios Pappas), Ρωξάνη Μαύρου(Roxani Mavrou), Σοφία Παντελίδη Κοσμίδη(Sophia Pantelidi Kosmidi), Γεωργία Φράγκου(Georgia Fragkou), Θεόδωρος Κουνελλές(Theodoros Kounelles), Μαρία Μαραγκάκη(Maria Maragkaki)
Partners
Tickets Policy
Free Admission
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Axes
Keywords
Διεύθυνση Πολιτιστικής Ανάπτυξης/Department of Cultural Development, Σχεδιασμός/Design, Συμμετοχικός Σχεδιασμός/Participatory Design, Εργασία/Labor, Εργαστήριο/Workshop, Εφαρμοσμένες Τέχνες/Applied Arts, Εικαστικές Τέχνες/Visual Arts, Έργα στο Δημόσιο Χώρο/Artworks at public space, Ερευνητική Διαδικασία/Research work, Εμπλοκή Κοινότητας/Community Involvement, Ανάπτυξη Κοινού/Audience Development
Copyright
Eleusis 2023
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