ΦΥ ΟΥ ΤΟΠ ΤΩ ΙΑ
NOV 2019
A creative approach ON Thessaloniki 1
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Alexandros Diamantidis
PARK OF PARTICIPATION Exploring the Old Slaughterhouse area and talking to locals, we realized their frustration at the neglect of municipal and state authorities. However, the society is concerned about the prosperity of the region and looks forward to upgrading it. In this context, we have thought individual initiatives of contributing to the community. Inspired by these initiatives, we decided to suggest an installation in an open space where people can contribute to the society and be participants in the evolution of it.
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Alexandros Diamantidis
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Evaggelia Spyropoulou
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vocal views
people / typical images /sounds musics / experiences / favorite places favorite buildings / memorable events 19 interviews from people related somehow to the area, from immigrants and investors from abroad to local working people, transgender sex workers and housewives, the area is being reconstructed through their perspective. 8
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Kalliopi Kati
Lil’ whispers here and there “You know what? It’s not the prostitutes we have an issue with, it’s the clients who bother us daily”
“Almost every time I walk down the street in the afternoon or later, someone honks his car at me because he is looking to get some. I just flip them the bird or tell them that the price is 300 euros... that always works” 12
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Kalliopi Kati
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The following is a collection of small fragments of “gossip” gathered around the neighborhood of the B’ Borough of the Municipality of Thessaloniki. These are quotes that were gathered through my experience in qualitative research in the area and the interaction with the local residents, but never fit into the final drafts of rigid reports. The commentary that was gathered from recordings, casual conversation and relaxed, genuine conversations with the locals provides with a more realistic, eye-opening perspective of a community long-forgotten and neglected in Thessaloniki, making us realize that not all stories about the area are bleak and negative. In contrary, what makes these little comments so special is that they show us that everyday life in the B’ Borough can be humorous, optimistic, hopeful, humane and full of very different people who, even though they have their differences, create one very peculiar community with “mundane” characteristics (like gossiping your neighbors) , whether they care to admit it or not.
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Eleana Molozi
LIGHTS OF HOPE
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Eleana Molozi
Could more light make a person feel safer? With light the area would be more connected and less dangerous. The installation is chosen to oppose the red-light district, to cultivate hope within the residents. Opposite buildings characterized by its color, are placed light-filled buildings in order to inspire people think positive.
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Gina Eythymiou
THOSE THAT ONLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SITUATION -CRIMINALS.
THEIR HOME BUILDINGS WITHOUT ROOF LOCALS THEMESELVES REMOVE THE ROOFS OF THEIR OWN OLD FAMILY HOMES TRYING TO BLOCK THE IMMIGRANTS GET IN.
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DON’T FEAR THE FACE BUT FACE THE FEAR
MR. CHRISTOS WAS BORN IN THIS AREA OF THESSALONIKI. EVERYDAY FACES MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE IMMIGRANTS AND HE’S SCARED FOR HIS CHILDREN; ESPECIALLY FOR HER DAUGHTER. “SOMEONE ASKED HER LAST NIGHT FOR SEX GIVING HER 20 EUROS”. “I HELPED A LOT OF TIME SOME PEOPLE FROM SYRIA, BULGARIA ETC. BUT FINALLY THEY NEVER APPRECIATED THAT” MR CHRISTOS’S FRIEND.
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Gina Eythymiou
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Alexandros Iakovakis
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MIND THE GAP
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Alexandros Iakovakis
The area of old slaughterhouses is a historical place that reflects the glorious industrial past of the city. With the gradual decline of industry, this place was neglected and abandoned. However, the infrastructure is still there to remind us what happened here in the past century. This project aims to raise awareness about the industrial legacy, because we think ‘’Memory’’ should be considered important for the society.
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Dimitra Gkioka
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TRANSITIONS
Zanet is a transgender who works as a sex worker at Giannitson str. in Thessaloniki. I met her during a night walk in the area and we had some short conversation.
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Δεν υπάρχει κάποιο συγκεκριμένο σημείο όπου να βρίσκεται η κάθεμια.Υπάρχει μια απόσταση που μπορεί ο καθένας να βγαίνει, απλώς εγώ προτιμώ να είμαι λίγο πιο μακριά από τα άλλα άτομα γιατί γίνονται παρεξηγήσεις με πελάτες. Καλύτερα να υπάρχει μια απόσταση για να μπορεί και ο άλλος να διαλέξει. Αλλά υπάρχει και άλλο σημείο όπου είναι πολλές μαζί. Αλλά όταν είναι πολλές μαζί η μία δουλεύει, οι άλλες όχι, και μετά δημιουργούνται προβλήματα «και όχι εσύ πήρες, όχι θα τον έπαιρνα εγώ», και γίνονται κάποιες παρεξηγήσεις.
Στην γειτονιά υπάρχουν προβλήματα. Οι κάτοικοι άλλοι είναι καλοί, άλλοι... Εμένα μου έχουν τύχει περιστατικά με αυγό, με βίδες, με αυτά. Υπάρχουν κάποιοι οι οποίοι έιναι λίγο υπερβολικοί, τι να κάνεις; Συμβαίνουν αυτά! Το αυγό είχε πλάκα! Ευτυχώς έπεσε στο αμάξι. Τη δεύτερη φορά δεν με προλάβανε, έπεσε δίπλα. Το είδα μετά, δεν το κατάλαβα, γιατί ήμουν μέσα στο αμάξι και μετά είδα ένα αυγό κάτω, και λέω «Δεν μπορεί να υπήρξε τυχαία το αυγό κάτω». Υπάρχουν προβλήματα, τι να κάνουμε;Έτσι, είναι αυτή η δουλειά.
Υπάρχει κάποια ασφάλεια, ευτυχώς, γιατί όταν συμβεί κάτι βοηθάνε οι άλλοι. Γνωριζόμαστε όλες μεταξύ μας, δόξα το Θεό. Δεν υπάρχει πρόβλημα, ασφάλεια δεν υπάρχει γενικά, μεταξύ μας όμως... Βέβαια, τώρα, αν είναι μακριά ο άλλος, δύσκολο να επικοινωνήσεις, μόνο με τηλέφωνο. Αν σου τύχει κάτι και είναι μακριά άλλο άτομο... Γενικά προστατεύουμε η μία την άλλη.Προστατεύουμε, τι να κάνουμε; Έτσι πρέπει να είναι!
Για τα σημεία που επιλέγουμε να πάμε με τους πελάτες, εγώ προτιμώ να πηγαίνω στη γύρω περιοχή, να μην απομακρύνομαι από το σημείο μου. Προτιμώ όχι πολύ φωτεινά σημεία, για να μην φαινόμαστε και για να μπορώ να κάνω τη δουλειά μου. Αλλά θέλω να υπάρχει και φως, να μην είναι τελείως σκοτεινά, για να αισθάνομαι ασφάλεια. Παράδειγμα, πηγαίνω στις αλάνες και στα πάρκινγκ γύρω. Ζανέτ, 48 ετών
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Dimitra Gkioka
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Dimitra Gkioka
The spot that each of us stands is not specific. Each one can choose her spot, since there is much space. I just prefer to be a little further from the others because there are misunderstandings with customers. It is preferable to keep some distance between us so that the customers can choose. There is another spot where some others choose to be together. But in this case when one works, others don’t. This causes some problems, like “You got one before, I should get him!”, etc.
There is some safety, fortunately, because when something happens, others help. Thank God, we all know each other. Although, if the other is far away, it’s hard to communicate, you can only do it by phoning... In general we protect each other. We have to protect each other, we can’t do it other way.
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There are some problems with the neighborhood. Some people are good, but others ... I have had some incidents with eggs, with screws. There are some people who are undue. The incident with the egg was funny! Fortunately, it fell on the car. The second time it did not catch me, it fell next to it, down there. I saw it later on, because I was inside the car. There are problems, what can we do for it? This is how this job works.
About the spots that we choose to go with the customers, I prefer to be at the surroundings, close to my spot. I usually choose not much lighted places, so as not to be visible, but enough lighted so as to feel secure. For example I choose parking lots or empty lots. Zanet, 48 years old
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During a one week social design workshop creatives explored the area around Palia Sfagia (Παλιά Σφαγεία) in Thessaloniki. Participants developed themes and concepts referring to the city based on social issues, stories of the inhabitants and its visual language.
The social design workshop is an initiative from andrews:degen, a strategic visual graphic design agency located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The workshop ‘Mapping the city - A creative approach on...’ has already been conducted in more than 25 different cities around the world. For all the results please visit www.mappingthecity.com.
Design thinking, design skills, and public participation are key tools and drivers for this project. They are all used as a methodology to explore, analyze, visualize and respond to the neighbourhood life and its people. The workshop aims to encourage social change-makers within this community. Once sensitised to their social and cultural context, participants are encouraged to take an active and responsible role towards a complex urban environment they live and work in. These diverse projects form a starting point and inspiration for even further research than claiming to be finished.
We would like to thank the GoetheInstitut in Thessaloniki, LABattoir and the participants for making this workshop happen. LABattoir is a socially engaged machine for the production of culture; a laboratory of applied creativity that responds to society’s needs and problems introducing solutions and alternative strategies with the contribution of the artist as catalyst and the citizen as co-producer.
www.mappingthecity.com / @mappingthecity
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