Jiaxin (Jia Jia) Shi

Abandoned in Athens

When a trip to Athens became impossible due to the pandemic, this thesis transformed itself into a virtual tour of the city. From historical records to Google walks, Abandoned in Athens puts together a fragmented digital atlas responding to the legacy of the “grand tour” and focusing on three unique modern ruins across the city. A series of panoramic drawings reconstruct the historical, cultural, and urban context of these ruins and stage speculative fictional projections. The project hopes to open up dialogues on abandoned public spaces, urban agents, subterranean vectors, modern ruins, and how we may start to reoccupy them.

Advisor: Petros Babasikas Winter 2021