The collective performance I heard them singing in the mountains consists of a walk through the public spaces of the Kairi Arcade – and the gunsmithing shop of Thodoros Papaioannou – in the center of Athens, intending to temporarily appropriate and contemplate it through the multiple stories it reveals. The arcade functions simultaneously as an empty shell and as a microcosm of the city’s commercial triangle, incorporating in visible or more discreet ways the echo of the changes that the latter constantly undergoes. Its architectural space acts as an occasion for a group tour framed by imaginative elements that touch on concepts and comment on situations such as touristification, nostalgia, expectation, geography, the city as a countryside in constant evolution, the coexistence of past and future, and the potential of collectivity. How can a place and its history be transformed into one or more narratives in order for them to resonate in a range that exceeds its geographical boundaries?

The performance is the result of a methodology of collective creative process and co-direction that began in October 2022 with the participation of all artists. Part of the process includes researching the history of the arcade and working with the owners of the commercial shops in the arcade, whose narratives were the trigger and inspiration for the realization of the project. Thus, the process itself is both a methodology and an artwork presented in the form of a video in the basement of the arcade.

The performance I heard them singing in the mountains is supported by NEON as part of its annual Grants Scheme.