Ever since the hanging gardens of Babylon, the garden is a sign of a human- made landscape, a sculptural composition consisting of natural elements, where decisions need to be made about how to place these elements to advantage and how to cultivate them. This act always occurs within a protected environment which reflects the mentality and the philosophy of its creator and his/her historical period. In such a “different” period the Persian garden represented two-dimensional in the form of the Persian carpet, depicting the garden of Eden. Even our term for paradise derives from the Persian word pairi-daeza which means an enclosed space.
The artist participating in Symptom Project #9 were asked to propose and highlight new approaches to the garden. The “outside”- that is the garden- was to be presented as an “inside”; so that based on the idea of the carpet, artists would create works that were to be exhibited inside the old hospital of Amfissa. On the other hand, we suggested that works that are traditionally exhibited “within the walls” be presented in courtyards, gardens and parks of the town of Amfissa. It is thus for the first time that Symptom Project opens up onto the whole city, giving the opportunity to both inhabitants and visitors to gain a new perspective on their surroundings and to come into contact with several artworks within the fabric of everyday life. With the support of NEON.