ybessas: planitas

planitas

Skiathos has an extended tradition in literature with figures like Alexandros Moraitidis and Alexandros Papadiamantis (1851 - 1911). They have been recreating the local landscapes through their novels.

According to the writings of Alexandros Papadiamantis, every spot on the island is unique, it is a story of its own. Filled with memories, emotions and natural features.

The northern Sporades cluster is a unique island area in terms of tourism. During the last decade, Skiathos has become a popular destination for domestic and international travelers with tourist development being evident from the spatial spread of the human activity. Skopelos displays an average tourist dynamic, while Alonnisos seems to be almost unaffected by the intense phenomenon of mass tourism, maintaining a low tourist activity in comparison to the two other islands.

The analysis concerns tourism. Specifically, it focuses on the topographic, cultural and folkloric dimension of each island in terms of a traveler through the recording of distinctive local elements such as toponyms, archaeological sites, coasts, hiking trails, hotels or even an event calendar.

Particular importance is given to the rich literary history of Skiathos, with the novels of Alexandros Papadiamantis acquiring cartographic overtones and being imprinted on the island. The maps take on new forms and they are enriched through his vivid literary descriptions.

In the following drawings (axonometric + collage), are depicted 3 potential interventions inspired from Papadiamantis’ writings and descriptions of Skiathos island.

New utopian landscapes are popping up in selected fonissa spots in order to interpret the writings and play along with the words giving a new meaning to the original description and setting up a figurative scenery for the traveller (planitas).

Planitas is now becoming part of the narration resurrecting the spots on the island through the eyes of Papadiamantis and writing his own story rather than reading it.

Tourism transcripts have a figurative meaning, creating new relations between the mundane touristic ideas and the historical descriptions of Papadiamantis. Thus the proposal focuses on the contemporary types of tourism and how they could be adjusted or adopted on unique historic sites in a literary way.