Dark Tree
Along the banks of the River Kifissos in Athens, there was once a great Olive Grove that was preserved intact until the 1880s, according to the maps drawn by German cartographer, Johann Kaupert. Among 170.000 trees that have been mapped, there is also recorded perhaps the first industrial building of the area – a tannery. The siting of the heavy industry along the length of the river in the 19th century and the extreme urban expansion of the 20th century put an end to this immense garden, marveled by historians & travelers alike.
Nowadays only urban weeds & invasive trees grow there. Large trucks plow the dirt roads, delivering their products to the warehouses and factories. Any traces left of the past topography are lost under the dust and in the noisiness of day.
At night, however, the scene is transformed. The distant horizon fades and from the darkness emerge shadows of old and new lush greenery, of stone warehouses and small islets of residence amidst the unruly industrial landscape.
