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YiannisIsidorou/YiannisGrigoriadis

ISRETURNPOSSIBLE? 1 Thetimethatintervenesbetweenquestionandanswerisprolonged.

2Whenreferringtothereturn,wemeanbothaspecificcognitiveprocessbutalsothecontentofmemoryitself,thememories,theirre-investmentwithmeaninginthepresent.Theireffect.Memories, the recollectionof time-space, isan indissociablepartofourself-awareness, thecoreofourpersonalhistory.Memoryandour relationship to it, areanessentialpartofouridentity.Inmanycases,however,theperceptionofthepast,togetherwithitsfutureprojections,may prove so frighteningly distorted and traumatic as to in essence deprive one of control of one'sownlifeandtransformthesubjectintoanobject,anobstacletotheveryself.Itcanannultheprospectofexperienceandreduceittoanautomatization,aspasm. 3Thehumancreatorismainlyanativeofmemoryand,simultaneously,itsuser.Oneemerges/manifests considering memory as the process of reflection, the way to rethink, over andover.Onemanagesanddeliverswaysofinterpretingandreformulatingspaceandtime,thusperpetuating the present.

Themnemonicnetwork isourorigin, refugeandsimultaneouslyourhorizon(the thingswereflectaboutourselvesthethingsothersreflectaboutus).Thestorieswenarraterefertoourplaceoforigin.Wespeakhereofthehomelandastheplaceofourdestination,theplacethatmaywelcomeusback.Ourwest.Thewestwardpassage.Thewestisapromise.

4.Memory is a reception. Every narrative mourns a loss.

5.Theideaofaconsistentlydistinctidentity,structuredaroundtheconceptshighlightedbythedialectic of contemporary state-national capitalism (language, common traditions, an ethniccommunity, a national economy and a geographic environment-boundary-law) requirescontinuous redefinition as it collapses.The accelerating developmentswhich are construedas threats, render the ideology of the nation-state vulnerable and subvert the imaginary ofcultural purity.These identities,whether based on nation, class, religion or desire, becomemoreandmorefragmentarysinceateverysurplusoffreedomandinventivenessthatemerges,corresponds a surplus of uncertainty.

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6.The return is via an impassable route.Sothen,isreturnpossible?Thereturncannottakeplacewithoutthedefinitionoftheplacefromwhichwehavedistancedourselves.Igoawayfromwhere?/whenamIhome??arewestrangersforevermore?Odysseus,theheroofhomecoming,acosmopolitan,abourjeoisinsearchofanidentitycomeshomefromabrazen,whenit'sallsaidanddone,conquest.WhenOdysseuswasstayingatCalypso'sheneededtobedoublyawake.HeneededtobevigilantnotonlysoastopreserveIthacainhisheart,butalsosoasnottolosethevisionofhiswanderings.(BarbaraCassin,Nostalgia.So,thenwhenisoneatone'splace?,publishedinGreekbyMelani,2015,tr.bySesilIgglesiMargelosp.64.)

7.Flight,exile,uprooting,wandering.Memory,thehomeland.

8.Theprojectionoftheidentityofplace,simultaneouslymarkstheabsenceofthatidentity.(Itislikethefilmframeprojectingthingslonggone,peoplelongsincedead.)Thegazereturnstomeetwithsomethingentirelyothertowhatitleftthere.Recognition is not attained except as an imaginary automatism.Wecannotrelyonthetraces.Thethirdkind,Platomentions,istheeternalchora(space)whichisnotcorruptedbutprovidesarestingplacetoallthingsthatarebornandwhichcanbeperceivedonlybymeansofabastardreasoningwithouttheuseofthesensesbutonlythroughbelief.

9.Thereturnisanimpossibility.Undertheweightofaccumulations,mnemonicimpressionsbelieoneanotherinsuccession(atleastarenotconfirmed)andwhileIamattemptingtocomprehend,thefamiliarplacecollapses.Iregroup,ImakepeacewiththeunfamiliarandIcontinue,buildingontheruinsmytrust inthenewplacewhichisforeign.Imightget lost there,stopexistingduringablinkingoftheeye,adeepbreathorasneeze.The road to re-appropriation is noisy and dirty.Itisveryoftensadlydesolate,butalwaysfascinating.Pilesofimpressionscreatedistractions,obstaclesandnarrowpassagesorrenderitinaccessible.

10.Wearebeforethesummerof2016.Wearelivingtheescalationofthewar,whichthefinancenewsbulletins,internationalorganizationsandstatistics,areallattempting tocamouflage.Naturally,realitywillpersist.

11.The idea of the homeland as a kind of knowledge, constructed within the bounds of aprogrammatic, artistic activity, is themarginal, the false, the obscure, the incomplete butmaybethemostconciseintermsofallowingustoinhabitit.Along-termconception,thedaringsynopsis that escapes time's incessant becoming, an idiosyncraticmemory, that iswhat thehomelandis.For thosewhocanstill reflectand,naturally,dream, there isnoworld that isbeing lost, leavingbehind the sickly-sweet smellof a corpse, anewworldofmemoriesproducedby technological gadgets, andof nostalgia turning to indignation, but the countrywherethingshappencontemporaneously,thepastisnosouvenir,thereal,theeventualisnotan

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ironwallrupturedhereandtherebypsychoanalyticschools,thepettinessofdisputation,academichypocrisyanditssanctions,but,onthecontrary,afundamentonwhichtheworldisconstitutedinthedirectionoftheinvisible,theimaginedandtheplayful.Myhomelandistheunchartedyouth.Myhomelandthatisneitherdeterminednorwonandwhichbelongstoeveryonethathaslivedandeveryonewhowilllive.

WewerebothbornandraisedinNikea.WerealizedthisshortlyafterourfirstcollaborationinNovember2007,inthecontextoftheartists'groupintothepill.OnewasborninKokkinia,thehistoriccenterofthemunicipality,andtheotherinNeapolis,themostrecentdistrictwhoserebuildingstartedin1950andculminatedinthe80s.Ourintensivepreoccupationwithurbanityanditshistoryand,simultaneously,theexceedinglycomplexsociopoliticalsceneunfoldingduringtheeightyearsofourcollaboration,enlargedourfocusofinterestpastthemetropolitancenter.Atthesametime,ourdiscussionsreferring to the particular cultural aspects of the western suburbs, the frequent and oftenamusingascertainmentofthewidespreaduseofaspecificlocalidiom,ledtotheideaofaworkaroundthememoryfieldofthehomelandandthebasicquestionoftheim/possibilityofreturn.

InMay2015,wepresentedatthePlatformProjectofArtAthina,theinstallation851Athens-Nikea,wherewetreatedPetrouRallist.asanaxisconnectingthesuburbswiththecapital,asazoneoftransition/catharsisbutalsoasarestartofmotion-dependentperception,whichfocusesonthesuspendedtimeofthattransition:thetimethatstirssubjectivememoryattemptingtoalignitwiththerealplace.Personalarchivesthatconnectsuswiththedestination,paradoxicaland rarememoranda, recordings and classifications of the complex human landscape,weresome of the materials of the installation.

The present book completes the undertaking which started on December 15, 2015, when,returning toNikea itself,we invited visual artists andwriters to collaborate on creating anexhibitionandabook,whichwouldcompriseapoeticinvestigationintotheim/possibilityofreturn,ofmemory,thehomelandandloss.

Intheexhibitiontookpart24artistswho,throughtheirpersonalartisticmachinations,throughcomparative juxtapositions of experience in a changing environment, investigated accruedbeliefsystems,experiencesandmemoriesanduncoveredversionsofreturn,whetherphysicalor cognitive. The exhibition took place fromMarch 16 toApril 4 in Nikea, at theManosLoizosculturemultiplex(theformerMechanicalCultivation)ahistoricalindustrialbuilding,emblematicoftheareawhichincorporatesinitsshell,onehundredyearsofhistory.

Detailed information about the exhibition and the works presented there may be found atnicesdv.wordpress.com.Inthepresentvolume,thesameartistsdeliverabodyofimages,anewwork,aroundthedesignatedissues.Ananthologyoftextsfromsixteenwritersispresentedaswell.

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Notes

Kokkiniawasfoundedin1924toreceivethewaveofrefugeescreatedbyeconomicinterestsmixedwithgrandideasandchangeableconditions.ThespecialagreementonthepopulationexchangebetweenGreeceandTurkeytookplaceinJanuary1923.ItisthefirsttownshipofmodernGreeceestablishedexclusivelyfor thereceptionof theAsiaMinorrefugees.Thearea'ssettlementbeganin '24whichiswhenthefirstresidentialblocsarebuilt,wherewithinasingleyear,50,000peoplearehousedwilly-nilly.Runningwaterisconnectedin'36whiletheelectricitynetworkisputinplaceafterthewarbythePowercompany.

In the following years, Kokkinia remains a typical refugee settlement. Artisans, factory workers,smallcommercialbusinesses.Themixingofthewiderarea'sclassprofilewiththecosmopolitanismandknowledgebornbythemiddleclassofAsiaMinorareatrademarkofthetownshipandfindexpressionin theculturalproductionof thewiderarea (Kaminia,Tambouria,Drapetsona,Keratsini)whichdeeplyaffected and is visible today in contemporary demotic art.

In thegreatwar thatensues, thefirstgenerationof refugeesarecalledupon toparticipate.Kokkiniawithitsstrongresistancenetworks,istargetedbytheGermansandtheirGreekandItaliancollaborators.The cosmopolitan and class identity is transformed into nationalist sentiment. The place inadvertently throngswithpatriots, collaborators,heroes, cowards, traitors, apologistsof theneworder,bloodshedandsacrifice...Inthiscontext, theeventthatmarksthetownistheinfamousKokkiniaroadblockon 17 August'44,wherethegreekpolice,thesecurityforcesofPireasalongwithlargecontingentsoftheGermanGestaposurroundthetown,executeonthespotovereightymenandarrestovereightthousandwhomtheytakeprisonersfirsttothecampofChaidariwheremoreareexecutedandfromthere,anotherthreethousandaretakenhostagetoGermany,toguaranteethesafepassageofGermansduringtheirretreatandsurrender.

Aftertheendofthewar,Nikea,asKokkiniawasrenamed,isofficiallydeclaredtobeasiteofmartyrdom.Astheselinesarepenned,ithasperhapsthestaunchestpopulationofrightwingnationalistsandagreatpercentageofvoterswhosubscribe to theseviews.Whatmight initiallyappearparadoxical, isactuallyhardlysurprisingoncewerealizethatthegenerationscomingafterthegenerationofrefugees,adaptedtoadiscoursehatefulofdifference,steepedinnationalistpatriotism,withliberationistaspirations.Thistypeofdiscoursedominatedmassivelyateverypoliticalrallying,overandagainstinternationalism,alongsideaneffusivemoralizing,theperversionofhistoryanditsunconditionalannexationbytheinterestsofpartypolitics that have for years been putting up marble busts of heroes and monuments. This is an especially downgradedareaofAthens.AdowngradingthatclearlyreflectsthedominantprejudicesofmodernEurope:economicdevelopment,productionandprogress,utilitarianisteducation,publichealthchecks,survival,safety and competitiveness.

A densely populated townshipwith dozens of national lottery centers and cement schools/prisons,multistoryapartmentbuildings, shoppingmalls inbetween the inhabited ruins, abandonedconstructionsites,monuments,publiccultureserviceswhichbyandlargefunctionasproducersanddistributorsofaprofitoriented,populisthybrid.

The locals gamble inbetween the jostlingandennuiof thenewsbulletins, eagerlywatch thegreekfootball nationals and formula 1 races, wander in shopping malls and trade in cheap byproducts, areunderemployed,aredreamingofexchangingthepaternalhomeforanapartmentbuilding,aredreamingofacountryhousethatisforeverunfinished,paytheirtaxes,don'tpay,believetheyarebeingplanesprayedwithsleepinggas,arecontentwiththemunicipalstreetcleaningservicesbutgrumbleaboutthemigrantsdirtyingtheircityand,withincreasingfrequency,theywearprayerbeadsandflythegreekflagontheirbalconywhileotherssupportmodernizationandlookfortheresponsibleparties.

Despite all that, there is alwaysmore, something,despite it all, the persistentwandererwill intuiteventoday,themulti-ethnicSmyrna,Pergamon,AivaliorEphesusofthebeginningsofthe20thcentury,innarrativesmixedinwith thePireasof thecraftsmenandthefactorygirls, theport, thevagrancy, thelove,thedexterity,thequick-wittedness,theinnerrebelliousnessandtheembeddedadventureofmigrationand foreignness.Onewill hear themusic, smell the cooking, if lucky,might even taste it,will see theembroideredlaceatthewindows,theminigardensofpotplantsoutsidethehousesandinthecourtyardsthatremainandpersist,alongwiththegraceofgestureinpeople'smovementsandwordsandlooks.

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Yiannis D. Ioannidis

RETURNANDRECOVERY

There are two waysofgettinghome;oneistostayputandneverleaveinthefirstplace.Theotheristowalkroundthewholewideworldtillyoucomebacktothesameplace.ItriedtotracesuchajourneyonceinastoryIwrote.I conceivedof it as a romance takingplace in thosevast valleyswith sloping sides, like

thoseontheflanksofthehillsonwhichtheancientWhiteHorsesofWessexarescrawled.Itconcernedsomeboywhosefarmorcottagestoodonsuchaslope,andwhowentonaquesttofindsomethingliketheeffigyorthegraveofsomegiant;andwhenhewasfarenoughfromhome,helookedbackandsawthathisownfarmandvegetablegarden,glowingsoftlyonthehillsidelikethecoloursandquarteringsofashield,werebutpartsofonesuchgiganticfigure,onwhichhehadalwayslived,exceptitwastoolargeandtoocloseforhimtomakeitout.That,Ithink,isatruepictureoftheprogressofanygenuinelyindependentintelligencetoday;andthatisalsothesubjectmatterofthisbook.1

Return(n.):theactionofreturning,thesendingofwhatisdue:returnofmoney,ofagift,ofanengagementring. || returntotheplaceofdeparture,repatriation:returntothehomeland,retutnticket||[ecclesiastical]:returntothefaith,repentance:returnoftheprodigaltothefold.||[commercial]:itemsnotsoldesp.press,magazines,booksetc.(singularorplural)[Militarytactics]:Seeagrressiveturnabout.[Rhetoric]:Thushasreversal been designated by certain commentators2

That's enough for now;thesethingsareentirelypersonal,theyarepreciselywhattheyneedtobe,inorderforBuenosAirestobethereaswell.BuenosAiresisthestreetfurtherup,theoneInevercrossed,itisthesecretdepthsofevery

neighborhood, the inner courtyards, it iswhat the outerwalls obscure, it ismy enemy, if Ihaveone,itistheonewhodoesnotlikemyverses(Idon'tmuchcareforthemeither),itisthatout-of-the-waybookshopwemighthavegoneintoonceandnowhaveforgotten,itistheenchantmentofanoldsongsomepasserbyiswhistlingandyoudon'trecallitstraightawaybutitmovesyou,itiswhathasbeenlostandwhatwillcome,itiswhatisfaraway,whatbelongstoothers,somethingthatturnsacorner,ourneighborhoodwhichisneitherminenoryours,thatwhichwedon'tknowandthatwhichwelove.3

Return of the Prodigal;seeSundayoftheProdigal(Luke'sGospell15:11-24).4

A foreigner visiting Oxford or Cambridgeforthefirsttimeisshownanumberofcolleges,libraries,playingfields,museums,scientificdepartmentsandadministrativeoffices.HethenasksButwhereistheUniversity?IhaveseenwherethemembersoftheCollegeslive,wheretheRegistrarworks,wherethescientistsexperimentandtherestofit.ButIhavenotyetseentheUniversityinwhichresideandworkthemembersofyourUniversity.IthasthentobeexplainedtohimthattheUniversityisnotanothercollateralinstitution,some

ultimatecounterparttothecolleges,laboratoriesandofficeswhichhehasseen.TheUniversity

1. G.K.Chesterton,TheEverlastingMan(1925).

2. Great Greek Encyclopedia Pyrsos,Vol.XI,Athens,19313. JorgeLuisBorges,BuenosAires,InPraiseofShadow(1969).

4. GreatGreekEncyclopedia,Pyrsos,Vol.XI,Athens,1931

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isjustthewayinwhichallthathehasalreadyseenisorganized.Oncethesehavebeenseenandthewaytheyareco-ordinatedhasbeenunderstood,then,theUniversitywillhavebeenseen.5

Electrical return circuit: [Electr.]Aspeciallydesignedcircuittoshutdownorturnononeormorelampsfromtwoormoreswitches,calledreturnswitches(aller-retour).6

... , , , ,,,.7

Translation:Theshipbywhich[Theseusand]theyoungreturnedfromCretehadthirtyoarsandwaspreservedby theAtheniansuntil the timeofDemetriosPhalireas (317-307BC)atwhichtimetheoldwoodwhichhadrotted,wasreplaced.Eversincethen,philosophersstarteddisagreeingaboutitsstatus.Onesideclaimedthattheshipremainedthesameandtheotherthatit is not the same ship.

Epistrofia or pistrofia[Folklore].Thefirstvisitaftertheweddingtothebride'sparentalhome,also known as gyrismata (turnings) antichara (joy reciprocated) antigamos (counter-wedding),etal.ThisiscustomarilydoneonthefirstTuesdayorThurdsayaftertheweddingor,morefrequently,onthefollowingSunday.8

Whether we choosetoreckonitasstillthesameshipisaquestionnotofwhatweconsiderthesamebutofwhatwecallaship;aquestionofhowwechoosetodefinethattermovertime.Mostofourgeneral termsaredefinedon thebasisof thecriterionofcontinuity,because

continuity supports causal connections. 9

Epistrofia(feminine)[Antiquity]InvocationofAphroditerelatedtoherattributeasgoddessoflove.Itsignifiestheheart-tendingone(latinVenusVeticordia),withtheoppositeinvocationknownasApostrofia.10

The constant yearly employment of this ship as the sacred ship bywhich the ritual annualvoyagewasmadefromPiraeustoDelos,seemstofavourtheviewthatthiswasindeedtheshipTheseustravelledin.Butdoesthatfactreallysufficetosilentallclaimsthatashipreconstitutedfrom the discardedwoodmaywell be closer to the ship inwhichTheseus sailed, both inmaterial,designandnavigation?Fewofuswillhurrytomakeachoicebetweenthetwooptionssofarspecified.Somewill

even say thatwedont have to choose.Theywill askus to imagine that the issue is beingdebatedatatimethatnolongerbelievesinApollobutstillbelievesinTheseus,andintendstoerect a monument to him and place his ship upon it. Archaeologists might then argue that the shipputtogetherfromdiscardedplankswouldbetherightonetouseforthatpurpose.This,inturn,mightbedisputedbythesuperannuatedpriestswhowouldfavourtheshipinworking

5. GilbertRyle,Descartes'Myth,inTheConceptofMind(1949).

6. Great Greek Encyclopedia Pyrsos,vol.XI,Athens,1931.7. Plutarch,Theseus,23.1.8. Great Greek Encyclopedia Pyrsos,vol.XI,Athens,1931.9. W.V.Quine,TheoriesandThings(1981).

10. Great Greek Encyclopedia Pyrsos,vol.XI,Athens,1931.

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order,stillundertakingtheritualjourney.Thedifficultyisacertainincompatibilitybetweenthetermsofthetwopositions.Forthesake

ofaconciliation,itmightbesuggestedthat,ifonepartyfavoursanarchaeologicalrelicandtheotherafunctionalcontinuityintime,thenthedisputereallyistraceabletoadisagreementaboutwhatitisforsomethingtobeasacredship.Itmightbesaidthatthearchaeologistwhofavoursthe reconstituted ship has a different interest from the priestwho favours the continuouslyrepairedship.Botharemakinguseofthesametermshipbut,havingdifferentinterests,theydonotshareacommonreferent,i.e.theydon'tmeanthesamething.InseekingTheseus,archaeologybyitsnaturelooksback.ButTheseushimselfwaslooking

forwardtothepriestswhowouldcontinuethecultwhichheestablished.11

Epistrofion [Nautical](com.pistrofa,frenchlegabord,calbordi.e.thegardboard-strake):thefirststrakenexttothekeelofawoodenship;athickplankformingaridgealongthesideofawoodenship.12

Solution:weputasidethetermthesamethingwhichisambiguousandweanswerthatitisthesameship(definedasconstructionorstructure)thoughnotthesamecollectionofplanks.13

Agressive turnabout[militarytactics]AccordingtoFrenchmilitaryregulations,andthereforetheGreek(Mit.Reg.1905270,1914,262)acounteroffensivefor there-occupationofdefensivelinesrecentlyovertakenbytheenemywhohasnotasyetsufficientlyregroupedororganized their defense.

Such a counterattack is always frontal and supports success hopes exclusively onprevailingdisarray,confusionandexhaustionof theenemyonceoccupiedtheposition.It isself-evidentthat,oncetheoccupyingforcesregroupandbegintoorganizethedefenceofthepositions occupied, any action to attack is, from that point on, not designated as a counteroffensivebutasaconventionalattackwiththetacticalaimofreclaimingthelostpositions.14

It's dawn... I see themoon faint through the black clouds; I amgoing back to the bridge;uponit,adarkentity,soldiersonfoot,moveinathrong.Itremindsmeofdeepdarknights.Theygetclose,scatter,thenjoinup.Theofficersrunonhorseback,theservantsrunbehind.Theyremembertherestaurant,thelitroom;outofthecityacaremergeswithoneheadlighton; inside, itmademeafraid tosee,werevillagers. Iarriveat the furnaces:a redmouth,adarkfigureinside;above, themoonhashidden.I turnmyeyestothecity;nearbydarkenedmountains.Iseeouttotheplain.AwhitecallingIdonotgotoit;Iwalkpastthemilltoseetheroom...Iseenothing...Theailingmanatnightneedsacalminglight;uponthetabletheclock;it'sticking;youcanhearit.15

Cut-up,February2016

11. DavidWiggins,SamenessandSubstanceRenewed(2001).12. Great Greek Encyclopedia Pyrsos,vol.XI,Athens,1931.13. VincentDescombes,TheCollectiveIndividuals(1992).14. Great Greek Encyclopedia Pyrsos,vol.XI,Athens,1931.15. StratisDoukas,"TheReturn"(1943),fromEnotia(Kedros,1981).

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Katerina Iliopoulou

THRESHOLD

Thedooropenstolearnthenewlanguage,neweverytime,everytimeold,renewed,recycled.Behind it the dark room.Andbeforeyouenterthefainttrembling,thehoveringfirststep.

Here:notwhoamIbutwhereamI?Whatisthishere?Iamatthethreshold.Andinsidedarkness.Iwillneedtomakemywayblindly,towindmyvision up to another function.

SomethingcomestomeoramIgoingtoit?Andalwaystrembling.Iamscaredtogointothisothertime,Idon'tknowwhatofmetoleavebehindandwhattotakealong.Thepassageisarupture.Whatoughttobreak?

There:withoutfamiliarity,withoutrecognition.ForthismovementIneedtoswallowmyself,to forget myself in contemporaneousness.TogainabitoftimeyetbeforeIseewhatisbehindthedoor.Ijustnowdecidedtoopenmyeyesonto this unmanifest. The room does not offer me shelter. It is essentially inhospitable. For it to be inhabited the narrator must himself facilitate entry into the story.

Here:IamcontainedinsomethingwhichIamnotmyself.Iamcontainedinspaceandintime.Itisunbearablenottobecontainedinspaceandtime.AmIresponsibleforfindingmyplaceinthehouse?

ForthisjourneyIcallupacompanion:

Sothen,letitbeadistantrelativewithAltscheimer's,deadfordecades,whiteheadwiththick,intractablehair,eightysomethingyearsofage,heappearsbehindthewallof thecourtyard,looks inwitha timid smile,doesnot recognizemebut is embarrassed toaskwhoareyou,maybehewantstoaskwhoamI?Besides,itiscommonheretoputthatquestiontoyouwhoamItheyaskyouonsight,asamemorytest.Hisbrotherdead,hisnephewdead,wearenotchildren.Sohestaysputbehindthewall,hecourteouslysaysgoodevening,hesitating,everytimestartstheacquaintancefromscratch,startstimefromthebeginningoftime.

Firstlove,countryside,1932.Love in the empty land.DescriptionofcountrybyBritishwriter,May1932,Wolf,Virginia:

Thisthen,isalandsoancientthatitislikewanderinginthefieldsofthemoon.Lifeisreceding.Theliving,theseworndown,forevertravelling,cannotmasteritanylonger.Itistoobaretoostony,precipitousforthem.Wemetthemalwaysonthehighmountainpassespaddingalongbesidetheirdonkeys,sosmall,existingsopainfully,alwaysmarchinginsearchofsomeherb,someroot,masteredbythevastdistances,unabletodomorethandigtheirheelsinintherock.Suchsolitudeastheymustknow,underthesun,underthesnow,suchdependenceonthemselvestoclothe& feed themselves through thesplendidsummerdays...Thecenturieshave leftno

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trace.Thereisno18th16th,15thcenturyallinlayers...nothingbetweenthem&300B.C.300B.C.somehow(dominated)conqueredit&stillholdsit.Soitisthecountryofthemoon;Imean,litbyadeadsun.Ifonefindsabayitisdeserted;sotoowiththehills&thevalleys;notavilla,notateashopnotakennelanywhere;nowires,nochurches,almostnograveyards.

MountainsandolivegroveswithoutasoulYetinthewildernesshefindsherand time commencesthehiddenpain,thediscommodingthetwistingofnervesthe sickness and the healingthegreattrepidationandthegreataffirmationin the empty landthesmelloftheflamethe taste of blood on the lipshis secret in the darklimbs loosenedhis voice resounding in a frenzied songheartbeatinglikeaclocknewlystartedriddledeverywhereher laughter ferrets him outhe breathes itexposedinhiseveryfissurestarvedhe opens his mouth in the countryside and sings to himself

Bymeansofthevoiceheexitshimselfandasheturnstolooknowbehindthewallheseeshimself indeed singing sees his open mouth the entry and exiting of his breath. He embraces themule'svelvetheadanditpullsimpatientlyawayandneighs,heobservesfromupclosethetwitichingofitsflesh.Whatheembracesisherandherlaughter.Hissecret.Lickinghislipshetasteshisowntaste.Abirth.Inasimilarwaynow,hesitant,notknowingwhere,who,strangeandfamiliar,hecomeswithme.

Ihavebeenatthethresholdforalongtime,atthemeetingwhichwouldbeimpossiblewithoutthepoem.Iamstandingatthedoorwayandstartupsomeknitting,somehandiwork,IneedsomethingtodowhileI'mhere,timedoesnotpasswithoutactionsoitneedstobehelpedalongwithsomeformofactivity.

Doestimespread?Doesitgetadded?Doesitthinout?IfIthinkoftimeasspace,doImaybewanderinalandscapethatkeepsexpanding?AmIcomplicatedandvoluminouslikeabook?Canwhatwasscouredmaybebereinhabited?

Idon'twanttoentertheroomoftime.Thereareplacesforthingsthereexceptnothingisinitsplace.Idon'tknowiftheroomsuggeststhatthereusedtobesomethinghereonce.Orhasitbeenlikethisforever?Waiting,thatis,tobeinhabitedbysomething?Thenitwouldquakewiththeanxietyofanticipation.Butitdoesnot.

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Quietherewithnoanxiety.Heretheopen-closed.Liketherewasneitheracontentnordoesitlookforwardtoafuturefulfillment.Whatthen?

Possibleactions:

The room simply being traversedPerforming the opening upFilingthepossiblefindsinsidetheroomThecleaning,theemptyingoftheroomandtheeradicationofitstracesTraining in lossThefruitlessactionofviewing

Even beforePlayingatthethreshold,IamsittingonamatandIamcallingavirtualcatfromaphotographdecades old.Thecatandtheoldmanarenowsittingwithme.

TodayhowhappytodaywasatthelittleroundByzantineChurchontheslopesofHymettus.Whycantweliveforeverlikethis,IsaidtomyselfAfamilykeepsthechurchmiddle-agedmen&women,sittingintownclothes(themen)withovercoats&goldringsreadingapaperat3.30.Suchidleness,suchaimlessnessI'veneverseeninEngland.Atlasttheyoungest,awoman,inshawlslippers&cottondress,strollsoff,climbsaruinedwall&beginstopickyellowflowersnothingelsetodo.

Behindthedooristhestrangerwholivesinsideofmewhoknowstheentriesandtheexits,whodoesthecalculations.Underthecrackofthedoorseepsthedifferenceintemperaturesomethingcold,somethingoldbutalsofromthefuturesurroundsmewithitsfamiliarity,thatunknownwhichismine,theuntouchedpointIcarrywithinmelikeachildbirth.Iamtheenvoyofmytime,themessageIwillneverreadissealedinabeyanceinmyheart.Somethingunsaidthatcannotbeforgotten.AmItheoutcomeofanequation,amIasumtotaloradistillation?Whatistheprocess?

Intheretheconfluenceofcolors,herethecoloredmatoutsidethedoor.

IfonlyIcouldembracemywholeself!Howtoembracewhatcomestome.Indeterminatethoughnecessary,howtoreceiveit?Behindthewallhismouthopensouttosongandunderneaththedoorseepsthesoundlessandwordlesssongofdust.Whocansealone'sears?

Sowewenttothehill,allinonegulp,butitwaswiredoff,&wethereforeturnedback&wentontothetheatre,withitscurvedmarbleseatseachcutwiththenameofapriestseatholderas theystickcardson theboxesatCoventGarden...&wesaid thatSophoclesEuripides&Aristophanesmusthavesathere&seenAnyhowthehillswerebeforethem,asbeforeus.Andifthe2000yearshavelaidafewlightrubbishystuccohousesontheearth,intheway,verylittlehasbeendonetodamagetheviewnothingsolid&immense&lastinghasbeenbuilt.Poverty&war&miseryhavepreventedanyobliteration...

Iamwritingoutsidethedoor.IextendmyhandtowriteonthesurfaceofthepaperinordertofindmyselfwhereIwasnotpresent.IamahunterandIamasupplicantbeforethedoor,I stalk and I pray.There are simultaneously two times here at the threshold.Outside noon

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December the 28th,adaynomatterwhich,where/butthesameday.Separatedandjoinedthisdayandalltheotherstogether.UnderthesameroofIbringyouwithmebecausewewhisperedsomethingthatwasn'tproperlyheard,wehavebeenstrangerstogether,embracinglikeoutcastsandfugitivesforamoment.Lifeismanylivesjoinedtogetherandwithoutabreakyouarenowworking,digging,observing,Iambeingborn,I'mwringingmyhands,youaregettingdrunk,youyell,bendovertheground,Ireachfortheskywithmygaze,youaresinging,nowIambeingborn,Iamreading,youaredigging,youarefallingsick,Iamfallinginlove,youaregettingdrunk,Iamswimming,Iamcrying,youforgetaboutmeIlookintoyoureyesyoudieIcomeclosetoyouyoureachyourhandIhearyourvoicedeeplyyouaresingingwithnosoundto my ears I am looking for you.

&feltasifaknifehadscrapedsomeincrustedorganinme,forIcouldnotfindanythinglackingin that agile, athletic beauty, steeped in colour, so that itwas not cold, perfectly free fromvulgarity,yet;oldinhumanlife,sothateveryinchhasitswildflower,&thepeasantsaregentlepeople;&theirclothes,worn&burnt,aresubtlycoloured,thoughcoarse.

Whatistherebehindthedoor?Thereisanoldwardrobewithcarveddoorseatenbywoodworm.Insidethewardrobehangsablackumbrellaandaredhandwovenblanketinsidesometatteredplastic. There are large clay urns. If you bend over them you can feel the vertigo of containment. Rustytoolswiththeiredgebluntedlongago,alsosomecrooked,four-leggedstools,possiblyfor fairy tale dwarfs. Low round tables. Most things are receptacles for something else,nowemptyor nearly so.Wooden chestsfilledwithdust,wood shavings,moth eaten linen,threadbarelace,fragmentsoffabricsandalsohundredsofplasticbagshangingfromthebeamsthatcontainnothingbutotherbagswellfoldedandstoredincaseofneed,crumbsandemptyplasticcontainers,oneinsidetheotherandalsostrawbasketswithleftoversofcondiments,andotherpaltrypaperandplasticwrappingsstorageofemptyspaceforpossiblefutureuse.

ButwhathaveIcomeheretodo?Imighthavebeenatreasurehunter,evenanarchivist,butherenothing:voidandthesyntaxofvoid.Mycompanionhasremainedontheothersideofthewallsingingthemomentofhisfulfillment.AndIamdementedinsidethisroomofshells,runningupanddown,touchingthem,openingthemagainandagain,tryingoutrituals.

Am I an observer here or am I disturbing an order or ordering or bringing to light or transporting ordestroying,displacing,perverting,somethingssimplydissolveontouch.Theroomisnotcompletelyemptybutcompletelyfull.Itisthemultiplicationoflackandwhatevidencehasremainedintactintensifies its failure to contain something.Including the anticipation of a content as past history or identity.Theroomisempty?Mightitsimplybeopen?Anger.Disappointment.Ineedmorecluestotakewithme.Takethemwhere?Tothehomeland?It is perhaps a netherworld. The netherworld is pure interiority.A stomach which absorbsevents.Thepuremeetingpointwithoutforms.Aconvergenceofforms.

Thisthen:Theroomisameetingplace.Sosmallsolittlesoempty.IampluralandIbringyouwithme.Here.BecauseIneedyou.AllthistimeIamnotgropingandstumblingonsomethingthatisn'ttherebutoninteriority.

I take one step inwards, inside the room's insidewhere the outside disappears.UnderneaththeshellIswiminaspaceunassailedbytheexileandlonelinessofmyskin,immeasurableandprecise,withoutboundaries.Herethecontinentofeventsisillimitable.Whatmightthis

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unfeasibleproximitymean?Thisbirth into lifealreadyborn?Youabove thecourtyardwalllookingatme,notknowingme,askingwhoamI?,andIcanstartyourstory.InfrontofyouIamthinkingofyou,imaginingyoufromveryfaraway,soclose.Itouchyouwithoutintimacyfrominsidethesoil.Whatisitlikeusbeingtogetherlikeacountry?

The text is from the book Everyplace,once,andcompletely(Melani,2015).ThequotesinthetextcomefromTheDiaryofVirginiaWoolf,Vol.4:1931-35.

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Iana Boukova

THE HARE

Wewentenfamilletotheopenairmarket,afifteenminutewalkaway,butitturnedouttheyweresellingmostlysmallanimals,hardlyanyvegetables.Itwasononceamonth,onaSunday.Thereweresmallyellowchicks,liveturkeysandsomestrangefowlwithbeautifultailswhichIcouldn'tfigureoutiftheyweresomeweirdbreedofchickenorwildbirdsthathadbeencaughtandwerebeingsoldforslaughtering.Buthowcouldpeoplekillthem?Iaskedtheatrically,butnooneanswered.Asakidwithanaptitudeforrhetoric,Iwasinclinedtodramaticeffects,whichmyparentssteadfastlyrefusedtoencourage.So,thenwegottotheguysellingtheharesandwestartedjumpingupanddownwithmybrother,holleringwewant,wantahareandinoneoftheperfectlyunpredictablegesturesoflargessethattypifiedourfather,heboughtusahare.Hewasgrey,ofmiddlingsizeandmybrothercarriedhim.Wedidnotdevelopanyspecialkindofrelationshipwiththehare,helivedonthebalcony,he

twitchedhisnosecontinuouslyandkepthisearsflattenedsoyoucouldn'ttellthemapartfromhishead.Iconsideredhimdumb.Thefewtimeswetookhiminthekitchenheeitherstayedstock-stillortookafewtentativestepsshittingincessantly.Ontopofeverythingwehadtofeedhim.Heategreenleafythingsbutastheycouldn'tbuyhimfreshlettucedaily,itwasourtask,mineandmybrother's,togathergreensforhim.Up to this day I've no explanation as towhy those people yelled somuch.Every time I

bentdown,awindowwouldopenandsomeonewouldscream:Youlittlebrat,whatdoyouthinkyou'redoingcuttingthoseoff?Shameonyou!Therewereplentyofwildgreensinthelargecourtyardbetweentheapartmentbuildings,ofnousetoanyone.Ineverunderstoodwhattheproblemwas.Butalmost every single time therewouldbe someoneyelling.Up to thisdayIhavenoexplanationwhyIwassoterrifiedofthosescreams.Inactualfact, theywereat theirwindows, theycouldhardlydoanything tome.Still, Iwouldrunoffstraightaway.Sometimes,whenthevoiceswereparticularlyloud,Iwouldn'tstopuntilI'dreachedthedoorofourapartment.Gatheringgreensfortheharewasahorridexperience.ItriedtoevadeandavoiditineverywayIcould.Iamnotsureexactlywhathappenedthatday.Possiblyourmothercamehomefromwork

earlierthanusualandwehadleftituntilthelastminutetorestoresomesemblanceofordertothechaoswehadcreated.Maybeitwasafteranextrashift.Wecertainlyhadn'tfedthehare.Mybrotherhadbeenoutforhismealandwhenhecameback,Irememberhe'dsaid:Today,theharewillhavedaisies.Itwasmymother'sonlyhystericalacteverandI'venoideawhatcausedit.Ididn'tseeithappen.ImusthavebeeninthekitchenandthetwoofthemoutonthebalconywhenIheardbybrotherscream:Shethrewhimout,shethrewhimout!Irecallusstampedingdownthethreeflightsofstairstothecourtyard.ThenextthingIrememberisthehareonthekitchenfloorandthethreeofusoverhim,intears.Hewaslyingonhisside,hishindlegsslightlymoving,asifrunninginhissleepandthentheystopped.Therewasnobloodatall.Idon'tknowwhenImadethedecision,butitwasconsciousandImadeitrelativelycloseto

theevent:Iwasn'tgoingtoallowthedamnedharetoturnintoatraumaticexperience,andhedidn't.Thatiftherewasavictim,thatwouldbemymother.Thatwhatwillstaywithmeandtormentme,wastheexpressionofpurehorroronherfaceasmeandmybrotherwerescreamingnexttoher.Inmymemory,inexplicably,screamingandjumpingupanddown,asifwithjoy.Irememberthatnightaswell.Theharewasonthebalconywrappedinanewspaper.When

fathergotback,heandmotherspokeforawhileinthekitchen.Wecouldn'thearathing.Can't

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imaginewhattheymighthavebeensaying.Ican'timaginewhatyoumightsaytoawomanwhomsomethinghastakentothatpoint.Afterwardswewereallsittinginthesmalllivingroom.IfeltasweetreliefwhichmeansImusthavecriedplenty.Idon'tknowwhyinmymemory,thelightisoffandwearesittinginthedark.Itwasawarmnight,thewindowwasopen,nocarswerepassingandintheapartmentblockacrosstheway,Leopardowasplayingthepiano.Leonardowasachubbykidforcedtoplaythepianoforhours.Hisnameseemedunrealtous

andweconcoctedvariationswithmybrother.ButhowcouldtheynamehimLeonardo?Ihadaskedmyfatheronce.Hismotherwasreadingtoomanynovelswashisanswerwhichhadsoundedveryreasonable.Andstilldoes,actually.Hisapartmentwasrightacrossandlevelwithours,sowe'doftenleanoutthewindowwithmybrotherandholler,movingourpalmslikeearsbyourhead:Boo-pidy-bopsy,DaVinci!Wethoughtthatwashilarious.Thatnightthewindowwasopen,itwaswarmandthestreetwasquiet,Leopardowasplaying

thepianoonandon,makingmistakes,pausingandstartingoveragain,anddadsaid:Maybeweshouldthrowhimthehare?Andwealllaughed.

FirstpublishedinthejournalEntefktirio.

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Konstantinos Matsoukas

RETURNINGInmyendismybeginning.

T.S.Eliot,"FourQuartets"

Inanydiscussionaboutthepossibilityofreturning,memoryandthehomeland(i.e.childhood)thefirstissuetobebreachedistopological:Fromwhereandwhereto?WheredoIleaveinordertoreturn,whichdimensionoftheself/ofspace?AndwheredoIarrive,atwhatpointoforiginordeparture?Wehavehereawanderingsubjectinsearchofaplaceoratleastamap,insearchofarouteandapassage,asubjectonare-connaissance.Returnasaquestforre-cognition.

Inthefamouslacaniantopologyofsubjectivity(TheMirrorStage)thefirstlocalizationoftheself,itsfirstsighting,takesplaceasaduplicate.Indiscoveringitsunifiedimageinthemirror,thinfantwhohasasyetnomusclecoordinationorcontrolofitsmovements,realizesthatIamhe:overthere,elsewhere/outthere,nothere/wholeandnotfragmented/anidealselfatsomefuturetime....Or,else,Asmasterofmyself,asfulfilled,astheoneIoughtandwishtobe,Iamsituatedsomewhereelse.Andextendingfromthis:Iamwhatisprojectedthere,notwhatisexperiencedhere/Iamhewhoisrealizedwithinthefieldofvisionofothers/Iamtheprisoner of visibility...

The relation between embodied presence and the gaze is a fission, a division. Alwayssomethinglacking,alwayssomethinginexcess.Always,already,thereisanasymptotebetweenconsciousness and lived experience. If the subject's credentials are its lackof self-identity, then, alienation,depersonalization/

paranoia seem to be immanent in the structural diagram of the human psyche. The various types ofsplittingandschizogenesistrackthispreexistingfissure.Thehumansubjectisdividedinthemaking,ithasdiscontinuityatitscore.Theadventureofconsciousnessisnoneotherthanthemanagementofthisinherentlack(ofours).

Asthefieldofmappingofthisadventure,modernliteraturefromDickinson,toKafkatoEliotis traversed by the same realization

Imnobody!Whoareyou? Areyounobodytoo? Thentheresapairofus-donttell! Theydbanishusyouknow.

Emily Dickinson

Inthiscontext,thesubjectofreturnmaybetranslatedas:Howmuchabsenceisourdueandhowmuchpresence?

Theyareconceptswithaformidablelineageofreamsandreamsofcriticalanalysisbut,atleastatthelevelofindividualconsciousness,westandwarned:Fullpresence(asareturntonature,tochildhoodinnocence,totheauthenticself,ortoanyotherstateconceivedofasprimary)

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iswishfulfillment.Or,rather,ametaphysics,theMetaphysicsofPresence,asecularreligionwhichputsforwardthemostcommonplacehumanplea;theappealfortherestorationofalostunity.

We understand, nowadays, that what fullness of presence/unity of the human facemay bepossible, it is not preexistent but is constructed out of thematerials of historicity, personalandcollective.Meaningisassignedaftertheevent,andprojectedbackwards,asecondeventis required to takeplaceat the levelof language.We live life forwardbutweunderstand itbackwards.Atgroundzero,onefirstsurvives,andthenunderstands.

Therefore,inordertotakeplace,re-turnandre-cognition,requireasecondlevelofconsciousness,requiredtoberaisedexponentially,asLacansuccinctlyputsit.Here,thesubjectarrivesafterhavingclimbedupthedialecticoflackandpropitiatedthatoriginalmourning.Here,itisnowpossible tocollect the sidebenefitsof its constitutionaldivision: irony, invention, theartfuldistancing, thewise hovering betweenoppositions until a third term showsup.Besides, aspsychoanalysisitselfconfesses,itstherapeuticdesideratumisnoneotherthanthesplitsubject'sexpedientselfmanagement.Theconciliationwithlivingintwoworlds.Neverfinal,alwaysontheway,alwaysamatterofdynamicbalance.

Similarlywithart, that eternal returning toapersonalmethod inorder tohost themeaningonere-cognizesasakin.Here,whereprocessandoutcomeareinterwovenandaccountedfortogetherinsofarastheartworkalwaysimplicatesboththepresentandthenon-beingofthecreator.

RECAPITULATIONModusOperandi

DreamsaretheshadowsoflifeLifeisthedreamofshadows

ShadowsarethelifeofdreamsDreamsarethelifeofshadowsLifeistheshadowofdreams

Shadowsarethedreamsoflife

NevermoreattractivethiscitythaninAugust,carlessandhumanlessifonlyitcouldlastforeverIwishAtheniansneverdidreturn.Ithasthesameshellshockedfeeling,ofamortarhavingjustexploded,asthefuneralofsomeoneyouknewquitewell.There,likeareluctantpet,yourbodyrefusestobelievethestoryprofferedbythemind.Youknowsecretlythatthereasonyou'reattendingthisceremonycan'tbetheoneyouclaim,youandeveryoneelse.Butyouplayalong,waitingfortheactorsamongthecrowdtorevealthemselves,forreallifetobegin.

Then,atanunsuspectingmoment,asmalllonelycloudcapturesyourattentionandwontgiveitback.Youwatchasitdelicatelyputsitsfingersinsideitsbellyanddismantlesitself.Theemptyspaceleftbehindreverberateslikeadrum.Yourealizeatlast,that'stheverycenteroftheaction.

Amantearinguphispassportinanairporttoilet.Awomanyouloveddecadesagowalkingonthesnowinsandals.Neitherofthemwillbecomingback,morethanlikely.Theyarebothimagesofgoodbye,onefromadream,onefromapoem.

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Thereareimageswithapalpabledepthandadistinctvibrationwhichcaptureyourattention.Theyrarelystepupoutoftheflowofconsciousnesstointroducethemselves:HereIam,makeuseofme.Theyhover,rather,onthevergeofwaking,invitingyoutoleavethetroddenpathandgodowntotheirnaturalhabitat.

Whatyoufindthereisthatindeterminacyrules.Thingshaveapart-existence,whichyourverydescent into the scene affects and shapes. Memory remains olfactory but consciousness is a material,likemudorrubber,andvision,yourealizeasyouscourthesemi-dark,isbeingforcedtosculpt thingswithyoureyes. It'sahunt for treasuresstored in thebody, thebodyfullofechoes,andyoumustlistenhardtowhatwordsyou'llbeallowedtotakewithyouwhenyoucome back up.

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Vassilis Amanatidis

FIVEFOLDonscale,size,origin and habitation

1. [ fire ]

At easeattentionat easeattentionat easeattentionat semi

memory

MemoryattentionmemoryattentionI say memoryattentionat semi

resurrection

Rectionanticipationadventattentionresurrectionfull gracedo commence

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2. [ lappas: and thus conjoined in a fashion but all mixed together ]

here are somegiganticportions:theenormouspiecesofawholethat1

(nose ears and op-posable thumbs tongue onearm and an eyelid a hoovetherecalvesandwher_)

but here too some miniwholes:miniscule bodies undivided

(theunitariesofslightestsize,theittybittyundismembered,yes,sometinyweefullones)

Sohere:thebigonesthatinpart(there,lookamemberparis2)

Soherealso:thewholesomelittleones(look,there'tis,apart3 )

and neither on one hand nor on the otheronlyeverconjoin-4 from this seeing that andalso this tactility but also

asifeversosweetlysayingtooneanotherfor5

1. theother?

2. hioner3. icle4. asunder5. give me

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3. [ and as if we are saying to one another: ]

-Itisimpossibleformywholetofillyourpartiality.-Mypartialityviolatesyou.Neverwillitfitinyou.-I'millatease.Mywholewillalwaysleaveinyouanenormousvoid.-I'millatease.Mypartialityisfartooenormoustobelacking.-Atleastwearethesameheightgiveortake.-Yourfingerismedividedbyahundred.Thatistimesby-Youareonlyfinger.Thatisdis-comfitting.Youareonlywhole.Thatisdis-comfitting.Youareo--

4. [ the blind mother to Little Alexander ]

Againyouarelate?Againyoudon'tseeme?You'reluckyIcan'tseeyoueitheranymore.Oranyone.Eventhoughnothingescapesme.Butyou,neitherseeingnorhearingmeforsevenyearsnow...Acoupd'tat!Ihavebeensubjectedtoacoupd'tat:unseenandunheardof.Who?Meforyou!Youhavebecomemysevenyearsadictatooor!You.Ofblindearsandmindandeyesaswell.Butblindonlywithme.Why?Anditwasyoulongagowhousedtocallmeadictator...Me!DidInotloveyou?Didn'tIever?Mewhomore-than-life-itse...

5. [ family history: safety distance ]

Allmen are live-in inlaws, father saw this phrase in his sleep.Atanothertimehethoughtofhispastures.Helivedinthem,atthevillage,till17.Thenhecameandgotinhere,allofhim.Heisdoingalright,doesnotcomplain,itisahappiness,hefeelswholeandpellucid.For25yearshecouldnotbearanyone.Hehadlockedhimselfinhisroom,writinganOdetoAlexandertheGreat.Hesmoked,onlyeversmokedandwrotefor25years.HelikeditthattheGreatwasgreatanddiedyoungaswell.Thegreatdiedattheageatwhichfathermarried.Also,Alexanderwas fair,grand,avisionary likea trueGreek.Hekilledwitheaseandhemadethisseemeasy.BloodisglorioustoAlexander,I believe father often sees this phrase in his sleep.Now hisGreatSon iscalledAlexander theGreat,and the littleoneAlexander theLittle.Therearesevenyearsbetweenthem.Thisisasufficientsafetydistanceintime.MotheriscalledAlcmene.SheisalwaysHercules'motherbutthattooisalwaysanotherstory.Iamthelittleone.

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Thodoris Chiotis

21

Anislanddoesn'tstopbeingdesertedsimplybecauseitisinhabited.(GillesDeleuze)

Every map is the evidence of anex or cism:wesowtentaclesin the soil of our eyesandweteachourselvestoobserve the borders from a safety distance.

hebody traces a route that initially seems unfamiliar, then familiar andfinallymenacing.First, thebodyis inscribedonspaceandthenthememoryofspaceunfolds inscribingitselfeverywhereonthebody.

Wechewontheresinemittedbythecitystoplightsandspitoutmaps:

wejumpfromoneislettoanotheruntilweleave the cityand our facesgrowbeaksthatunpickthe seams of the pavements.

The loudspeakerinthemiddleofthesquareshortcircuits:sentiments

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Fashions of desire SPLENDID.

Thebodyreturnstothepointwhereit used toquiver the bones are ground to dustthe x-ray revealsthe shoulders have becomeflatlands-

whowasitthatplacedthecrimsonlizardwrappingitself around the arm of the treewhichstoopstowardsthesea

(ifwenotedherethat the tree stoops

towardstheseawithoutevertouchingit,

wewouldseehowearnestlywearelooking

for a cliche - and that is in itself areturn)

time a spandrel to amnesty.

The lines 28-29 come from the novel SixNightsattheAcropolisbyGiorgosSeferis(Ermis,Athens,1998,p.17-18)

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Marios Chatziprokopiou

itiq:q 1

Hijras2

Black rags of grandmotherssaintnapthaleneofhallowedclosetsthewoodonthefloorcreakingthelittlebalconyonthevergeofcollapse,aspectrethenewownerwillcoatwithcement.

Black rags of grandmotherswoolyheatatmiddayyourscentlikeaquiltand a cool breezeyoudampenmyunfathomednight,thenightthatisofageyou scratch at my snakebodice.

Please do not forget to name me I Return

IGivebirth,abaresweethomecoming!in(to)yourvaginaIcreepI take on your formandwestarttodance

ThreewidowedGraces

Mymalehead,afreshlypreparedtreaton the platterweteareachothershairoverwhowilltonguekissit

Joytoyoursevenveils!

1. itiq:q Arabictermforthewordetymology.Literalmeaning:breach,separation,rupture.

2. hijras:Hindi() and Urdu (,)[]Southasiancultures[]malebiologicalgender[]femalesocialidentity[]20thcentury[]activisthijras[]WesternNGOs[]officialrecognition[]thirdsex[]categories[]beyond[]tym.arabicroothjr:abandon,denounce,migrate.

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Luna de miel3

WhenfatherpassedonastheysayI returned from the tropics myself.

Andweleftwithmumon a honeymoonforty-one days later.

Therooms-to-letwouldnotcontaintheorphanedone.ItwasstillthebeginningofMay. And the only customers wereretiredwomenfromtheNorth.Allofthem,accompaniedbytheirhusbandswhowerestillalive.

WeleftWesetoff

Wefoundourselvesinthemiddleofaflatland.

The three girls camegrandmothers made of earthwithhairinplaits

They uttered their predictions for our lives.

Thewholeworldcameverykindofyou,stranger!in the space of a hitchhiking sip.

Wesangsunsets

Thatveryevening,atthemobilehomeI dreamt ofasootyfireplacemyself,thewetwoodatfaultand a Saint George-Dragonjoltingme.

(disposingofme)tosparksIwasreduced.

Sincethen,wheneverandifI see dad in my dreamhe either smiles at meorheembracesme,

3. lunademiel:[...]Spanish[...]honeymoon[...]mensis[...]month[...]

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Hram4

Littleazuregirlthattwentyyearsaforeyouwerewateringwithmilkyourgrandfathersbedding,swishinggrandchild

Barrenyounowsweattosaddleyourselfwiththem,atouristchildlessdisownedoffspring withmoneyofunknownoriginselfcreating. Glass-like skin longing to be scratched

Website:Easteratthevillage

( Does Resurrection ever sound inthehecatombsofthechests?

Forcertain,daughterofmine,forcertain)

Thebeddingsthatraisedyou,waresyouhaggleoverwithfoxesrabbit-sistersbishopsbrothersscionsandacquiredtelesalesmen of the family house.

Theyearsthatcorrodedyou,pixelsonlinepicsandyougropearoundinthehopeoffindingand(re)claimingwithacreditcardnumberthe mark of shame that bore you.

4. hram:wool-cottonbedding[...]Agiasos,Lesbos[...]idiom[...]Turkishihram [] irm arabic[...]garment[...]faithfultoIslam[...]psychologicalcondition[...]pilgrimage,hajj [] arm [...]holy/sinful[...]Etym.arabrooth-r-m:holy/forbidden[...]ModernGr.(bedding),(wastedattempt),(squander),(thief),(harem)[...]

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Phoebe Giannisi

(Homecoming III)

lightness lightness lightnessall of life a nostalgia for lightnesslightness of the air in springunder the trees one noonwordsarehoveringthesunshadowslightlightness of summer morningslightness in battlewhenthelimbsofAchillesthelimbsoftheheroesriseoftheirownaccordasifgodputwingstherewhereforcefulnessisnotneededtherewherethereisanexcessofforcefulnessforcefulnessdoesnotspringoutofthewillforcefulnessgrowseffortlesslyinsidethe bodywhenthebreathoftheselfisthebreathoftheweathersurroundingthebodythehanddragsinthewaterthe boat is bringing itis itself brought along by another force whetheroftheengineorthewindlightnessthebuzzingoftheflyof the insect tirelesslyscamperingascendingdescendingwalkingweightlesslikeacaresslightness of the air in springneithercoolnotwarmthe body spreads and receives itnothing annoysonlyjoyatitstouchatitsunreserved embraceanembracewithnointentionnogoalnostalgia lightness nostalgiaof ParadisewesayParadiseisthenwhenallseasonswerespringthe air had that temperaturetherewasnogravityyou'venoneedtoflyso long as you thinkyou are outside

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as if you are insidethatthebodymovesofitsownthere is no effortit is relaxedstretched longit is upright in reposethe eyes look and seetheytakepleasureinwhattheyseetheylistentowhattheyseethey sniff the airthe air enfoldsit smells of grass seacicadas are heardsometimestheairmaybealittlewarmandbecauseitiswarmitmaybea little dense that is a little lightthe soul stretchesit remembers notit is inside itself inside its bodyIstarttowalkandIamflyingIamabirdwithoutflyinguphillisdownhillthe car is speedingfromthewindowsenterstheoutsideI turn my gaze and seetwosparrowsI turn my gaze againthesparrowshaveflownawayIdonotknowhowallthisexiststhe birds in the skyIknowitwithoutseeingthemwhenIseethemthey are no longer thereIwastheretooIwanttobethereagaina breath for a small giftasmallnowthatdoesnotlastitwillstayitwillgoitwillbeforgotten

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The present moment VI

all of a suddenas unexpectedly as the eye catchingtheflightofsomebirdyourheartleapsforjoyskipping a beat

something came and found you out of the bluethe absolute presentthethingthatfindsyouwithoutyouraskingthe unexpected

a little after that maybe alongside itthe cravingtomoveaheadfallforwardtowardsthefutureinsearchofsomethingunknown

for the unrepeatable to be repeated nostalgiathefirstfeelingthatinundatesevery creatureas soon as it comes out to be born

From Homerica(Kedros,2009),andfromRhapsody,duetobepublishedin2016,Gutenberg.

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Christos Chryssopoulos

NEURON

OnesunnySunday[windowofparliament] thepeoplestartcomingdown[windowofparliament]intheearlymorningfromthesuburbstowardsSyntagma.Theyareallholdingamerican, soviet and [lamppost] britishflags. I goup [threewindowsofparliament]Mitropoleosst.fromMonastiraki,runninglate,andassoonasIpassthechurchIhear[ facedwith tyranny the people choose either enslavement or the arms of theGreekLiberationFront]thefirst[ledge]shotsbeingfiredfromSyntagma.Inafewmoments,[twowomenstanding]hystericalfemalescreamsareheardandthen[manwithglasses]angrymaleones,and[outpostoftheroyalguard]someone[awomandemonstratoronherknees,holdingabanner]saystomefiercely:yougetthehellout,youngster!.Itakethe[youthful]adviceandbreakintoarunbecausethereisa[banner]largecrowdcomingdownofpanickydemonstrators,with[manwithglasses] someofthemyelling,otherscursing[seatedmanholdsaflagpole]andothersintears.Outcomeofatotallycowardly[loweredgreekflag]assaultbytheRoyalPalace:[asphalt]28deadand140injured.

Five minutes to three, [apartment building] four to, I see [trolley cable] suddenlytheturretturningintheoppositedirection,whereasithadbeenfacingtheentrytothePolytechnic.Notonlythat,but[lamp]italsoreversed[kiosk].Immediatelyafterwards[armoredvehicle]itwentup[kiosk]onthepavementacrossthestreet,gunneditsengines[searchlightbeam]andatfullthrottlewentandstruck[firearm]themain[threemeninuniform]entryofthePolytechnic.Thegatedidn'tgiveinatonce(maninuniformandmanincivilianclothes].Butthestudentsperched[signalbox]totheleftandrightonthegate,[tracks]didfall.Thedangerousbitwasthatbehindthegatetherewere[pavementturn]manystudents.

Theyfirstappeared[helmet]publiclyonthe25thMarchparadeof1975[streetlight]andawhilelater[street]theywereused[man]forthefirsttime,specificallyinclashesbetweenconstructionworkerswhowerestrikingandpolice(policeman'scap] inJulyof1975.Since then [armature of vehicle] their activity in comparable circumstances has been[wheel]most extensive, also supporting the personnel of theOrderRestorationUnit,[extendedteargasejector]establishedtwoyearslater[man]in1978.Followingcertainbloody[helmet]incidentsthattookplaceinsubsequentyears,[helmet]thetacticaluse[police]ofarmoredvehiclesindemonstrationswasreappraised[turret]andhenceforth[turret] they tookupas theirmainmission [turretcover] theguarding [streetlight]ofcritical facilities and infrastructure.Since then, two to threeRolandor/andGrenadiervehicleswere permanently deployed in almost [tear gas ejector] all of the country'sinternational[crypt]airports (besides,during thatperiod thephenomenonofairplanehijacking was at a peak).Yet another vehicle [wheel] of the same type was [wheel]permanently stationed at the Korydallos prison grounds, while their deployment inassignmentsofcrowdcontrolwassignificantlyrestricted.

The court [ceiling overlaid with tiles of white color] was not convinced that thisdefendantcausedby[metalairconditioningventtraversestheceilingatarightangle]any means the decision of the directors of Public Utility Companies to commit theactionsinquestionascribedtothem,noralso[lightingspot]thatheabettedinanyway

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[two policemen] the said actions. Besides, [seated counsel] the publishers who havetestified [wooden table bearing stacks of papers and notes] vaguely [two defendantsseated]thatA.P.isalsocriminallyresponsiblehaveansweredtorelevantquestionsthatwereputtothemandhaveprocurednospecificevidencefromwhichitwouldtranspire[smallclosedleathersuitcasefolderwithgoldenlegs,restingontheedgeofthetable]thattheabovedefendanthadgiven[emptywoodentable]instructionstothedirectorsofpublicorganizations todeposit theiravailablecapitalat theBankofCrete.Moreover,therehasbeennoevidencepresentedtosupportthat[blackleatherfolderwithgoldenlockandahandle,restingonthefloor]theformerprimeministerwascognizantoftheembezzlementswhichGeorgiosKoskotaswaspractisingduring[armofmicrophone]thecriticaltimeperiodofJanuary19toOctober19,1988,whenhewasmisappropriatingthedepositsatthe[emptywoodendesk-table]BankofCrete.

Everything began [flag] with an unconfirmed rumor. That the Spanish Indignadosraisedabanner thatbore thewords [threewindows]shhhh,bequiet, theGreeksareasleep.This rumorbecame theoccasion for themostmassive [threewindows]post-dictatorshipmobilizationtotakeplace[threewindows]inGreece.ThegreekmovementoftheIndignants,althoughitcontributedtoaradicalshiftinpolitical[threewindows]interrelations, did not lead to a [umbrella] discernible political platform [colonnade]like itdid inSpain. Itdid,nevertheless, [thumbsdown] sow theseed for thecreation[thumbsdown] ofmechanismsof thegreek society's self-defence.The experimentof[thumbsdown]thepopularassembliesgavebirth[thumbsdown]tosolidaritymovements[thumbsdown]andset[thumbsdown]inmotion[thumbsdown]unprecedentedprocessesofparticipation[thumbsdown]inthe[thumbsdown] public sphere.

ThepublicprosecutorimmediatelyafterwardspositedthecrucialquestionofwhetherthefiringofthatshotconstitutesanovereachingonthepartofMelistasoftheboundsofselfdefence.Cantheaccusedclaimthatatthatmomenthewasacting[youngmanfallenonhisbackonthepavementwithhislegsopenandtheleftarmspreadawayfromthebody.Therightarmisnearthetorso,heiswearingadenimvest,blackandwhitecheckeredshirtandblackscarf,blackjeansandwhitesportsshoes]undertheinfluenceoffearandagitationsothathemayevadeaccountabilityforhisaction?mr.Zagoreasqueriedinthecourseofhisplea.Andprovidingtheanswerhimself[shadowfromtheflashofacamera]hesaid:Ithinknot.Inastateofragehefiredashotandcomewhatmay,iswhathethought.Thishoweveristoexceedtheboundsofselfdefence.Therefore,thepreviouscourt correctly determined and decided ...

Themotorcyclistsofthegreekpolicewereprovingthat[crowdofrandomlymixedmeninuniformandcivilians]inadditionto[paperwing]beatingpeopleuptheycouldalsodoacrobaticsontheirmotorcycles(humanpyramids[anavyofficerandasailorflankaninfantryman]et.al.alwaysholding[marinewithhelmetlookstotheleft]theflagwiththebird)andacceleratethroughburninghoops.Themenofthespecialforceswere[aviationofficeratattentionwithfeeettightlytogetherandcaploweredoverhiseyes]sparringordoingphysicalexercises.Occasionallytheydroppeddowninparachutes.Butthebestpart[raisedpyramid-shapedplatformcoveredbyaflowerarrangementintwocolors]had to dowith the ancientGreeks, theByzantines and the freedomfighters of 1821.Withthearmaments,whereGreecestoodwreathedandwearing[meander]its[meander]chiton[meander]always[meander] infront[meander]ofthe[meander]Bird.WiththebattlesbetweenGreeksandTrojansaroundtheTrojanHorse.Withthemarchesof

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GreatAlexander's spear-bearing Persians.With the women of Hepeiros ladden withammunitionclimbing[wheel]mountainsmadeof[wheel]plywood.

To this nationalmission [chandelier] the governmentwill devote [clerical hat] at aninitial stage [photographic camera] its energies. For this reason, it has neither partyaffiliationnorpoliticalcharacter.Ithasacharacterthatisclearly[microphone]national.When,God'swillingandIhopeitwillberathersoon[politicianrestsrighthandontheBible]thenationalissuewillhavebeenconfronted[microphone]which[armymanstandingwithhandscrossedinfrontofhispubis]issunderringHellenismthroughandthrough, the [epaulet]government [archbishopholdsnoteswhichhereads lookingatthosepresent]strengthenedandwithitspowersrenewed,[candleflame]willtakeupthemost pressing issues of the land. And the paramount one among those is the rapid coining of a process thatwill lead [unknownman] to the founding of a true and progressivedemocracy [hand touches theBible]withinwhose framework [candlestickholder]allGreekswillhaveaplace.

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Zissis Kotionis

OUTWARDINCARCERATION,INWARDESCAPEVOURLA:WHOREHOUSEANDPRISON

THENANDNOW

Thebuildingcomplexofthestatewhorehouseandsubsequentprison,inVourla,Drapetsona,spansacenturyoftheurbanhistoryofmoderndayAthens.In1876,contractorNikolaosBobolasbuildsthestatewhorehouseinVourlawhichsheltersandcontainstheunbridledactivityofsexworkaroundtheportofPireas(pic.1).Attheendofthe1930s,thebuilding'suseasasexualmarketplaceisabandoned,inorderfortheprisontobehousedthereduringtheoccupation(pic.2)Theprisonheldvariousdifferentkindsofinmates.Inonewingthecriminals,inanotherdrugaddicts,inathirdpoliticalprisoners,membersoftheCommunistParty.Later,theincarcerationofmembersoftheLeftwaspredominant,whohadengagedinillegalactivityduringthecivilwarandafterwards,duringtheperiodofthepersecutionandexecutionofthepoliticalrivalsofthepost-civil-warregime.Pireas'JudiciaryPrisons,operatedinVourlauntilthetimeofthedictatorshipandin1987,thedisusedbuildingwasdemolished.1Today,ontheplotoftheformerwhorehouse-prisoncomplex,standsanunfinishedsetofapartmentblocks(pic.3).Thecollapse of the bank system of home loans in the crisis has left the apartment blocks of Vourla half completed and uninhabited, a ruin of current city-planning history.The elimination ofeverytraceoftheprevioushistoryfromthegroundswiththedemolitionofthePenitentiaryandtheerectingofthenewbuildingcomplexoperatesasakindofreturnbacktotheorigins:Thehauntedconstructionbecomes thecounter-monumentof theprevious state,of the repressedhistory:by repressing its recenthistoryof institutionalized libidoandpoliticalpersecutions,the city capitalizes on the urban subsoil by erecting a ghost building. The condition of non-habitability is a founding requirement for every monument. Unfinished apartment blocks,withoutmemoryofbeing inhabited,become themonumentsofapreviousstatewhich theyhave,simultaneouslywiththeirconstruction,atthesametimedeletedfromthecity'shistoricground.The libidinalmomentum, sexual andpolitical, thatmomentumwhichhas activatedthebuildingofmoderndayAthens,hasleftinitswakefreshlycreatedruins.TheincompleteconstructionintheVourlalocalityishistory'struemonument,likethegarmentdryingontheline,ofabodywhichwillnotlivetowearitagain.ThisisthesmallpictureofVourla.Inthelargepicture,asignificantpercentageofthebuildingsofAthensremainsuninhabitedtodayorwiththeirownershipinquestionorwithforeclosureimminentbecauseofoutstandingdebts,atthesametimeasthehomeless,bothgreeksandotherwise,proliferateontheedgeofpubliclife.Morehomeswithoutresidentsandmoreresidentswithouthomes,inthesamecity,together.

1. ThehistoricaldataaswellastheinitialimpetusfortheVourlaprojectweredrawnfromtheresearchofVassilikiRoditiforherpost-graduatethesistitledPireas.FromVourlatoTroumba.TheInterweaveofSexualityandDominationinUrbanSpace,UniversityofThessaly,2015.

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TOPOLOGYOFHETEROTOPIA

ThroughLacan's topological tropeof extremacy,2 the history of the city planning of Vourla maybe illuminatedas follows:At the timeofmarketingof sexual services, in thebrothel'srooms,onthebedsofthesexworkers,themalelibidoisdischargedthroughboughtsex.Thecity'sconventionalliferepresseslibidinalactivity,sex,singing,transgressivefraternizing,inapolicedareawhichissimultaneouslyinsideandoutsideofthecity:throughthefortificationwalla libidinaloutsideis tumultuouslypreservedsothat theprison'soutside, thecity itself,may be at peace and supposedly free3 preserving its normalcy and non-transgressiveness as the officialconditionofurbanliving.TheconditionofheterotopiaasFoucaultdefinedit,describesthistopolodyofoutside,within-the-interioroftheurbanfield.Inalikemanner,orsoitnowseemsfromadistance,inthelacaniantopologyofpsychicspace,theinnermostrecessofthepsychicisoccupiedbytheexteriorityoftheobjectofdesire.Thefurtherinyougo,thefurtheroutsideyouare,andthemoreoutside, thefurther inyoureturn, inaperpetual loopwithoutbeginning or end.4

INCARCERATIONINHETEROTOPIA

Utopiamay be described as a hypothetical state of residence, worthy of nostalgia withouthoweverthepossibilityofbeingexperientiallybreached.Itremainsatheoreticalcasewhich,themoreoneapproaches it, themore it recedes.For that reason, the radicaldissociationofutopiafromtheempiricalworldmakesussuspicious:allthisseemstocarryanunacknowledgedderivationintheology.Yet,heterotopiaissuddenlydescribedasastateworthyofnostalgiatowhichexperiencedoesprovideaccess.WedonotknowanditwouldbeofnoconsequencefindingoutwhatexperiencesofFoucault'sinhalf-dark,transgressiveandunspeakableurbanspacesenabledhimtodefineheterotopiaatatimewheneverytraceofutopianreverie,everyteleological political delusion had dissolved in thin air.Nevertheless, it's as if the targetteduseoftheconceptofheterotopiastill inourdays,extendsthelifespanofutopianreveryinthemidstofadystopianreality.Thesenseofurbansubjectswhoengageinpoliticallyactivedreaming that there is no exit and no way out in relation to the dystopian interior of theworldofimmediateexperiencecanbestoodonitsheadonceitisreplacedbythenotionthatheterotopiaisalreadyhere:Itishereasanexistingfiledofexteriorityinthefaceofgeneralizedincarceration.Butisitso?

There is perhaps no more appropriate example of heterotopia than that of Vourla. A spatial arrangement appropriate to a military camp with the raised external walls and the innertypologyofsidebysideplacementandrepetition,wasfitshelterforbothwhoresandpolitical/penalinmates(pic.4).Alwaysunderstatesupervision.Theincarcerationofbothwhoresandprisonershadapunitiveintent.Therearetestimoniesthatthewomenweren'tonlyvoluntaryoccupants,whowerethereinordertoengageinsexwork,butthattheyhadbeenforcefully

2. onthetermextimacy(inplaceofintimacy)alsoseeZ.Kotionis,TopologiesofInter-Ex/terioritiesinthecollectivevolumeStakingClaimontheCountryside(Indiktos,2008).

3. ontherelationbetweendefiningaspaceasanenclosureandpeacefulnessandfreedom,seeM.HeideggerBuilding,inhabiting,thinking(greektrns.G.Xiropaides,Plethron2008).

4. seeJ.Lacan'stopologicaldiagramsinPierreSkriabine,LesfiguresdetopologieinJacques-AlainMilleret84amis,Quisontvospsychanalystes?,ditionsduSeuil,Paris,2001,395-404.

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broughtin,afterbeingapprehendedformisdemeanoursvaguelyrelatedtotheirsexuality.5 The women'sincarcerationastheresultoftheincriminationoftheirsexualityitselfisanalogoustothe incarceration of the political prisoners as a result of the incrimination of their political being itself,theirpoliticization.Thesexualandthepoliticalaretwoirreducibleaspectsofthebodily.Throughthedarkandunseenareaoftheunconscious,sexualityandpoliticizationemergerawinordertotakeon,enroute,theformofademandforthesubject'sfreedom.Boththeincarceratedwhore and the incarcerated citizen/ political prisoner, are jointly subjected to the conditionoftheirenclosureforthesakeoftheothers.Myimprisonment,asawhoreandasapoliticalprisoner,guaranteesyourfreedom,thefreedomoftheotheroutsidetheprison,outsideofhere.Thewhore'scustomeristhereversesideoftheonewhobecomesacustomerofthepoliticalprisoner'srhetoricandpromises.Thecommontraitofthoseimprisoned,womenandpoliticaldissidentsisthattheyhavebothmadethesamemistake.Theywishtoexercisetheirfreedom,sexualandpolitical,inoppositiontonormalcy.Normalcyisthemechanismofthenaturalizationofrepression.Thepoliticalandthesexual,indissolublyhiddeninthedarkoftheunconsciousare asking at everymoment to reap their revenge.Heterotopiabecomes interestingwhen itstopsbeingpresentedastheexperienceofanotherreal,non-normalspaceandasanother,non-normalalternativeexperience.Heterotopiastartstodefinetheboundariesofdifferencewhenitreveals the routes into the dark and scorching magma of the unconscious. From a topological pointofview,inshort,heterotopiadoesnotdetermineahorizonofdifferencetotherealouttherebutcandeterminethechannelofaccesstowardsthedeepinterior:thatoftheunconscious.To recall the freudian topologyof theunconscious:There, the route isdiscernible from theoutsideworldtowardsthesoul'sinnerrecessesviaakindofburrow,somethinglikeaunnaturalappendix. The process of repression in the passage of the desirable that comes from the outside worldviathetunneldirectlyintothedarkunderworldoftheunconscious.Anditisliterallyanunder-world,i.e.situatedinthelowerpartofthebody,theoneFreudrepresentsasalocaleofthepsycheinhisfamousdiagram(pic.5).

However,thewaythetopologyofthepsycheisdescribedbyLacan,thestrangeandremarkableeventthatdefinesitisthis:Themoreoneinfiltratesthepsyche'sinteriorandreachesintothedarkcoreoftheunconscious,themoreoneentersintotheindomitableworldoftheoutside.Whatisattheinnermostreachesofyoursoul,thepricelessobjectofdesire,isoutside,unreachable,distant.Forthatreason,perhapsdeceptive.Ithelpstobetterunderstandthisifweconsiderthemodeloftheearth.Alaunchintothestratosphere,nomatterhowcoldandforeignitmayseem,preservestheoverviewofthelivedworlddownbelow.Onthecontrary,thedescentintothedarkmagma,theearth'sinteriorofwhichweonlygetaglimpseinvolcanicexplosions,beforethe lavadrieson theground isa sinking into theultimateoutside.Burialpractices, thosetimehonoredfunerealritualslacknothingbycomparisontothepromisesofrarifiedutopiansocialistsandanyotherdescendantsofplatonicidealism.Theyareritualsofconciliationwiththeultimateexteriorhidingintheearth'sresistant,unknowninnerbeing.

5. G.P.nineteenyearsofage,fromAsiaMinor,wasbroughttoday(1929)beforetheofficeronduty,chargedwithextremenegligenceinthecourseofexercisingherdutiesatthehomeofwheatgrowerA.M.,wheresheisemployedastutorofhischildren.Afterdueinvestigation,shewasfoundguiltyanditwasdecidedasacorrectivemeasurethatshebeincludedasaresidentofVourlaforafewdays...Herincarcerationisnottoexceedoneweekandsheistobeassignedtoa'home'withonlyafewwomenboarders."A.Miltsos,DrapetsonaandRefugees,http://pireorama.blogspot.gr/2012/01/1920.html

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THEBED,THEWHORE,THECOMMUNIST

Thewhoreinsidethebrothelisassociatedwiththefigureofthelover(pic.6).Sometimeshejustremainsaprotectorandapimp,livingoffherwork.Atothertimes,shemarrieshimandreturnsthroughhimtotheexternalworld.Atyetothertimes,sheisleftwithachildforherdowry,anillegitimategrowingupwithherinsidetherefugeaffordedbyprison.Herbedisheronlyinstrumentofwork,ofbreastfeedingandchildrearing,ofrestinganddreaming.

Thenightmareofthepoliticalprisonerisreflectedoffthesurfacesofthecellandreturnedtothebedofslumber.Inthemostextremecases,fortheinmateondeathrow,everynightisthelast night before his execution. The announcement of the order is continuouslly postponed. Timeoutsidetheheterotopyofthecellismoredreadfulthanthetimeinsideofit.Andyet,intheprison'sinterior,inthebedinsidethecell,adreamisprotectedandgrowing.Itdoesnotconcerntheinmate'spersonaldestinybutthedestinyofallofhumanity.Thisprojectionmightmaketheincarcerationastoicalredemption.Theheterotopyoftheprisonissimultaneouslyforthewitness/(martyr?)protectionfromdeath'scomingbutalsoastoicalwaitfortheworld'sredemption.Thebedoftheprisoneristhefieldofanambivalentwait.

ABOTTLEOFBEER

In1955,twentysevenpoliticalprisonersdecidedtoescapebybuildingatunnelfrominsideacelltothenearestplaceoutsidetheprisonwall(pic.7).EscapewasexpresslyforbiddenbytheCommunistParty,hencethisactionwasadoubledisobedience.Thetunnelwasindeeddugunderthebedofpolitica