‘An Avenue that Looks Like Me’: Re-presenting the Modern Cityscape

This article looks at the representation of an Athenian avenue as it appears in a
contemporary Greek short story, in an attempt to trace the profile of the place as
an ultimately modern space called into question, however, by transgressions.
The story ‘I Think That Syngrou Avenue Looks Like Me’ by Manos Kontoleon
describes the unique relationship developed between the writer and the highspeed
avenue that connects the centre of Athens with its coastline: initiated by
and experienced via an embodied approach to space, this relationship allows the
writer to identify himself with a particular part of the city. The discussion of
Kontoleon’s portrayal of Syngrou Avenue focuses on the relationship between
space and subjective experience, a relationship that has been a subject of
investigation in modern European art and architectural theory over the past
century. The paper specifically draws on psychoanalytic and phenomenological
theories, which reflect this particular sensibility towards modern space, aiming
in this way to contribute further to the discussion of European cityscapes and
urban mindscapes.

Citation:
Nigianni, B. (2006) ‘‘An Avenue that Looks Like Me’: Re-presenting the Modern Cityscape’, European Studies, 23 (2006) pp.63-80.