The OpenWalkAthens by the Atenistas

An open community of citizens of Athens who love their city and believe that compromise with its most problematic sides perpetuates a vicious circle of irrationality, stagnation, defamation, underdevelopment and ultimately self-hypocrisy of its prospects.
For the Atenistas, Athens is not only a "finished story" but a vast field of inventive and effective actions that will help us realize its enormous potential.
Drawing power and energy from civil society - the thousands of defenseless Athenians who want to do something for their city and have not found a channel of creative participation in the open affairs of Athens, the Atenistas:
- brighten up schoolyards
- brush away offensive graffiti
- clean out neglected alleys
- bring a fresh look and feel to the city through a variety of volunteer-led activities
- organize cultural events or guided tours in historic areas and unpopular neighborhoods
- announce theaters offering cheap tickets
- organized citizen-action group activities across the city of Athens.
The Atenistas are not a party organization, nor a municipal party, but a living community that wants to share its beliefs for a much better Athens, by believing in the rejuvenating power of action. They are tired of grumbling and blaming "the others" or the "state" for all mistakes and for everything that is wrong.
"We are here only to act. Seven days a week, 365 days a year."

The 27 spots of the 8th Open Walk
1. The oldest house of Athens, the Mansion of Benizelos, Plaka
2. Museum of Popular Instruments, Research Centre for Ethnomusicology, Anoyanakis Collection, 1-3 Diogenous Str., Plaka, Athens (Prefecture of Attiki)
3. Microscopiko Theatro (Tiny Theatre), 5, Deksipou str.
4. Performing arts theater, Vrisakiou 17, Athens 105 55
5. Friends of the Panayiotis Kanellopoulos Society, 3 Polygnotou str.
6. The building at 22 Panos street, Muaeum of Greek Folk Art
7. The building at 19, Panos str, Muaeum of Greek Folk Art
8. Church of Agia Anna, Dioscuri & Theory str.
9. Service of Modern Monuments and Technical Works of Attika, Eastern Stereas Elladas and Cyclades, Lisiou & Klepsidras str, Athens 105 55
10. Panagia Chrissokastriotissa, Greek orthodox church, Thrasivoulou 9 & Aliberti, Athens 105 56
11. Agios Simeon, Church in Athens at Anafiotika, the feet of the Acropolis, Theorias str.
12. Department of Educational Programs & Communication, 9, Prytaneiou
13. Church of St. Nicholas Rangavas, Pritaniou 1, Athens 105 58
14. Museum of School Life and Education, Tripodon 23, Athens 105 58
15. A house, 27 Tripodon str.
16. Pareklisi Church St Demeter, 5 Epimenidou str.
17. 17th Acropolis Scout System, Vakchou 5, Athina 105 58
18. House of Mrs. Stavraki, 16 Vyronos str.
19. Alice Inn Athens, Tsatsou 9, Athens 105 58
20. Centre for Asia Minor Studies, 11., Kydathinaion str, 105 58
21. Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation, 6 Ang. Geronta, Athens, 10558
22. Greek Dances Theatre "Dora Stratou", Scholiou 8, Athens 105 58
23. 1st Experimental Gymnasium of Athens, 114 Adrianou Str
24. 74th Primary School of Athens, 106 Adrianou str.
25. Archbishopric of Athens, Agias Filotheis 21, Athina 105 56
26. Hill School, Thucydides 9
27. National Bank Cultural Foundation, Thucydides 13

A few of the Atenistas actions

- Rearranging and redeeming the pedestrians a battered pavement:
Where Kolokotroni Street meets Lekka Str. there was a sidewalk corner with a tree, fighting for survival between parked vehicles, scooters, trash.

A team of Atenistas decided to demonstrate how a small neglected public space, could mutate into a "place" that could be "inhabited" by pedestrians and city walkers, that could offer the possibility of passive leisure, pausing for a moment and perceiving the city, provide a space for socialization. In a self-defensible space against cars, motorcycles, garbage.

- Flying bubbles in the Alexandra's avenue abandoned playground:
That was a colorless, left out, with toys in terrible condition, benches dirty and nearly broken, deficient lighting, trees and flora without any care. A place without a trace of children's voices. Thus, on Saturday 1/11 with brushes and rollers in hand, about 40 Athenians revived and restored the scene in this abandoned place, inspired by flying bubbles. With pleasure we have witnessed children already playing and having fun.

- The neglected walkway off Syndagma square:

That was an open space so central but in the same time, so neglected and derelict. The pedestrian walkway (part of Perikleous Str.), two blocks down from Syndagma Sq., had been left in a miserable state for years. Atenistas's Green team decided to act and improve its appearance, give identity and some kind of public function. Our artists gave "wings" to air conditioners in order to create a surreal and out of the ordinary feeling and an element of surprise. Placemaking at its best, a public void city space with no other function than being a passage and , during nights, a public WC, was transformed to an amazing, functional, urban place. It only took 3 weeks of design preparation and material gathering, 11 hours of hard work and 40 people dedicated to look at the bright side of life and of the city they live in.

- 2 new pocket parks in Kolonos
Our Green team managed to complete two pocket parks in the Kolonos area and hand them over to the people of the neighbourhood along with a history lesson and a great message. The inspiration for our first park on Dramas 11 was Sophocles who was born in Kolonos. In all our actions we try to find a connection between the place and its history. The park's plan looks like an ancient theater, the plants and trees used are Mediterranean and the main wall of this small park was dedicated to the great ancient writer. We contacted Fikos, a great muralist, and proposed our idea. He then created a wonderfull graffiti where one can view Sophocles in modest style facing the heroes of his tragedies who come to salute him and give him the most important item of their story (i.e Hercules offers the mantle he used to end his life, Oedipus offered the needles he used to drive hiself blind etc). The heroes pictured on the mural are Oedipus, Aias, Antigoni, Ismini, Polinikis, Filoktitis, Hercules, Orestis, Helektra.

- Piano-steps in Eratosthenous Street, Pagrati, Athens!
Giving an artistic touch to one of Athens' beautiful secret corners. Under the spell of music from the nearby Conservatoire Attico, we swept, cleaned and painted piano keys on a set of steps in this Athenian neighbourhood. It was a simple idea, a simple move, but one which necessitated a desire for action and an optimistic look at things.So, on the spur of the moment, we created a landmark for this neighborhood, an artistic intervention in an urban space, which was enhanced by the element of surprise, the sense of "spot" which offered a playful and optimistic note on a grey urban scene.

- Touching, listening and smelling a museum
In cooperation with the Industrial Gas Museum in Technopolis, Gazi, the event included a visit to the Museum and a special guided tour for people with partial or complete loss of vision. The vision-impaired guests touched the retorts (ovens), the gas pipelines and the purification equipment, they listened to the history of the factory as well as the working conditions during its time of operation, and smelled the tar and naphthalene that still prevail today inside the old factory..

- Planting trees and various plants in bare flower beds
For various reasons the flower beds were left empty and drivers used the pedestrian area to park their vehicles.
The 30-35 determined brave Atenistas were divided into two groups.The access group walked through the Commercial Centre pedestrian area which they found to have become a road network. They left brochures on the cars or talked with the drivers. The other team started work immediately, initially locating the intervention points, namely eight abandoned flower beds which were now plain holes with dried soil. In two cases, in order to be able to do the job, the drivers who had parked on the empty bed had to be found and the cars removed.