Machine Paralysis

The Mechanicos (meaning ‘machinic’ in Greek) is a folk dance performed by the sponge divers of Kalymnos island, recording the crippling effects of decompression sickness and paralysis caused by increasing industrial exploitation. Today, a disproportionate number of persons with physical impairments and debilitating conditions remain largely invisible. The writing in this book points to different experiences of movement, time, and space: Whether through the creation of a vernacular sign language; a different pacing of time and projection of futurity; exchanging forms of care around a healing spring; recording the ways in which 3 generations navigate everyday interactions through a ‘broken telephone line’ of connection; or the friendship between a woman with visual impairment and her dog, Mercy, who helps her navigate the narrow busy sidewalks of central Athens. These stories contribute to imagining a different kind of mobility.