In Greek mythology, the Eridanus was one of the five rivers that crossed Hades. It was in this river that Phaethon, after his death caused by the inability to drive his father’s chariot (the sun), fell and died. In addition, it is also the name of a southern constellation whose main star is the ninth brightest star in the earth’s sky and the third closest to the sun. The Arise Of Eridanus refers to this myth, identifying the waters of this river with an ever-expanding universe.

This two-colour silkscreen takes us to a mystical, mythological place, such as the source of the river Eridano – represented here by a vaporous universe – where gods and humans meet to decide who should follow its course until it reaches Hades.

Among the various characters in The Arise of Eridanus, all of whom are commonplace in Peri Helio’s work, the snail occupies a central place in the composition as a symbol of the passage of time. From it emerge the waters of this mythological river that flow through the entire scene.