In autumn of 1968 The Convention on Road Traffic was signed by 78 countries during the United Nations Economic and Social Council in Vienna. The agreement also included the Convention on Road Signs and Signals. All of Europe, most of Asia and parts of Central and South America (we are basically talking about European powers and most of their former colonial lands), are until now, and only with slight adaptations, following the regulations agreed upon during that conference, including a unified system of signs and signals.

The history of road signs dates back to the times of the Roman Empire, famous for building roads spreading through their conquered territories. The first modern signs were - perhaps surprisingly - designed in relation to bicycle traffic in the late 19th century. When you think about it, it makes sense, since bicycles are relatively silent and therefore easily overlooked, yet fast enough to cause a potentially fateful crash. For this reason in 1926 European powers and the United States began to work on a system of internationally recognisable signs. But it would take another forty years and a Second World War to reach a commonly accepted regulation.

Enough of mere Wikipedia knowledge though! For Antonis Pittas road signs represent a physical and prominent visual form of state control, following aesthetic shifts in the universal perception of basic geometry, defined by the period of high modernism. Let's break this statement down. Pittas has always focused on ways how the visual styles of a given period are utilised to translate political or ideological messages to the public and how such an approach changes and develops a common understanding, acceptance and even appreciation of a shared visual language. Historical roadsigns were designed according to a much slower pace of traffic, when it was still feasible to use decorative styles, longer texts and demand more focused attention, than modern car traffic would ever allow for. Their simplification to basic geometrical forms of square, triangle and circle paired with stylised and radically abstracted symbols came not only in reference to modernism, but simply as a mere necessity.

Their layouts are nevertheless closely connected to the abstract language of Bauhaus, De Stijl and other related stylistic movements. Despite the prevalent role of historical styles of the past during the first half of the 20th century, dominantly used by oppressive totalitarian systems, certain practical aspects of modern life just couldn't do with ornamental structures and forms anymore. The most significant upgrade of road signs since they evolved from stone pillars and wooden boards to metal plates was the application of reflective surfaces, in order to render them visible without direct daylight and even these materials remained faithful to the basic colours used by previously mentioned modernist schools of thought and style; red, blue, yellow and green still being the most commonly featured chromatic choices.