CyprusToday, April-June 2013.pdf

Children’s artwork from the educationalprogramme Journey through Byzantine ArtTrip to Kids ArtByzantine Museum and Art Gallery(Archbishop Makarios III Foundation)The Byzantine Museum and Art Gallery (ArchbishopMakarios III Foundation) opened an exhibitionof artwork on 17 May entitled Trip toKids Art created by schoolchildren who participatedin three educational programmes: Journeythrough Byzantine Art, Hymn to Freedomand Motherhood – The children’s world of theGallery (2012-2013).The exhibition is organised by the ArchbishopMakarios III Foundation, in collaboration withthe Directorate of Primary School Education ofthe Ministry of Education and Culture, and willrun until 17 September 2013.The Journey through Byzantine Art programme,implemented since 2007 as part of the Departmentof Primary Education curriculum, aims toteach children about Byzantine art and Cypriotcultural heritage. The Journey traverses childrenthrough the fascinating world of the museum andby participating in organised tours, pupils becomefamiliar with Byzantine art and appreciate theMuseum’s rich collection of masterworks, includingstolen treasures from our occupied churches,icons from the 9 th to 19 th centuries, as well asmurals from the 10 th century among others. TheJourney ends when experts teach these youngtravellers how ancient icons and manuscripts arepreserved and restored; a skilled task which takesplace at the preservation workshop of the HolyArchbishopric of Cyprus.The Museum’s programme Hymn to Freedomis based on works by romantic artists of the 19 thcentury, inspired by the Greek revolution. Children’swork is subsequently inspired by the heroiclives of Greek fighters and Cypriot defenders offreedom during the revolution, and is motivatedby the value of freedom and Cypriots’anticipation for the reunification of the country,which is still under occupation after nearlyfour decades.Lastly, Motherhood – The children’s world of theGallery programme presents artwork paying trib-5

ister Anthony Eden’s refusal to even discuss withGreece Cyprus’ self-determination, matters beganto come to a head, and the Greek government tookthe question to the UN General Assembly. In themeantime, the charismatic Archbishop MakariosIII assumed the political leadership of the anti-colonialstruggle. Colonel Georghios Grivas Digenislaunched and led a guerrilla campaign through theunderground EOKA on 1 April 1955, to oust theBritish and achieve enosis.Britain’s response to the liberation campaign wasto work secretly with the Turkish Cypriot leadershipand Turkey, helping the latter to refine itspropaganda and encouraging them to demand partition.In February 1959, British, Greek and TurkishPrime Ministers met in Zurich and agreed onthe 1959 Zurich and London Agreements for theindependence of Cyprus under a Greek Cypriotand a Turkish Cypriot President and Vice-Presidentrespectively. These agreements ended 82 years ofBritish rule following many years of a national liberationmovement.The MuseumThe museum is located in the square near the HolyArchbishopric of Cyprus in Nicosia and displaysdocuments, photographic material, personal belongingsof the heroes and other memorabilia related tothe liberation movement against the British rule.The museum was founded two years after the endof the 1955-1959 National Liberation Movementby EOKA fighter Christodoulos Papachrysostomou,following a decision by the Greek CommunalChamber. The decision was taken on 26 January1961 and was published in the Cyprus GovernmentGazette on 23 February of the same year.The Museum is now housed at its new premises,inaugurated on 30 April 2001. The expenses forbuilding the museum were covered by the HolyArchbishopric of Cyprus and the Cyprus Ministryof Education and Culture. In 2011, the museumwelcomed 27,000 visitors.Keeping the memory aliveThe newly designed museum is effectively ahistorical-scientific centre, which through its newtechnology and multimedia, comprise an informationcentre. The museum was designed as a tributeand a reminder of the duties of future generationsof Cypriots, with the aim of spreading the memoryof the National Liberation Movement.The EOKA Museum interprets and brings to life,in the most vivid manner, the EOKA movementand the liberation campaign. The effective mouthpieceof this live impression is the depiction ofevents through exhibited photographs, combinedwith texts, either from leaflets, commands, ordersand instructions by the Organisation, or throughpersonal experiences, national concerns and religiousconvictions. The projection of films on Cyprus’history, with special reference to the EOKAperiod, is also part of the museum’s technologicalservices.Entry to the museum is free. Opening hours areMonday-Friday 8:00-14:00; Thursday: 15:30-17:30; closed Saturday and Sunday (no afternoonsin July and August).The gallows where the EOKA fighters were hanged The National Struggle Museum EOKA 1955-195912

Children view their artwork at the Kallinikeio Municipal Museum of AthienouAthienou village joins in with International Museum Day celebrationsThe Kallinikeio Municipal Museum ofAthienou, Larnaca, marked International MuseumDay with a series of events inspiredby this year’s theme “Museums (Memory +Creativity) = Social Change”. The Museum,familiar with this annual festivity, has beenparticipating in the International Museum Daycelebrations since its first year of operation in2009.This year’s events, which commenced on 29April and culminated on 9 May, included archaeologicaltreasures and creativity programme, aneducational programme on traditional breadmaking named The flour mill and the bread ofAthienou, mosaic making, classes on Athienoulace and programmes on traditional architecture.On 15 May, the museum also organised an eventunder the theme Painting for the World’s Culturefor children and young people.For the Achaeological Treasures and Creativityand Mosaic Art programmes, children createdworks inspired by the museum’s collections, usingcardboard boxes, fabrics, buttons, ribbons,tesserae, stones and other materials.For the programme The flour mill and the breadof Athienou, the museum organised a visit tothe traditional Andreas Hadjitheocharous mill“The Mill of Kagiafou”, which was recentlyrenovated by the Department of Town Planningand Housing. In this setting, children, asyoung actors, starred in the play Athienou of the1950s, resulting in the creation of an amateurmovie called From ear to bread.All the children’s work, along with other worksby the Public and Community Nursery Schoolof Athienou, are presented in an exhibition thatopened on 18 May and will continue until 30August 2013.13

The history of the MuseumThe creation of the Kallinikeio Municipal Museumof Athienou was only a matter of time forthe municipality, stemming from a place rich incultural heritage whose existence dates back tothe ancient times. The museum, which standsout due to its modern architecture, was namedafter monk Kallinikos Stavrovouniotis, a sonand benefactor of Athienou and an excellent iconpainter.The museum hosts an Archaeological Collection,a Collection of Ecclesiastical Art and anEthnographic Collection. It is housed in the KallinikeioMunicipal Hall of Athienou, alongsidethe town’s municipality building.The aim of the museum is to operate as a centreof communication with visitors, as a source ofknowledge for both adults and children, to recallmemories of the past, to attract tourists and togive people the opportunity to become aware oflocal and national history and culture.The inauguration ceremony of the museum washeld on 3 July 2009 and performed by the formerMinister of Communications and Works, Mr NicosNicolaides.The museum is open Monday to Friday, from8:00 am until 3:00 pm, while it can also openon Saturdays and Sundays, though this is subjectto prior timely notice. The museum is closed onpublic holidays.14

after his passing in 1977. The presentation ofthe exhibits elaborates a unique ambiance forvisitors to feel the Archbishop’s physical andspiritual presence and takes them back throughtime and Cyprus’ history. The robe he wore onthe day of the coup d’état in 1974, three burntmanuscripts, a painting and a book riddled withbullets, are some of the exhibits which standout by themselves.Makarios and the Fine Arts through paintings,drawings, sculptures and photographsArchbishop Makarios III was well-known forhis love of Art. On his visits to exhibitions inCyprus or abroad, he used to buy paintings andsculptures in his bid to support artistic creativity.Feeling the force of his love and support,and inspired by his diverse work and powerfulpersona, artists reciprocated by creating artdepicting the Archbishop as a visionary leaderfor his people. With their compositions, artiststransformed Makarios into a symbol of unity andstruggle. This section includes works donatedby artists and state leaders, such as the Chinesecommunist revolutionary, Mao Zedong, to thelate Archbishop himself. The exhibition alsopresents cultural works that were of particularinterest to Makarios, such as the Rhodian amphorafrom the Kyrenia ship wreck.Collection of paintings acquiredby Archbishop Makarios III in the 1960sThis section presents a collection of westernEuropean oil paintings from the 16 th -19 th centuries,purchased by Archbishop Makarios IIIin the 1960s from the famous collector and antiquitylover, Nicos Dikaios, Consul of Cyprusin Lyon, France. The collection highlights Makarios’love of arts and culture, and his desireto endow the newly-established Republic ofCyprus with cultural infrastructure. His visionwas to create an art gallery as part of a culturalcentre, which was achieved a year after hispassing with the establishment of the ArchbishopMakarios III Foundation in January 1978.Part of the collection covers the major stylisticart trends of the 16 th -19 th centuries, such as Renaissance,Mannerism, Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassicismand Romanticism. The collectionincludes landscapes and portraits, as well asworks with themes from the Bible and mythology.The works, mainly oil paintings, were createdby artists of the major Western Europeanschools, such as the Italian, French, Flemish,German and Spanish.The exhibition is open at the Archbishop MakariosIII Foundation on Archbishop KyprianouAvenue in old town Nicosia, from 9:00am until 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm until 4:30 pm.Further information on the Foundation is providedat www.makariosfoundation.org.cy.Makarios by George Mavroides, 1977, oil, Αrt Gallery AMFThe Death of Makarios (Thanatos Makariou), Rhea Bailey17

The World of Cyprus24 April-6 October 2013The unique painting, The World of Cyprusby renowned Cypriot artist AdamantiosDiamantis, has finally returned to its roots inNicosia, not a hundred metres from the placewhere it was created in the studio of the artiston 18 Onasagorou Street.The amazing piece of artwork was broughtto Cyprus by the A.G. Leventis Foundation,which is hosting the exhibit at the LeventisMunicipal Museum of Nicosia and later at theA.G. Leventis Gallery, from 24 April throughto 6 October 2013.The work was produced through 1967-1972, atDiamantis’ studio in Nicosia and was exhibitedby the artist himself in Nicosia in 1975, just afew months after the Turkish invasion. It thenwent to the National Gallery in Athens and wassubsequently acquired by the Teloglion ArtsFoundation of Thessaloniki University.The painting came back to Cyprus followinga decision by the Teloglion Arts Foundationof Thessaloniki and in the framework ofan agreement between the Teloglion and theA.G Leventis Gallery for exchanges of exhibitions,works of art and educational and researchprojects with the A.G. Leventis Gallery and theLeventis Municipal Museum of Nicosia.The A.G. Leventis Foundation believes that thereturn of the work to its birthplace will give asense of strength to Cyprus today in the midstof the crisis, with the constant, firm and timelessvalues of its characters and characteristics,as they were portrayed by Diamantis on canvas,and in the book entitled The World of Cyprus,A Narrative, which accompanies the painting.In the words of the LeventisMunicipal Museum of Nicosia“The work, set out as its creator imagined it,appears to depict a group of people from theCypriot countryside gathered in a square, a coffeeshop somewhere on the Mesaoria Plain,in Lysis, or in Assia or even somewhere nearLefkara. The people sit silently contemplatingthe years gone by and looking to the years tocome. Do they know what happened in 1974,and what is happening today?And what of the citizens of today? Those whocome here to welcome them, become one withthe Cypriots from another older era, in a conversation,a continuity of life.There is something symbolic about the presenceof The World of Cyprus among us; it givesus a kind of strength that springs from an olderage, from the traditional, time-honored valuesof our homeland.The Leventis Municipal Museum of Nicosiais delighted to welcome Τhe World of Cyprushome after almost 37 years.”Monumental workBy Eleni S. NikitaAdamantios Diamantis painted this monumentalwork between 1967 and 1972. As he reveals in hisbook The World of Cyprus, A Narrative, the paintingwas created out of an imperative inner need.Over years of wandering all over the island he hadmade hundreds of sketches in which he imprintedall the elements that made up the character of thelandscape and of the people of his homeland. “Itwas the best world I knew. Rough, heavy, andsure of what was right and wrong, it carried itsancient heritage on its shoulders”. This treasuretrove had to be deposited somewhere in order toset free and preserve the memory of the world hehad discovered and painted ‘either as visitor orworshipper’. A world which ‘created a full andmeasured life, with all the difficulties and narrowlimits of its means’.This inspired and far-reaching compositionis made up of 67 figures. Sixty-one of thesewere based on life sketches made by the art-18

It is clear that through this work, Diamantis attempted to serve an idea, to give shape to the spirit of an age and a particular world19

The amazing piece of artworkwas brought to Cyprus bythe A.G. Leventis Foundation.Sultan) were legally obliged to wear. These twoascetic colours soon became part of the traditionand consciousness of the Greek Cypriots.After centuries of life under the will of foreignconquerors, the people of Cyprus learned to livesimply and frugally without luxuries and fripperies.The Cypriots withdrew into their ownworld and made every effort to maintain all thecharacteristics of their race and continue theirexistence, while at the same time reinforcingtheir own national traditions. Against the garishcolours with which they identified the heathenconquerors, they set their own inner virtues.Black and white, with all tonal hues betweenthe two, make up the basic colours of the workand give it its harmonious unity. To these twocolours Diamantis added a third, an earthybrown in order to give the necessary warmth tohis composition.Through his succinct and perspicacious drawings,his refusal of any narrative, descriptiveor decorative elements and his chromatic austerity,the artist focused on the essence of thisworld and on projecting the inner and spiritualcontent of his subject-matter.Diamantis stopped working on the painting in late1972. Knowing how difficult it is to equate inspirationwith expression, he decided to pull away,since the work had now acquired the strength andautonomy to continue its own independent life inan on-going dialogue with the viewer.It is clear that through this work, Diamantis attemptedto serve an idea, to give shape to thespirit of an age and a particular world. TheTurkish invasion and occupation of the islandin 1974 put an end to the blissful serenity ofthe world of Cyprus. Villages were destroyed,people were uprooted from their homes, wayof life and customs changed. This work, whichDiamantis managed to create at just the righttime, has now become a covenant, an ark, amonument which connects us to the pure unadulteratedworld “which broadened the feelings”for Greece of the poet Seferis - the manfrom whom Diamantis confessed that he borrowedthe title of his monumental work.In 1975 (21 May-8 June), Diamantis exhibited thework for the first time at the Cyprus Folk Art Museumin Nicosia. The exhibition became a placeof popular pilgrimage. Andreas Christofides describedit as “the recasting and overview of the nationalidentity”. One year later, in 1976, the workwas put on show at the National Gallery of Greeceas part of a retrospective of the artist and it was acquiredby the Teloglion Art Foundation for the Universityof Thessaloniki. A verbal promise was thenmade to Diamantis: The work will return to Cypruswhen conditions on the island made it safe to do so.Due to the agreement between the TeloglionArt Foundation and the A.G. Leventis Foundationfor the exchange of exhibitions and educationalprogrammes, the work has come homeat a critical moment in our history. It has comeback so that, as the artist himself said, the figurescan talk about the wisdom of their world.21

“Art knows no artificial boundaries”Irini Demetriadou and Savvas Savva - Whispers of the South23

Marios Takoushis (left), Gabriel Karapatakis (right)movies, such as No Parking by Soteris Christou,Eleni’s Olives by Yianna Americanou,Anna by Spyros Charalambous and Pharmakonby Ioakim Mylonas.The Panorama was followed by a concert withAlkinoos Ioannides, the world-renowned Cypriotsinger, songwriter, musician and composer,who was accompanied by his musical partnerYiorgos Kaloudis. The series of cultural eventsclosed on 25 April with the musical night Whispersfrom the South. This is the most recentwork by the Cypriot composer and virtuoso,Savvas Savva, comprising atmospheric, periphrasticmelodies in a unique open musicalform for piano and cello. On the cello, youngmusician Irene Demetriadou gave an outstandingperformance.Cyprus Spring has now become an establishedinstitution in the Bavarian capital. In its eightyears of existence, it has hosted some 160 artists,with all themes involving Cyprus.Georgea Solomontos: The woman behindCyprus Spring“With the Cyprus Spring series, we have managedto create a cultural institution, which holdsa special place in the cultural scene of Munich.When I organised the series for the first time in2006, I knew that in order to project Cyprus, ourculture and our artists, we would have to createsomething with continuity, because without it wewould just be creating a bubble and nothing else,”Georgea Solomontos noted.“In Munich, all cultural events are held at theGasteig Cultural Centre, which hosts chambermusic concerts, theatre, jazz music, movie projectionsand has areas large enough to host bigconcerts. Our reasoning was that by having thismulti-area, which can accommodate everythingwith the help of a successful programme, wewould win the audience of the area itself. And thisis exactly what happened. The main audience ofCyprus Spring, as strange as it may seem, is the24

Culture: A Life AffairPublication dedicated to Yiannis KatsourisThe edition Yiannis Katsouris. Culture: A Life AffairThe literary world of Cyprus was deeplysaddened when news emerged of the greatintellect Yiannis Katsouris’ passing on 5 July,2010.The man who was hailed as one of Cyprus’most significant literary and cultural figures issorely missed and always remembered for hiscontribution to the island’s cultural scene.In its bid to honour and remember, the CulturalServices of the Ministry of Education and Culturepublished a book with the literary’s work, withthe help of his devoted wife Dina, entitled YiannisKatsouris. Culture: A Life Affair.Yiannis Katsouris was born in Nicosia in 1935and after studying literature at the Universityof Athens and acquiring a doctorate from theUniversity of Thessaloniki, he returned to hishomeland and began working his way towardsbringing culture to the forefront.26

University of Cyprus honours Costas Gavras9 April 2013The Faculty of Letters, the Senate and theCouncil of the University of Cyprus unanimouslybestowed the title of Honorary Professorupon Costas Gavras, a world-renowned Greekfilm director, scriptwriter, humanitarian and intellectualwho has served the art of filmmaking forhalf a century. Costas Gavras, better known by hisprofessional name Costa-Gavras, has played a definingrole in the development of filmmaking andis considered an important representative of theGreek culture and scholarship in the internationalscene. Dedicating his life to Arts and Letters andbeing himself a champion of freedom, social justiceand politically minded, Costa-Gavras’ work isconsumed by a vigilant political conscience, combatantreflection, and sensitivity towards politicaland social realities.The work and persona of the university’s 80-yearoldhonorary Professor were presented on 9 Aprilby the Professor of the Department of Byzantineand Modern Greek Studies of the University ofCyprus, Mr Michalis Pieris, who projected extractsfrom the filmmaker’s work.Not just a filmmaker“With his attention turned firmly on socialproblems and personal tragedies of everydaypeople, he often approaches his topics throughthe visual art of documentary,” Pieris said. “Henot only wants to convince his audience, butalso sensitise them politically, and resist becomingindolent when hatches and abysses areopening around him, swallowing people, statesand countries.”But Costas Gavras is not merely a top figure inpolitical cinematography, Pieris pointed out; he isa key topical creator, because he refuses to run behindor alongside events, instead choosing to preparefor events to come.Gavras’ arrival on the island could not have comeat a better time, the professor added, with Cyprussuffering the worst economic crisis in its history. Itis an “incredible coincidence to welcome the greatpolitical thinker, creator and artist to a Cyprus thathas been brought to its knees”.Humanity tested by systems and money“Corruption over money had pushed humanityinto a global society, in which only capital is internationaland it imposes its own law. For as long ascapital prevails over human rights, humans will beenslaved to money and there will be no continuity.Europe and its youths will have no future,” CostasGavras said among other statements in his acceptancespeech.“Human rights are already empty words for many.[…] I believed in resistance; resistance and inventiveness,which have saved Hellenism and Cyprusthrough the centuries,” he noted.During an open discussion that followed, CostasGavras referred to today’s economic crisis, notingthat our own worst enemies are our systems,which he deemed hostile to democracy, and money,which he said had become a religion. “Peopleare ready to do everything for money. This is whatneeds to change and this is a matter of educationand culture. The solution to the crisis is Europe itself,which however needs to redefine its values,”he stated.The life of the great Costas GavrasConstantinos Gavras was born in Arcadia,Greece, in 1933. His family spent the SecondWorld War in a village in the Peloponnese, movingto Athens after the war. His father was anactive and vocal left-winger who belonged to theNational Liberation Front (Ethniko ApeleftherotikoMetopo, EAM). Due to his political beliefs,he was jailed, lost his job and his family wasblacklisted. His father’s political blacklisting notonly barred Costas Gravas from Greek university(the Greek junta was requisite for a Certificate28

Oikopedo 12the creative need and the advancement of criticalthought. All the films included in Glocal Imagesand Viewfinder premiered in Cyprus.Cyprus Film Days, co-organised by the CulturalServices of the Ministry of Education andCulture and Rialto Theatre, aims to promoteCypriot and international cinema by supportingand featuring the work of independent filmmakers,showcasing emerging talent and becominga meeting point for filmmakers from the threecontinents surrounding the island of Cyprus.Glocal Images CompetitionGlocal Images included films that depict localnuances, while at the same time extracting subjectsand stylistic choices from the dominantforms of contemporary international cinema.The three-member International Jury, whichawarded the winning films from the GlocalImages competition, comprised the Israeli filmproducer Katriel Schory (President of the Jury),the German film producer Marion Döring (Directorof the Secretariat and Executive Producerat the European Film Academy) and theRomanian director and last year’s winner of theThe Special Jury Award wasgiven to Cypriot director KyriakosTofarides for his movie Block 12(Oikopedo 12).Special Jury Award, Catalin Mitulescu. Theyawarded the prizes as follows:The Best Film Award was presented to Reis Çelikfrom Ardahan in eastern Anatolia, for his filmNight of Silence. The movie is set in a remote partof Turkey and focuses on arranged marriages,whereby neither the bride nor the groom is givena choice, while it also looks at what happens whena much older man marries a young girl. Accordingto the Jury, the film won the top prize “for thebeautiful simplicity of a story told in a strong andtender cinematic way”.The Special Jury Award was given to Cypriotdirector Kyriakos Tofarides for his movie Block12 (Oikopedo 12), a film that delivers a uniqueviewpoint on the issue of Cyprus’ natural resources.The Jury awarded Tofarides “for takingup the challenge of portraying a society ata moment of severe crisis with a good dose ofhumour and sympathy”.32

The Rialto Theatre in LimassolThe Glocal Images Awards33

Night of SilenceMoussa Tourré’s film La pirogue, a story of agroup of people ready to risk everything fora better future, received the Glocal ImagesAward. “The film takes on a journey full ofperils, led by strong and well-defined charactersand provides an insight to the big issue ofmigration nowadays,” the Jury said.Honorary distinction was awarded to The passionof Michelangelo by Esteban Larraín, whilethe Audience Award was given to The Angels’Share by Ken Loach. The films Queen by MohammadAli Bashe Ahangar and Boy Eating theBird’s Food by Ektoras Lygizos were awardedequally with the Student Jury Award.The story behind the Glocal Images AwardstatuetteΤhe Glocal Images Award presented by the InternationalJury to the winning films competinghave, since 2012, depicted the shape of a stonehuman figurine from the Neolithic period,which was found at the Neolithic settlement inChoirokoitia (Khirokitia), dated around 7,000– 6,000 BC.The Neolithic Period is considered one of themost important periods in the island’s history. Itis during this time that prehistoric man upgradedhis life; searching for permanent housing,domesticating animals (mainly sheep and pigs),cultivating the land, shaping the stone and creatingpottery vessels. At the same time, Choirokoitiaconstitutes the most impressive exampleof the initial establishment of sedentary communitieson the island and the development ofan original civilisation: the Cypriot AceramicNeolithic. These communities originated fromthe neighbouring mainland and settled in Cyprusat the end of the 7 th millennium B.C. bringingwith them plants and animals unknown untilthen to Cyprus. The particular figurine of theGlocal Images awards derives from this period.Choirokoitia, Kalavassos-Tenta and Sotira arethe most representative Neolithic settlements.Τhe excavations in these settlements have unearthedinteresting evidence about the everydaylife and the occupations of the Neolithicsettlers of the island. They have also revealedclues about the worship of the goddess of fertility,burial customs and the basic coordinationof the inhabitants.The worship of the goddess of fertility was artisticallyexpressed with the creation of smallstatuettes, known as figurines, with Neolithicfigurines constituting the first attempt to reconstructthe human figure. The sculptors of thetime created stone figurines, which carry ‘simplifiedand basic human characteristics’.The site of Choirokoitia was discovered in 1934by Porphyros Dikaios on behalf of the Departmentof Antiquities. In December 1998 the sitewas inscribed on the UNESCO World CulturalHeritage List.34

George KepolasArtist George KepolasThe artist George Kepolas, who specialises inmosaic art, was recently contacted by the Germanstate broadcaster on 26 March to discuss hiswork and comment on recent developments in Cyprus’economy. The artist decided to respond usingthe words of a man close to German hearts, theatrepractitioner of the 20 th century, Bertolt Brecht. Inspiredby Brecht’s 1939 homonymous play, MotherCourage and Her Children, and the Blue Period ofPablo Picasso, George Kepolas created his work:Mother Courage.“With all of this in mind, I started searching for thevarious colours of stone that would give me the abilityto create a mosaic that captures this haze that hascrushed our country and its people,” the artist explains.But George Kepolas was also eager to show therewas a bright side to the whole affair.“I also made a picture of lilies to go with it, so as tonot just give out the grim side of things,” Kepolassays. “I said (to the German channel), in Cyprus itrained recently and it is a beautiful island with wonderfulflowers and fresh fruit. So we are ok and weare happy. It gives out the message that life can behard, but nature continues to thrive.”Mother Courage and Lilies, along with a numberof the artist’s other works, are being exhibited atthe Byzantine Museum in Nicosia, from the start ofJanuary until 31 July.But this is just a fraction of George Kepolas’ incrediblework and his amazingly sound personality.Works of PatienceGeorge Kepolas does not know what his friendscriticise him for, but he believes that they havesomething good to say about his patience. Inan excerpt from his book entitled The Worksof Patience, the artist explains where he drawsthe strength and patience from to create his35

George Kepolas’ book The works of patienceIt is not all doom and gloom: George Kepolas’ LiliesThe mosaic Mother Courageamazingly detailed mosaics, with colourfulstones hand-picked by himself on lengthy treksthrough the western part of the island.“For endless hours, in the tight space of my workshop,amongst books, drawings, old diaries andevery kind of stone, I patiently create my works.The telephone rings. I set off for Mr Yianni’s house.A large photograph of his son, who died in a car accident,hangs on the wall. His other two childrenhave an intellectual disability and are handicapped.As they grow, the pain and their burden become asheavy as a mountain. He wants me to make him amosaic, hoping for a miracle that is long overdue.I return to my workshop. Pambos on the radio keepsme company, playing ‘Beautiful City’ by Mikis Theodorakis.Music always has a way of transporting usto better worlds.I review my drawings, organise my materials andcut the stones in preparation for an adventure whoseoutcome is always unknown to me. I do not com-36

plain about my hands, but my eyes tire all the moreeasily as the years pass. I make some coffee and sitoutside in the garden. The bees and butterflies flyfreely, like the souls of dear lost friends.We once had a friend called Andros. Of the fiftyyears that he lived, he spent thirty of them in a wheelchair.His mother passed away with grief on her lipsand in her heart. Nova from the Philippines arrived,as a housekeeper and later as a wife. ‘It was the handof God’ softening the injustice that befell him. So wecan draw courage from the anxiety of daily life.Despite these tragedies, Cyprus is a beautiful island.Its mountains, its beaches, its zivania, its fruits andits wild flowers have kept their fragrance; an endlesssource of inspiration and a continual shifting betweenthe beauty that you cannot resist and the troubles ofthe people that you cannot bypass.Night falls. I close my workshop and return home.On the way I pick up some bread and milk from thebakery. We sit down for dinner and watch the newson the television. War, earthquakes, storms, diseasesand hunger for the greater part of the planet. An infiniteocean of pain, despair and patience.From this ocean, I took one drop of patience and itwas enough for me to create mosaics of a hundredlifetimes.”The Mosaics of KykkosIn 1988, the Abbot of Kykkos, Archimandrite Nikiforos,asked George Kepolas to view a space locatedin the conference centre, which was under constructionnext to the Archangelos Monastery in Nicosia.At the entrance of the building, there was a large wallmeasuring three metres high by eight metres wide,where he wished to place a mosaic.At the time, George was submerged in the books ofthe Holy Bible and the hymns of the Church in orderto find fitting verse, which would conjure imagesand by extension, mosaics. He had already finishednine parables (1983-88) and had to begin the secondphase with 16 smaller mosaics.“I was worried. I lost my cool and peace of mind.I had never undertaken such a large mosaic, noteven with my teacher, Pavlos Sarfatis, when I wasin Greece. Besides, for that particular space, a purelyreligious mosaic was not appropriate, but rathersomething from the history of Cyprus. Indeed, thedimensions of the work called for a journey in time,”the artist admits.George Kepolas designed a mosaic that presentedthe historical course of Cyprus from the 12 th to the20 th century, with the focal point being the image ofPanayia of Kykkos (Virgin Mary of Kykkos). For theedging around the composition, he created a vineyardwith birds of Cyprus.“I designed the work with (his brother) Alkis’help. For the small space of our workshop, it wasan enormous undertaking. I had to use the twolarge walls, for the complete mosaic in my mind,there was no separation,” the artist says. “In creatingmosaics, and in contrast to painting, one mustcomplete the work in one’s mind. Changes alongthe way are not impossible, but rather are very difficultand time-consuming.”In fitting the mosaic pieces, he collaborated withthe mathematician, Nicos Christodoulides and withConstandinos Christou.“After two and a half years of daily labour, we com-The arrival and carrying in procession of the Icon of Panayia tou Kykkou in Cyprus37

pleted the work. I was not worried at all about themounting. The builder who helped me, AndreasStylianou, and the blacksmith, Takis Christodoulou,were so good that they left no margin for error.”Using 150 different colours and about 200,000tesserae, the finished mosaic was handed over fouryears after it was first requested, in May 1992.Searching for beautiful stonesThe search for beautiful colourful stones in natureis quite an adventurous matter, according to GeorgeKepolas.“Like everything in the universe, it is a magical thing,as the poet would say. It is this magic that gives usthe strength and patience to rise before dawn, leavingbehind the warm comfort of the house and thesweetness of morning sleep,” says the artist.Having loaded his tools – axe, crowbar, hammerand pick – into the car the previous day, he pickshis friend Antonis up (a friend and colleague whohas a four-wheel drive pick-up truck) and headsoff on the long journey to Paphos, Akamas and theTroodos Mountains.“Driving down steep coasts and deep ravines, evenwith a four wheel drive, is difficult and has manypitfalls. Often we have to walk several kilometres,loaded with heavy stones, to return to the car; but,what an unspeakable joy, to hear beside you the roarof the sea or the infinite gurgle of the river as theywash over their riches.”The stones that they usually find on a journey suchas this are red, yellow, ochre, green, black, white andgrey, as well as shades of blue.The artist’s portraitGeorge Kepolas was born in Athienou, Larnacain 1956 and is the second of six children of Evanthiaand Costas Kepolas. After graduating fromthe Pancyprian Gymnasium in Nicosia, Kepolasset out to New York where he studied paintingat the Academy of Fine Arts. In Athens, wherehe lived for three years, he specialised in wallpainting and mosaics. In 1984 he established,together with Alkis Kepolas and Nicos Christo-George Kepolas’ painting Sometime (Kapote)38

doulides, the Icon Painting and Mosaics Workshop.Samples of his work are illustrated in Cyprus andabroad. He has also illustrated the book Nicosia withpoems by Michalis Hadjipieris and Nesie Yiasin andthe collections of poems by Michalis Hadjipieris, Aplait of sun and Where the dreams are silenced likea sin. In 2006 he illustrated the Hellenic Bank wallcalendar with thirteen mosaics. In 2007, his bookWorks of Patience was published in Greek, English,German and Russian.His wife is Flora Tsiola from Kontea and they havetwo children, Constantinos and Panayiota.www.kepolasmosaics.com39

Cyprus in Di-Egy Festival 0.127 March-10 April 2013The first Digital Art Festival in Egypt – betterknown as Di-Egy Festival 0.1 – is a festivalcomprising a conference, exhibition and workshops,which took place from 17 March to 10 April in Cairo,Egypt.Artists Achilleas Kentonis and Maria Papacharalambouspresented two digital works at the festival;C.u.water and La Caravan De Mix Mots, respectively.They also presented a paper at the conference,entitled Image as an Avatar and Metaphysical Interfacing,which boldly attempts to experiment withthe metaphysical and turn image into action, with thesimple use of a mathematical formula.La Caravan De Mix MotsMaria Papacharalambous’ work, a five-minutelooped video installation, is a poetic digital weaving,which went far beyond the narratives of the context: Achallenge with a challenge, a scene within a scene, aspace within a space and finally, a time within time. Aspace created to support in equal measure, the real, thesurreal and the imaginable, creating new realities in aunique environment, which took advantage of all thepotentials that digital technology has to offer today.In the artist’s words: “All is nothing but a storytelling.Waved stories with moving images create smallephemeral monuments of everyday life blendedwith the unexpected, small forgotten stories invadingthe virtual space via the collective imaginationand memory. Maybe we are just images watchingus as images.”C.u.waterAchilleas Kentonis’ video installation / projectionC.u.water is a mental exercise of a scenario whereinnocence is confronted with the coexistence ofthe opposites. The artist explains: “There are timeswhere distraction and a kid’s toy have the same aesthetics;at least to the ‘eyes’ of the water. Like twoincidents which are forced to coexist in the two-Achilleas Kentonis presenting Image as an Avatar and Metaphysical Interfacing40

Stills from Maria Papacharalambous’ installation La Caravan De Mix Motslayered virtual space of a projection – a challengeto the digital language itself, describing the blend ofvirtual and artificial. It is choreography of the two,which becomes real when entered into the sphere ofthe personal narrative of the viewer; or maybe it’snot a viewer but a director instead.”Finally, it is all about storytelling. There are three parametersthat will always be the base of human evolution,say the artists: art, philosophy and religion.In order to explore the element of dilution whichis always present in our relation with the image, a“mathematical formula” is being introduced in orderto dare and experiment with the metaphysical elementand turn image into action; a more telekinetictranslation of an image. In this paper the results ofyears of exploration into scientific and artistic researchin the field of body electromagnetics, geomagneticsand the human thinking as energy andthoughts as chemistry in the body. Humanity is at across point of its evolution and now is the best timeto intervene into the thinking process and shift it tothe more anthropocentric.The formula is as follows:Image as an Avatar and Metaphysical InterfacingStarting from the fact that our natural sensors (ourfive or even six senses) are still limited in relationto the existence of a multi-layered universe we livein, we have no other options than to develop an alternativeway to excavate what is “true” and whatis “real” in relation to the human, the divine and theintellectual. The artists would rather substitute theword “fiction” with the word “mythology”, which ismore real in the sense that it goes back thousands ofyears, unifying cultures by having common stories,common heroes and common questions.[GM] Global state of mind[F] Fluid image - a multi-interpretation of imagebased on perception and beliefs of the user[Φ] Metaphysical variable - a variable based on theability and training of the user[BF] Information bio-feedback - experience in thebody can be looped, amplified or blocked[I] Information saturation[M] Mechanical or physical result[E] Energy produced out of curiosity41

Stills from Achilleas Kentonis’ video installation / projectionC.u.waterFine Arts in Athens, Greece and continued withpost-graduate studies at the Faculdad de BellasArtes, Universidad Complutence in Madridand at the Universidad de Castilla la Mancha,Cuenca, Spain. She completed her studies inAthens National Conservatory.As a researcher, she focuses on philosophy andalternative psychology, blending it with art, creatingsocio-artistic and activistic work/ projectsand presenting them in galleries, alternativespaces, conferences and academic institutions.maria@artosfoundation.orgMaria and Achilleas together as visual artistsAchilleas KentonisAchilleas Kentonis was born in1963 in Nicosia,where he lives and works. He studied Engineering,Physics and Fine Arts at the University ofSouth Alabama, USA, and at the Universidadde Castilla la Mancha in Spain. He also studiedMastering Innovation & Design Thinkingat the Massachusetts Institute of Technology inBoston, USA.As a researcher and scientist, he participated inresearch programmes at NASA, the Universityof Cyprus and the University of the Aegean.As a researcher and artist, he presents papers atconferences and in scientific journals related toelectromagnetics of the human body, geopathicstress, creation of new electro-acoustic musicalinstruments, and research on the perpetual, telekinesis,social and philosophical issues.achilleas@artosfoundation.org /www.achilleas-kentonis.netMaria PapacharalambousMaria Papacharalambous was born in Nicosiain 1964, where she still lives and works. Shegraduated with distinction from the School ofMaria and Achilleas have collaborated in differentdisciplines of artistic projects. Togetheror individually they have represented Cyprusin European and international Salons and exhibitions,such as Biennales and Triennales, inthe fields of painting, photography, engraving,architecture, stage and costume design, installation,video art and short films (experimental,animation and documentary). They also organisedor participated in various internationalcultural events, symposiums, conferences,seminars and lectures, where they presented urbaninterventions/actions, online projects, geopoliticalart, international projects and artisticpublications.They have collaborated with various theatricalgroups and the Cyprus National Theatre asstage and costume designers realising seventeentheatre plays. Since 1999, they have createdmore than 35 short films and videos andreceived distinctions and awards for differentkinds of creations.They are the founders and the directors of AR-Tos Cultural and Research Foundation, a contemporaryarts and science centre dedicated toresearch and creativity, which was awarded theUniversity of Cyprus Award for its Contributionto Culture and Society in 2008. ARTos haswon a series of EU cultural programs and establisheda strong European network.42

a musical play produced in the same year.In 2006, Antonis managed and coordinated thelecture Child and art, a project on how art canimpact on a child’s life. His work has been exhibitedin Cyprus and Italy, where among manyevents, the artist took part in the Nuove proposted’arte exhibition in Rome’s Gallery La Pigna, agroup exhibition on Peace at the Museo storicodella Fanteria in Rome, the seminar Art andtherapy at the Tor Vergata University in Rome,and the Gothic Architecture exhibition in Prague.Today, his paintings grace the walls of a numberof private organisations and private collectors,while he also teaches art to children with the useof interactive methods and emotional expressionat spyrA.art.studio.A note from the artistThe whole idea of the exhibition started quitea while ago when I happened to come acrossa box filled with photographs in an abandonedhouse. It is extremely interesting to take an oldphoto depicting people you do not know andstart creating stories.This is how I began making my own narrativesor adjusting them to well-known stories and fairytales. I started by putting imaginary stories, those44

with humour and stories by others, in the box andcreated a world filled with magic and dreams. Ichose to work with a number of fairy tales, becausefor me they are directly connected withthe past, just like the photographs. The past hasromanticism like fairy tales have magic and byhearing them, we each automatically create ourown images.I remember my grandmother telling me stories,each time the same ones, two or three that sheknew. Imagine the kind of talent she had for usto want to hear them time and time again.I generally believe that romanticism, magic andhumour are the desired ingredients, especiallynowadays. It is beautiful to get carried awaywith a story and it fills you with strength, whileat the same time providing you with the abilityto dream and set your own goals.This is why I also created a wall installationwith yarn that says KEEP DREAMING; it isvery important for everyone to be able to dream,each in their own way.45

Collective Autobiography Installation by Maria Loizidou7 March-10 April 2013Artist Maria Loizidou’s new installationCollective Autobiography, a personal innerview of her work to date, was displayedat the National Museum of Contemporary Art(EMST) in Athens from 7 March until 10 April.Her homonymous monograph was presented atthe opening night by the University of AthensPsychology Professor, Mr Klimis Navridis.The Collective Autobiography installation wasdeveloped when Maria Loizidou’s monographwas about to be published. Her personal innerview on the whole of her work since 1981 untiltoday, was what triggered her inspiration for theinstallation; the redevelopment of an old wardrobemade of cypress wood (220x160x140) ofthe early 20 th century, which served the needs ofa rural family in a small province.It is constructed in a way that allows the furnitureto be disassembled and reset to its originalform, while offering the option of its internalspace remaining wide open, in the same waythat a garment, or even better a glove, keeps theform of its content even when it is turned insideout. This inversion reveals the inner pocketsof the furniture, where different works (smallsculptures, drawings, videos, notebooks andbooks) from the artist’s atelier are displayed,unfolding her body of work spanning the pastthree decades.By crucially using an architectural arrangement,the old space of the furniture is organisedwith the addition of new display cases. Therebythe new form becomes both a landscape anda still life, offering viewers the possibility ofhaving a more personal experience and differentinterpretations of its content.In the words of Maria Loizidou: “CollectiveAutobiography, both the installation and themonograph, refer to the way we perceive thespace around us and particularly refer to theMaria Loizidou’s monograph Collective AutobiographyMaria Loizidou46

interpretations we give to it. For example, ashuttered space can be interpreted as a horribleprison cell, or as a protective shell where newideas are tested, emphasising the elements thatcombine our world and belong in our emotionalrather than our empirical sphere.Collective Autobiography attempts to approachthe dark side of humans, their emotional experiences,which allow them to recall feelings,memories and notions in order to deal withtheir own lives.”About the artistMaria Loizidou is a visual artist who participatesin international exhibitions and programmes.She represented Cyprus in the Venice Biennalein 1986 and Biennale of Cairo in 2010. Shealso participated in the Architecture Biennaleof Venice in 2004 and 2006. She collaboratedwith various museums, such as the Musée d’ArtModerne de Saint Etienne Métropole in France,the National Museum of Contemporary Art ofSalonika in 2010 and the Benaki Museum inAthens in 2008.The artist collaborated with the MétissageFrench programme of the Ministry of Culturein France, and Le Musée de Beaux Arts inLyon, on a project in 2005.She also collaborated with architect AlexandrosTombazis in 2007 to create L’apparitiondes anges, an installation at the entrance of theChurch of the Holy Trinity in Fatima, Portugal.Maria Loizidou has been a member of theAA&U Partnership for Architecture, Art andUrbanism since 2006.For more information, visit the artist’s websitehttp://www.marialoizidou.com/ or theNational Museum of Contemporary Art atwww.emst.gr47

13 th International Pharos Chamber Music Festival21 May-1 June 2013The International Pharos Chamber Music Festivalstood its ground and went ahead, despitethe uneasy economic situation in Cyprus, with itsannual classical music celebration. The Festivalhas established itself as the most important annualclassical music event on the island and has gainedinternational reputation for its quality concerts andmagnificent settings.“Guided by a visionary spirit and dedicated toartistic excellence and innovation, the Festivalattracts over 2,000 visitors every year. […] At atime when our country faces enormous economic,political and societal challenges, the necessity ofserious cultural events is often neglected, yet it isprecisely during these difficult times that we needthe inspiration and beauty that only the arts andmusic can provide,” the Pharos Arts Foundationpoints out.The Festival maintains a strong tradition of communityservice, with educational concerts arrangedfor students of public schools and a number ofmaster-classes for young instrumentalists.Organised on 21 May until 1 June 2013, the 13 thInternational Pharos Chamber Music Festivalwelcomed to Cyprus some of the most remarkableartists on the international music scene for eightconcerts in three of the island’s unique venues:The Royal Manor House in the ancient village ofKouklia, birthplace of the goddess Aphrodite; TheShoe Factory, a contemporary recital venue situatedon Ermou Street near the buffer zone in Nicosia;and The Olive Grove, a world-class, open-airvenue surrounded by the idyllic forest of Delikipos,Nicosia.The VenuesThe Royal Manor House in Kouklia is oneof the finest surviving monuments to Frankisharchitecture on the island and an unparalleledvenue for intimate chamber music performances.The building also houses an archaeologicalmuseum, which records the rich history of humanactivity in the region from about 2800 BCto the present day. The Royal Manor House,which is part of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation’s“Aphrodite’s Cultural Route”, is also aUNESCO World Heritage site. Palaipafos, orOld Pafos, was a city-kingdom of Cyprus andone of the most celebrated pilgrimage centres ofthe ancient Greek world. It was the site of a famoussanctuary of Aphrodite, the oldest remainsof which date back to the 12 th century BC.The Shoe Factory is situated in Old Nicosia,near the UN buffer zone. With the Shoe Factory,the Pharos Arts Foundation is revitalising thisbeautiful and historic section of the capital byattracting a wide and diverse younger audience.All concerts at the Shoe Factory are characterisedby a unique intimacy, and the music is performedin an exceptionally inspiring setting. TheShoe Factory is a modern venue decorated withcontemporary art by mainly local artists and offersaudiences the unique opportunity to sit withinan amazing proximity to world famous artistsand experience performances in a performance48

Mahan Esfahani - harpsichordspace like no other.The Olive Grove is a world-class, open-air concertvenue. It is relaxed and informal, promotinga palpable intimacy between the artists and theaudience. The venue is surrounded by the idyllicforest of Delikipos and is adorned with woodendecks, shallow pools of water, Zen landscapingand uniquely atmospheric lighting. Audiencemembers can relax on chairs, blankets and pillowsand enjoy a glass of wine while listeningto world class musical performances. The Foundation’svision for the Olive Grove is to makecontemporary art less intimidating by creatinginnovative events that are fun and appealingwithout compromising the quality and vision ofthe musical performances.Tuesday 21 May 2013The Shoe Factory, Nicosia Baroque RecitalMahan Esfahani (harpsichord)Michala Petri (recorders)ProgrammeG.F. Handel (1685 –1759): Sonata in D, HWV 367for recorder & basso continuoJ.S. Bach (1685–1750): Partita in C-minor for unaccompaniedalto recorder, BWV 1013G.P. Telemann (1683–1767): Sonata in C-majorfor recorder & basso continuo, from the ‘’EsserciziMusici’’Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713): Sonata in D, Op.V no. 12, ‘’La Follia’’49

Michala Petri - recordersIntervalJ.S. Bach (1685–1750): Sonata in F for recorder &basso continuo, BWV 1035Alessandro Scarlatti (1660–1725): Partite sopra laFollia di spagnaJ.S. Bach (1685–1750): Sonata in G for recorder &basso continuo, BWV 1034Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord)Hailed as the “leading harpsichordist of his generation’’(Opera Today), Mahan Esfahani wasborn in 1984 and is the first harpsichordist tobe named a BBC New Generation Artist (2008-2010). In 2009, he gave his solo recital debutat the Wigmore Hall, London, thus launching amajor career as a recitalist, concerto soloist, andmore recently, conductor.The Shoe Factory, Nicosia Baroque RecitalElisha Abas - pianoRecent and future highlights include appearanceswith the Academy of Ancient Music,Die Hamburger Sinfoniker, the Prague Symphonychamber concerts, New York’s FrickCollection, and at the major recital halls of Cologne,Vienna, Vancouver, London, Tokyo, andNagoya.Esfahani studied as a President’s Scholar at StanfordUniversity under the guidance of the musicologistGeorge Houle. He later went on to study harpsichordand organ with Peter Watchorn and LorenzoGhielmi. He currently benefits from the teachingand advice of the celebrated Czech harpsichordistZuzana Růžičková.Michala Petri (recorder)Since her concert debut at the Tivoli Concert Hall in1969, Michala Petri has established herself as oneof classical music’s most beloved performers andthe leading exponent of her instrument, the recorder.She has toured extensively throughout Europe,North America, Israel, Australia and the Far East,performing with musicians such as Pinchas Zukerman,James Galway, Joshua Bell, Maurice André,Keith Jarrett, Gidon Kremer and Claudio Abbadoand has appeared as soloist with many of the world’smajor chamber and symphony orchestras.In 2006, together with Lars Hannibal, MichalaPetri launched OUR Recordings. To date, OURRecordings has released more than a dozen titlesincluding the two Grammy® nominated Movementsand Chinese Recorder Concertos and the50

Monika Urbonaite - violinMarc Coppey - celloThe five concerts included the following worksAntonin Dvořák: Double-bass Quintet No.2 in Gmajor Op.77 (Levon Chilingirian / violin, CharlesSewart / violin, William Coleman / viola, AlexanderChaushian / cello, Hayk Khachatryan / doublebass)Franz Schubert: Piano Quintet in A major, D.667 “Trout”Johannes Brahms: Horn Trio in E-flat major,Op.40 and Variations on a Theme by Schumann,Op.23, for piano 4 handsRobert Schumann: Fantasiestücke, Op.73Joseph Haydn: Piano Trio No.39 in G major,Hob. XV/25 “Gypsy”Boris Brovtsyn (violin)Born in 1977, Boris Brovtsyn graduated fromMoscow´s Central Music School in 1994 whenhe entered the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatoryto study with Maya Glezarova. During histime there, he became a laureate of internationalcompetitions, such as Georg Kulenkampff (1994,Cologne), Transnet (1996, Pretoria) and YehudiMenuhin (1998). In 2001, he was a finalist at theQueen Elizabeth Violin Competition and won the2001 Reuters Prize. The following year, he wonthe Tibor Varga International Violin Competition.In 1998, Brovtsyn made his UK debut with theBBC Philharmonic conducted by Rumon Gamba.In 2000, he became a student of David Takeno atthe Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and in2004 he won the GSMD´s highest award, the GoldMedal (past winners include Jacqueline du’Pre,Tasmin Little and Bryn Terfel).Recently he has played with the Orchestre de laSuisse Romande in Geneva and Warsaw, theRundfunk-Sinfonieorchester Berlin, Utah SymphonyOrchestra, and he has participated in theJerusalem Chamber Music Festival.Daishin Kashimoto (violin)In 1988, Daishin Kashimoto gave his first recitalas well as his first concert as a soloist with theNew York Symphonic Ensemble in New York.Since then, he has given recitals and solo appearancesin the USA, the Far East and in many Europeancountries.Daishin Kashimoto is first prize winner of renownedcompetitions such as the 6 th MenuhinInternational Junior Violin Competition (England,1993), the International Competition for Violinists(Cologne, 1994), and, in 1996, as the youngestwinner in history of both the International FritzKreisler Violin Competition in Vienna and theMarguerite Long-Jacques Thibaud InternationalCompetition for Piano and Violin in Paris. In 1994,Daishin was awarded the Steigenberger Prize andthe Davidoff Prize, as well as the Brahms Prize(Germany, 1999).Levon Chilingirian (violin)Levon Chilingirian was born in Cyprus to Armenianparents and was introduced to music froma very early age through his pianist mother andviolinist great uncle. When the Chilingirian familyimmigrated to London in 1960, Levon concentratedon the violin, studying at the Royal College52

of Music. His early influences in music were hisuncle, the violinist Manoug Parikian, his teacherHugh Bean, musicologist Hans Keller, and theAmadeus Quartet.His career as a recitalist was launched by winningthe first prize in the 1969 BBC Beethoven Competition,followed by the Munich Duo first prizein 1971.Monika Urbonaite (violin)Monika Urbonaite was born in Lithuania into amusical family. From an early age, she played assoloist with various orchestras and won numerouscompetition awards both in her native Lithuaniaand abroad. After having won the Talent of HopeAward at the Heifetz competition in Vilnius, shewas invited by Gidon Kremer to join the KremerataBaltica Chamber Orchestra. She spent the nextsix years there, touring the world and collaboratingwith the likes of Martha Argerich, Mischa Maiskyand Gustavo Dudamel. Monika Urbonaite has recentlygraduated from Trinity College of Musicwhere she was a recipient of numerous scholarshipsand awards including the Leverhulme, theFounders and the TCM Trust.Charles Sewart (violin)With tours to over 40 countries as a member of theChilingirian and Mistry String Quartets, CharlesSewart has, over twenty years, enjoyed a busyschedule of performing, recording and teaching atsome of the world’s most prestigious venues andfestivals. Recordings for Virgin/EMI, Decca, Hyperionand Chandos have received high acclaim.Charles is currently Head of Strings at the PurcellSchool.William Coleman (viola)William Coleman has made many appearances asa chamber musician and soloist, and as the violistof the acclaimed Berlin-based Kuss Quartet. Hisschedule has included concerts at the Salzburgand Edinburgh Festivals, as well as at the BerlinPhilharmonie, Vienna Konzerthaus, Le Théâtre duChâtelet, Paris and Carnegie Hall. William studiedat the University Mozarteum in Salzburg withThomas Riebl and Veronika Hagen, and at Boston’sNew England Conservatory with Kim Kashkashian.In 2002, William joined the Kuss Quartet.Since then, the quartet has been a recipient of numerousprizes.Diemut Poppen (viola)Diemut Poppen is one of the finest viola playersof her generation. Born into a musical family, Poppenstudied in Germany, USA and Paris with someof the greatest viola players of her time, includingYuri Bashmet, Kim Kashkashian, Bruno Giurannaand Peter Schidlof. Diemut Poppen has beenawarded several scholarships and prizes, amongthem the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkesand the renowned European Music Prize. Severalcomposers have written new pieces for DiemutPoppen, including solo works, as well as concertos,sonatas and chamber music.Sam Barsegian (cello)Samvel Barsegian was born in Armenia in 1971.He started to play the violin at the age of six andin 1987 he switched to the viola. He was acceptedby the Yerevan State Conservatory in 1989where he won the First Prize in the NationalCompetition. Between 1991 and 1997, he studiedat the Freiburg School of Music in Germanywith Professor Kim Kashkashian. In 1998, Samvelwas appointed principal violist of the FlemishFhilarmonic Orchestra in Antwerpen/Belgium,while in 2008 he moved to Lisbon/Portugal,where he was appointed principal violistof the Gulbenkian Orchestra. Samvel Barsegianhas conducted a number of European orchestras,and he is the founder of the Lisbon Chamber Orchestra,of which he is the chief conductor andartistic director.Alexander Chaushian (cello)First Prize winner of the Premio Mozart Competitionin Verona, Italy, in 1990 and the InternationalMusic Competition in Holland in 1992, AlexanderChaushian also received the Guilhermina SuggiaGift in London - a grant awarded to outstandingstring players - on three occasions. In 1997, he was53

awarded the Orchestra of New England SoloistPrize, as well as the First Summis Auspiciis Prizeof Young Concert Artists in New York. In 1999,he was the recipient of the Anna Instone MemorialAward sponsored by Capital Radio. In 2001,he was the joint recipient of the Pierre FournierAward, while in 2002, he won the third prize inthe 12 th International Tchaïkovsky Competition inMoscow. Chaushian was also awarded the thirdprize and the Special Prize given by the MunichChamber Orchestra at the Internationaler Musikwettbewerbder ARD in Germany in September2005.Alexander Chaushian has appeared at prestigiousvenues throughout the world, and as a soloist hehas played with a number of renowned orchestras,including the Vienna Chamber Orchestra atVienna’s Konzerthaus and at the Bruchnerhausin Linz. Since 2002, he has been acting as the artisticdirector of the Orpheus & Bacchus Festivalin Bordeaux, France and the International PharosChamber Music Festival in Cyprus.Marc Coppey (cello)French cellist Marc Coppey, winner of the twohighest prizes at the 1988 Bach competition Leipzigat the age of 18, is considered to be one of theleading cellists of today. Lord Yehudi Menuhindiscovered Marc’s talent at an early age and subsequentlyinvited him to make his Moscow andParis debuts by performing the Tchaïkovsky Triowith himself and Viktoria Postnikova, a collaborationdocumented on film by famous film directorBruno Monsaingeon. In 1989, Mstislav Rostropovichinvited Marc to the Evian Festival and fromthat moment on his solo career took off.A frequent soloist with the leading orchestras oftoday, Marc Coppey has collaborated with manydistinguished conductors such as Eliahu Inbal,Emmanuel Krivine, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgosand Asher Fisch. He has appeared in some of themost prestigious concert halls of the world such asWigmore Hall in London, the Schauspielhaus inBerlin and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam.Marc Coppey’s choice of repertoire is eclectic andinnovative. He frequently plays the complete BachSuites and other well-known and loved concertrepertoire, and also brings to the public’s attentionworks that are rarely heard. Performing and promotingcontemporary music is very important toMarc Coppey.Marc Coppey’s many recordings have receivedcritical acclaim worldwide. They include worksby Beethoven, Debussy, Emmanuel Fauré, Griegand Strauss, produced by the labels Auvidis, Decca,Harmonia Mundi and K617. Marc Coppeyis also a professor at the Conservatoire NationalSupérieur de Musique de Paris and gives masterclassesall over the world. He is the artistic directorof the Colmar Chamber Music Festival. He is alsothe artistic director of the Zagreb Soloists since2011.Hayk Khachatryan (double-bass)Born in 1973 in Armenia into a family of musicians,Hayk Khachatryan began taking lessonson the violin when he was seven. He entered theYerevan State Conservatory in 1990 to studydouble-bass with Professor Vahe Terzyan and hegraduated in 1997. Hayk has appeared as a soloistunder Emin Khachatryan with the ArmenianState Chamber Orchestra, with the Tibor VargaFestival Orchestra conducted by its namesake,and the Orchestra La Folia with Mirion Glas.While still a student, Hayk won the first prize inthe chamber music competition Valentino Bucciand has appeared with such orchestras as the ErewanSymphony Orchestra, the Serenade ChamberOrchestra, the Armenian State Chamber Orchestra,the National Orchestra of Lyon, and the BernSymphony Orchestra.Sergei Nakariakov (trumpet / flugelhorn)Born in Gorky in 1977, Sergei Nakariakov hasbroken through many of the perceived boundariesframing the world of the trumpet in classicalmusic. Dubbed “The Paganini of the trumpet” bythe Finnish press after a performance at the KorsholmFestival when he was only 13 years old,and in 1997 “Caruso of the Trumpet” by Musikund Theater, Sergei has developed a unique musicalvoice, which is much more than a vehicle forastonishing virtuosity. His repertoire includes notonly the entire range of original literature for the54

trumpet but is continually expanding into broaderterritories, including many fascinating transcriptions,while he searches for ever new means ofmusical expression. At the same time, he hassingle-handedly brought the flugelhorn to prominenceon the concert platform.From the age of ten Sergei started to perform withorchestras in major concert halls of the Soviet Union.In 1988, he received a diploma at a brass competitionfor adults. Sergei Nakariakov has beencollaborating with the world’s most feted musicians,orchestras and conductors, such as VladimirSpivakov, Christoph Eschenbach, Yury Bashmet,Jiří Bělohlávek, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Sir NevilleMarriner and Valery Gergiev, amongst others.Nakariakov received the ECHO Klassik Awardon ZDF as instrumentalist of the year from theGerman Phono-Academy, while in 2006, he premieredthe work “ad absurdum” with the MunichChamber Orchestra – a concerto speciallycomposed for him by Jörg Widmann, whichfeatures Nakariakov’s unusual circular breathingcapabilities.Ashley Wass (piano)Described as an “endlessly fascinating artist”,Ashley Wass is firmly established as one of theleading performers of his generation. He is theonly British winner of the London InternationalPiano Competition, prize-winner at the Leeds PianoCompetition, and a former BBC Radio 3 NewGeneration Artist. Ashley Wass is the Artistic Directorof the Lincolnshire International ChamberMusic Festival and is currently a Professor of Pianoat the Royal College of Music, London, andis an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music.Since his début as a pianist, he has frequentlyappeared with some of the world’s most notableorchestras including the Orchestre National deFrance, Orchestre de Paris, the Portugal SymphonicOrchestra and Orchestre de Cannes. He hascollaborated with conductors such as Kurt Masur,Yuri Ahronovitch, Yutaka Sado, Juraj Valcuha,Stefan Sanderling and Philippe Bender. He hasperformed recitals throughout Europe, Americaand Asia.His numerous recordings, featuring music by Bach,Händel, Schubert, Brahms and Liszt amongst others,have been highly acclaimed by critics and areregularly broadcast around the world. His recentalbum Armenia – which is devoted to the classicalmusic of Armenia – has received the Choc of theYear Award for 2007 by Le Monde de la Musiquemagazine.Vahan Mardirossian is simultaneously leading apromising career as a conductor. Since September2010, he has been the Principal Conductor ofCaen Symphony Orchestra and the Musical Directorand Principal Conductor of National ChamberOrchestra of Armenia.Maria Meerovitch (piano)Born in St. Petersburg, Maria Meerovitch beganher music education at the age of six. Atthe age of eight she performed at St. PetersburgPhilharmonic Hall for the first time, where shewas complimented by Grigory Sokolov, one ofVahan Mardirossian (piano)Vahan Mardirossian was born in Armenia. Since1993, he has been living in France, where he studiedwith Jacques Rouvier at the Paris Conservatoire.He graduated with distinction after beingawarded the First Prize for Piano, the ChamberMusic Prize and the Conservatoire’s highest diploma,which enabled him to continue for postgraduatestudies.The Olive Grove, Delikipos (Copyright Ben Mobley)55

the greatest musicians of our time. She continuedher studies at St. Petersburg Conservatory’sJunior Music Institute, and later at the Rimsky-Korsakov St. Petersburg State Conservatory,with piano as principal subject. In 1990, Meerovitchmoved to Belgium after having receiveda scholarship from “Fonds Alex de Vries” – Y.Menuhin Foundation to study at the Royal Conservatoryof Antwerp.She subsequently won first prizes at several internationalcompetitions such as the G.B. Viotti in Italyand Ch. Hennen in the Netherlands. She has beenperforming around the world ever since, with appearancesin solo recitals and chamber music concertsin venues and festivals such as Concertgebouwin Amsterdam, Bad-Kissingen Musik Festival, Schleswig-HolsteinMusik Festival, Cité de la Musiquein Paris, Opera City Hall in Tokyo and Musikhallein Hamburg.Open-air concert for stringsSaturday 1 June 2013The Olive Grove, DelikiposThe last Festival concert took place at The OliveGrove in Delikipos and featured a programme ofstring quintets by Mozart and Brahms with violinistsBoris Brovtsyn and Levon Chilingirian, violistsDiemut Poppen and Sam Barsegian, and cellist AlexanderChaushianProgrammeJohannes Brahms (1833–1897): String Quintet No.2in G major, Op.111 (1890)Boris Brovtsyn / violin, Levon Chilingirian / violin,William Coleman / viola, Sam Barsegian / viola, AlexanderChaushian / celloIntervalW.A. Mozart (1756 –1791): String Quintet No.3 inC major, K.515 (1787)Levon Chilingirian / violin, Boris Brovtsyn / violin,Diemut Poppen / viola, William Coleman / viola, AlexanderChaushian / celloThe Pharos Arts FoundationThe Pharos Arts Foundation is a non-profit culturaland educational foundation based in Cyprus, dedicatedto the promotion of the arts and humanities.The Pharos Arts Foundation seeks to promote artisticexcellence by bringing audiences in Cyprus intocontact with some of the most exciting and talentedmusicians and artists on the Cypriot and internationalmusic scenes.The Pharos Arts Foundation envisages to createa permanent home for the arts, culture and globaldialogue in Cyprus by bringing artists, writers, musicians,composers and philosophers together for creativeexpression and exchange, particularly by takingadvantage of the island’s unique cultural and geographicallocation at the crossroads of Europe, Asiaand Africa and the European Union’s south-easternboundary.The Pharos Arts Foundation has established a globalreputation for its commitment to excellence andfor promoting classical music in Cyprus, havingpresented more than 500 concerts over the past fifteenyears. Outstanding musicians are hosted in thePharos Arts Foundation’s Concert Series and in itsannual International Chamber Music Festival, withprogrammes ranging from ancient to contemporary.The recent acquisition by the Foundation of a beautifulharpsichord, made by O’Brien and Bandini ofItaly, will give the Foundation the opportunity topresent more Baroque music.The Pharos Centre for Contemporary Art (PCCA)presents the work of major international artists. A varietyof contemporary art forms are included in theCentre’s programme, including visual, performance,photography and video, as well as lectures and discussions.Exhibitions are in many cases individuallycurated by internationally recognised curators fromall over Europe.The educational programmes are an important aspectof the Foundation’s work, giving thousands ofstudents from all communities in Cyprus the opportunitynot only to hear music performed by some ofthe great artists who visit us, but also to learn fromthem and develop a serious and deep enthusiasm forclassical music. Over the past five years more than60,000 students have participated in the music educationprogramme.56

Shows ran at the THOC New Theatre Buildingthroughout April, May and June. The play wasalso presented at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol,the Markideio Theatre in Paphos and the LarnacaMunicipal Theatre.A portrait of David HareBorn on 5 June, 1947 in Sussex, England, DavidHare was educated at Lancing College, Sussex. Hewent on to earn an MA in English from Jesus College,Cambridge, in 1968.After graduating, he co-founded the Portable TheatreCompany – a travelling theatre group – in 1968with Tony Bicât. The theatre played a defining rolein the unconventional theatrical trend of the era.Hare composed his first works for the PortableTheatre, and was the theatre’s director from 1968until 1971.In 1974, he co-founded the Joint Stock TheatreCompany with Max Stafford-Clark and DavidAukin. He was the Company’s director from 1975until 1980. Joint Stock Theatre Company was apioneering theatrical team, which saw actors andwriters work collectively to create theatrical textsthrough workshops. The team was characterisedby its social and political concern, as well as boldexperimentation, both with form and theme.Hare also served as a resident dramatist for theRoyal Court Theatre in London from 1970 until1971, and for the Nottingham Playhouse in 1973,while he has been a permanent contributor for theNational Theatre since 1984.For his first major play, entitled Slag (1970), he receivedthe Evening Standard Drama Award.Among others, he has composed the works Knuckle(1974, Mail on Sunday Award/John Llewellyn RhysPrize), Fanshen (1975, based on the book by WilliamHinton), Teeth ‘n’ Smiles (1975), Plenty (1978),Pravda: A Fleet Street Comedy (1985, in cooperationwith Howard Brenton) and The Secret Rapture(1988). He also produced the trilogy Racing Demon(1990), Murmuring Judges (1991), The Absence ofWar (1993) and the works Skylight (1995), Amy’sView (1997) and The Judas Kiss (1998).David Hare’s most recent plays include My ZincBed (2000), The Breath of Life (2002), The PermanentWay (2003), Stuff Happens (2004), The VerticalHour (2006), Gethsemane (2008), The Powerof Yes (2009), as well as the scripts for the moviesThe Reader, based on the novel by BernhardSchlink and The Corrections, from the novel byJonathan Franzen.58

Catharsis/RebirthSeven Cypriot artists at The LouvrePistoletto with Nicolas Iordanou, Marianna Constanti, SylviaNicolaides, Charis Paspallis, Yiannis SakellisThe artists’ collective installationdigital body of work by seven Cypriot artistsA was projected alongside an exhibition by therenowned Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto at theMusée du Louvre entitled Année1 - Le Paradis surTerre (Year 1 – Earthly Paradise).The exhibition was in response to an invitation sentin December 2012 from Pistoletto to artists worldwideto create an event concerning the concept ofThe Third Paradise. In Cyprus, the artists NicolasIordanou, Sylvia Nicolaides, Miriam Mc ConnonPapageorgiou, Charis Paspallis, George Petrou,Yiannis Sakellis and Marianna Constanti, took actionand organised the exhibition entitled Catharsis/Rebirth, choosing a place that symbolises catharsis,rebirth and creation: The Ottoman Baths in Paphos.On 21 December, the chosen date to celebrate TheFirst World-wide Day of Rebirth, the artists exhibitedseven separate works in different media in anabstract interpretation of the Third Paradise, implyingand commenting on the responsibility of socialchange. In addition, the artists created a collectiveinstallation which united all art pieces and workedas an immediate reference to the symbol of the ThirdParadise, raising the idea of a personal response towardsa collective and united experience.All individual artworks referred to the personal concernsof each artist in relation to ideas in re-establishinga world which needs re-thinking, re-phrasing,re-evaluation and a purer re-start: Re-framing individualityin an integrated responsibility.The idea of the Turkish baths is symbolically connectedwith the cathartic approach, where mixedidentities gather and share common motives.On 17 May, a documentary from the exhibition travelledto and was exhibited at The Louvre, Paris, aspart of a video installation using digital projectionsentitled The Third Paradise. This collective installationof digital projections was the inspiration ofPistoletto.According to the artist Yiannis Sakellis, who wasthe contact between the group of artists and Pistoletto,and also Marie-Laure Bernadac, the curator ofCatharsis/Rebirth, the idea of the exhibition was torecord a documentary which would later travel toThe Louvre by formal invitation. The digital projectionof the documentary, which was directed byNicolas Iordanou and Sylvia Nicolaides, was incorporatedinto Michelangelo Pistoletto’s retrospectiveexhibition Année1 - Le Paradis sur Terre.For further information: http://www.facebook.com/catharsisrebirthThe artistsNicolas Iordanou was born in 1975 in Paphos,Cyprus. He studied Fine Arts at Harold WashingtonCollege and Photography at Columbia CollegeChicago. From 2001 until 2006 he worked as a photojournalist,dealing with conflict and post-war photographyin Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Palestine/Israel, Uganda and Lebanon. In 2005 he was invitedby the Goethe Institut as a reviewer in the first Pho-60

Being and Time by Nicolas IordanouRebuilding by Miriam Mc Connon PapageorgiouAtitlo by Charis PaspallisBeing and Time by Sylvia Nicolaidestography Festival of Berlin. In 2007, he was assignedto photograph the international project ChallengingWalls in collaboration with Akademie der Künste -Berlin, whose goal was to bring different conflictedcommunities closer, having a common vision ofpeace and coexistence. He collaborates pro bonowith the United Nations (UNHCR) and the Doctorsof the World. In 2010 he worked as a Director ofPhotography in a film in Italy titled From Father’sEyes. In 2012 he co-directed the short film About Usand the documentary Cementography.Miriam Mc Connon Papageorgiou was born inDublin, Ireland in 1977. She graduated from TheNational College of Art and Design, Dublin in 1999.In 2000 she completed a postgraduate diploma atthe Cyprus College of Art. Miriam’s recent projectsinclude: My Mackintosh Box, a solo painting exhibitionat The Talbot gallery, Dublin (2012), participationin The 8 th Beijing Biennale at the ChineseMuseum of contemporary Art (2012), Internationaldrawing Biennale and Symposium, Pilsen, CzechRepublic, Biennale of Drawing, Wroclaw, Poland(2012), The outdoor installation, The Megalo Tama,commissioned for Cyprus’ Presidency of the EU inSeptember 2012 and The Touring Tama, an outdoorinstallation to commemorate Ireland’s presidency ofthe EU (2013). Miriam currently lives in Cyprus.Charis Paspalis is a Cypriot artist based in Cyprus.He was born in Paphos in 1977. He graduated fromthe School of Fine Arts (1997-2002), in Athens,Greece, under the supervision of T. Patraskides andD. Mitaras.61

Peter’s Eagle & the Birth of Venusby George PetrouSpiral by Yiannis SakellisMemento Contraptionby Marianna ConstantiHe participaded in several exhibitions in Andorra,Brazil, Strasbourg, Paris (museum of Louvre),Moldova (Biennale), Romania (Bucharest), Spain(Madrid), Italy, Finland, Athens and Cyprus.Born in 1984, Sylvia Nicolaides originally trainedin education receiving her BA in Education from theUniversity of Cyprus, specialising in Art Education.She later received her BA (Hons) Fine Arts Degreefrom Chelsea College of Art and Design (Universityof the Arts) London. She is currently enrolled in aMaster’s programme for Audio-Visual Studies in theAcademy of Performing Arts (AMU), in the Filmand Television Department (FAMU), in Prague. Sheparticipated in several group exhibitions in Cyprus,England, Austria, Bulgaria and Turkey.George Petrou is a London-based artist, born in1981 in Paphos, Cyprus. In 2008 he was awarded aBA in Fine Art with honours from Chelsea Collegeof Art and Design and since July 2011 he holds anMA in Fine Art/Photography from the Royal Collegeof Art, London. Petrou mainly works withmoving image, photography, sculpture, and videoinstallation. Alongside his individual practice heworks and collaborates with the London DeaneryGeneral Surgical Skills Programme, Imperial CollegeLondon and develops Surgical Simulators.George has recently presented work at TedMedLive Athens 2013. In 2011 his video work WhenWe Split in Two was selected for the BloombergNew Contemporaries and was exhibited at theICA, London. Other group exhibitions includeShorts at Oxford - Modern Art Oxford (2011), Albumat Wolstenholme - Independents LiverpoolBiennial (2011), Z-Time - Moscow Young ArtistBiennial (2011), and Design Overtime - LondonDesign Museum (2010).The idea of the Turkish baths issymbolically connectedwith the cathartic approach, wheremixed identities gather and sharecommon motives.Yiannis Sakellis was born in Paphos (Cyprus) on24 February 1983. He studied painting at the FineArts Academy “Pietro Vannucci” in Perugia-Italy,where he graduated in 2007 with excellence. In2006 he won the annual “Adelmo Maribelli” prize,from the academy of fine arts of Perugia. He is nowliving and working in Paphos.Marianna Constanti was born in Paphos in 1977.She holds an M.F.A. in Fine Arts from Central SaintMartin’s College of Art & Design, London 1999-2000 and a B.A. in Fine Arts from Middlesex University,London 1996-1999. Solo exhibitions/curating:2011: Photographic Reminiscence, Diatopos gallery,Nicosia; 2002: Catharsis, Turkish Baths, Paphos;2005: Jelly in a bowl, Pantheon Gallery, Nicosia;2001: Within/without, St. Kentheas neighbourhood,Paphos. Selected Group Exhibitions: 2013: Rebithday,Louvre Museum; Catharsis/rebirth, TurkishBaths; 2012: InSite, Archeological sites Nea Paphos;Maniera Cypria, Lemesos: Fabula, Historia, Memoria,Evagoras Lanitis Center, Limasol; the Open west,Gloucester Cathedral; 2010: Hunt for This Century’sLeonardo da Vinci! International Art Triennale, Osaka;2008: Ficcions (de)construidas, Museo Centro deArte Tomay y Valiente, Madrid; 2007: D/ou vienstu?,Fondation pour les Arts Visuels, Geneva; 2005:2 nd Beijing International Biennal; 2004: Breakingthe mould, Helsinki; 2003: 22 nd Biennale of Alexandria,Museum of Fine Arts Alexandria. Commission:Sense of place, Paphos International Airport, 2008.62

Coloureceivers Exhibition23 March-12 April 2013Artist Savvinos Paraskevas presented his firstsolo exhibition of paintings entitled Coloureceivers2003-2013 at Gallery Kypriaki Gonia inLarnaca from 23 March until 12 April 2013.“In this exhibition I am presenting my latest art,combining found objects (trash art) and transformingthem into a new form of sculpture,” the artistexplained. “My goal is to expand my artwork tothe international contemporary field…We eachbecome a ‘Coloureceiver’ every day, with imagescommands-stimuli.”In the Coloureceivers exhibition, we see Savvinos’abstract paintings; linear maps of a course thatstarted with his first works plus the influences hebrought with him from his studies in America, andconcluded with a more balanced and aestheticallyorganised presentation.His exhibits for this show were based on fiberglassmannequins and a variety of other materials,“Each mannequin has its own story and character,”Savvinos explained, and it is through his creationswe see two contradicting views: The harmony andcleanliness, which are replaced with dark uncertaintycaused by the hardships suffered by humanity today.The contradiction reflects the artist’s deep senseof feeling that the good days are now long gone.Apart from painting, the artist likes to work withmixed media. He uses random objects and materials,which he transforms in a way that dependson where his inspiration takes him. He is also wellknown for his street art.Savvinos Paraskevas was born in Limassol in1977. He studied Fine Arts in Boston, USA for fiveyears. Following his studies, in 2003 he returned toLarnaca, where he had spent his childhood years,and fulfilled his dream of establishing his personalMayor of Larnaca Andreas Louroudjiatis (left), Savvinos Paraskevas and Demetris Pierides63

studio and gallery of modern art.Tucked away in the narrow streets with Finikoudesbeach close by, stands the magnificent building thathouses Savvinos Paraskevas’ Afydaton Gallery ofModern Art. This fabulous traditionally preservedbuilding, built in 1869, provides a strong contrast tothe modern pieces displayed within its walls.On an island known traditionally for its Byzantinegenre, Savvinos Paraskevas is today pushingboundaries, all in the name of art.Savvinos’ artwork is very much influenced by globalissues such as wars, floods and political affairs.His love and passion for art are evident throughouthis evocative work of paintings and sculptures, inaddition to his “trash art”, which involves the creationof fascinating artistic displays from “found”objects, primarily disused mannequins.A variety of his work can be found within thegallery, from contemporary life size figures toabstract paintings, street art, and more. Graffiti isalso something that interests Savvinos, in fact, it ishis love of this style that led him to organise andparticipate in the annual Graffiti Festival entitledLarnacan, now in its third year.Many reputable overseas artists from the UK,Greece and Belgium also exhibited works at the recent2013 Larnacan Festival, including artists suchas Steve Locatelli, Cazn, Reb, Rocket, Fauna, Jasone,Inva, Ser, Rasl and Use Crew. Many of theseartworks can be found at the Afydaton Gallery.Larnacan not only promotes Graffiti as an established,respected art form, it also best demonstratesSavvinos’ belief that art is and can be for all, withno need for the associated pomp and grandeur.The festival is just part of Savvinos’ work on artprojects throughout the Larnaca region in associationwith the Larnaca Tourism Board.Over the past three years, Savvinos’ gallery has developeda more “urban” line. During this time, hehas also collaborated with other artists in creatingfeature murals, or “street art” throughout Larnaca.Adding vibrant works of art to what may otherwisebe seen as dull and uninteresting sights, fulfillingyet another ambition of creating an open gallerythroughout the city.“We each become a ‘Coloureceiver’ every day, with images-commands-stimuli”64