Accidental Meetings
6 May - 31 July 2005
Opening: Friday, May 6, at 19:30
The Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre
Associated with the Pierides Museum of Contemporary Art
19, Apostolos Varnavas Street
Nicosia
T 357 22 432577
F 357 22 432531
info [at] nimac.com.cy
www.nimac.com.cy
Curator: Yiannis Toumazis
The exhibition attempts an approach to the contemporary reality of Cypriot Visual Arts. At the same time, it aspires to act as a meeting platform for 65 significant Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot artists, both older but mainly younger, who, in the thirty years which have elapsed, have managed through their work to create a multifaceted mosaic constituting the identity of cypriot Contemporary Art.
The Accidental Meetings exhibition is essentially the first chance to self-analyse and self-delineate contemporary cypriot Art, as well as a challenge to our artists to determine for themselves our contemporary Visual Arts appearance at a time when our country is acquiring greater and greater geo-political significance and interest, and is becoming a nodal point for East-West dialogue. It also aspires at forming a meeting-point for trends and perceptions and ideas and mentalities, but mainly a space where energy can be released and new matter created.
It is a fact that in the thirty years which have elapsed since 1974, Cypriot artists have managed, through many adversities, to articulate their own distinctive utterances in a region which faced and continues to face a serious problem.
Its quite often the case that the realization of a problem such as the Cyprus Issue is expressed as a purely internal process. The continued existence of the Green Line, the absence of a solution and the insurmountable problems which still exist are all elements which significantly influenced the course of the islands Visual Arts as well.
One could say that its almost the fashion in this day and age for artists to observe and comment on socio-political and other phenomena of our times, and set themselves at the frontline of difficult problems and in the vanguard of critical regions.
On the other hand, one should appreciate in Cypriot Art of recent years the fact that it tried to create a unique and contemporary character, searching desperately (and often extrovertly) in an attempt to redefine itself.
The overpowering fact, however, is that today, Cyprus stands at an ideological crossroads which will determine its future in the years to come. It is for this reason that introspection and an analysis of its hitherto Visual Arts course has such significance.
The artists taking part are (in alphabetical order):
AFANTITOU, Rea ANGELIDOU, Stella ANTONIADOU, Athena ANTONIOU, Klitsa ANTONOPOULOS, Stavros ATTALIDOU, Katerina BLACK, Helene CHARALAMBIDES, Nikos CHRISTODOULIDES, Savvas CIZENEL, Emin COUTA, Melita DELLA, Georgia EPAMEINONDA, Haris FATAL group GREGORIOU, Theodoulos HACTURK, Mustafa HADJIGEORGIOU, Yioula HUGHES, Glyn INATCI, Umit KAKOULLI, Sofia KALLIS, Kyriakos KANAY, Serap KARAMBAMBAS, Stefanos KARAYIAN, Andreas KENTONIS, Achilleas KETEN, Osman KOUMIDES, Glafkos KOUNNIS, Constantinos KOUROUSHIS, Nicos KYPRIS, Yiorgos KYRIAKOU, Fanos LAPITHI, Lia LOIZIDOU, Maria MAKARIOU, Andreas MAKRIDOU, Myrto MANTZALOS, Costas MEASON, Martin MICHAEL, Panayiotis MICHAEL, Savella NEOKLEOUS, Demetris NICODEMOU, Eleni OLYMPIOS, Lefteris PANAYI, Nicolas PANAYIOTOU, Christodoulos PAPACHARALAMBOUS, Maria PARASKOS, Stass PELLAPAISIOTIS, Charis PERENDOU, Maria PERIKLEOUS, Vicky PESLIKAS, Polys PETRIDES, Christos
PLANT, Mary POLYDOROU, Christos SAVVA, Andreas SAVVA, Niki
SERGIOU, Charalambos SERGIOU, Vasso SOKRATOUS, Sokratis
STEPHANI, Rinos TAPAS, Lefteris TEMBRIOTIS, Panikos TOROSSIAN, Hourig UYGUR, Simge VARGAS, Susan WEIERSTALL, Horst
Organised by:
The Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre
Associated with the Pierides Museum of Contemporary Art
Ministry of Education and Culture Cultural Services
Cultural Centre of the Laiki Group
Sponsors:
Ministry of Education and Culture
Laiki Group