Gravy Planet
A world Drawing by Konstantia Sofokleous and Panayiotis Michael
Cyprus at the 51st International Exhibition of Contemporary Art La Biennale di Venezia
12 June - 6 November 2005
Opening: Thursday, 9 June, 18:00 hrs
Palazzo Malipiero
San Marco 3198
(San Samuele/Palazzo Grassi Station Line 82)
I-30124 Venezia
T 39 0422 885216 / 39 3484776815
F 39 0422 885216
Opening hours: Tuesday Sunday 10:00 – 18:00, Monday closed
www.cyprusinvenice.com
Curator: Chus Martínez Commissioner: Louli Michaelidou Deputy Commissioner: Stavroula Andreou Busnello Designer (material/pavilion): Gorka Eizagirre
and Panayiotis Michael
The Cyprus pavilion for this year’s Venice Biennale presents Konstantia Sofokleous (1974) and Panayiotis Michael (1966), two artists whose works for the pavilion comprise drawings on paper, wall interventions and animations. Both artists research how every one of us is a rational actor carrying subjective rights and private inclinations in societies transformed into a Gravy Planet – a place were you are not allowed to miss the gravy train.
Although the exhibition is based on two individual presentations, the full project must be seen from the viewpoint of a shared aim: to investigate mechanisms that allow us to locate our universe of private worries within the public sphere. By working in a very personal manner and based on the study of how each of us perceives and acts in socio-political and geographical situations that define our daily lives, both artists have striven to find meaningful resources in order to create a space where new values acquire form.
Alice´s Adventures in Wonderland and a Popular Children’s Poem are the two animated pieces on which Konstantia Sofokleous’ installation is based, together with a large series of wall drawings.
Panayiotis Michael – under the general title of I promise, You Will Love me Forever- has chosen different works on paper and murals that combine many issues, primarily focusing on how collective action produces public good.
Chus Martínez is an Art critic and Curator at Sala Rekalde (www.salarekalde.net), a public space in Bilbao dedicated to promoting and raising awareness on contemporary artistic practices. She lives and works in Bilbao, Spain.
Panayiotis Michael was born in Nicosia in 1966. He studied Graphic Arts and Design at the Moscow Academic Art Institute, and Painting at Queens College, New York. Since 1994 he has presented his work in many solo and group shows, in his home country and abroad. He has represented Cyprus in the Rijeka Biennale of Croatia (1998) and the 20th Alexandria Biennale in Egypt (1999), where he was awarded the Jury Prize. Michael is co-founder of Artrageous, (www.artrageousgroup.com), an artist group created in 2004 with the purpose of creating a social-political manifestation that focuses on the role of the artist as an agent of public awareness within a contemporary art context. During the past few years, he lives and works in Nicosia. In Venice, the artist will be showing a series of drawing collages.
Konstantia Sofokleous was born in Limassol in 1974. She studied Graphic Design at the Technological Education Institute of Athens and Internet Technologies at New York University. This year she is to conclude her Master´s degree in Computer Animation at the University of Westminster, London. During the past few years she has participated in various European and international programmes for young artists. Since 1997 she has been working in the field of Graphic Design and Web and Multimedia Development. In Venice, Sofokleous will present two animation movies, traditional and experimental, as well as drawings and storyboards created during the production phase (www.konstantiasofokleous.com).
The presentation of Cyprus will be accompanied by a 96-page publication – distribution by Revolver Verlag and texts by Chus Martínez, Lars Bang Larsen and Sarah Lowndes.
The participation of the Republic of Cyprus at the Biennale of Venice is organised and sponsored by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Special Thanks to the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (CyBC), KEO Group, and the team of Cypriot Fashion Designers, for their contribution in the promotion of the Cyprus Pavilion in Venice.
Contact
Louli Michaelidou
Ministry of Education and Culture,
Cultural Services,
1434 Nicosia, CYPRUS
Tel: 357 22 800979/800933
Fax: 357 22 518042
e-mail: LMichaelidou@culture.moec.gov.cy
