09 Nobember 2006

NOT SO OPEN
All these Open Studios!
Some artists could have been out to lunch. Doesn’t anyone use their studio when the daylight is peering through those attic windows of yore? Downstairs, the pavements in the old town are crumbling. Cars snap at your ankles.Try again, do. More next week. Open Studios, the unique visual arts festival of the capital has already reopened its doors for 10 days. Greek and Turkish Cypriot artists are welcoming the public into their workplaces. Saturday, November 11: a walking tour into the Cypriot artist’s studios together with the artist Nicholas Panayi. Starting point is Kyrenia Municipality Building, near Ledra Palace.Friday, November 10, 5pm-7pm: Walking tours into the Cypriot artists’ studios. Starting points from Eleftheria and Saray squares. Maps are available at a kiosk in Eleftheria and Saray squares, the CTO office in Laiki Yitonia, and at the EKATE office, 7 Achilleos Street, tel 22 466426.For further information ; organiser Argyro Toumazou, 99 317278atoumazou@cytanet.com.cyA toal of 22 artists are participating: Efi Andrianou, Stella Angelidou, Adi Atassi, Martin Meason, Ayhatun Atesin, Lia Boyiatzi, Sevcan Cerkez, Sinem Ertaner, Andreas Charalambous, Christos Christou, Pola Hadjipapa–McCammon, Angela Evangelou, Panayiotis Gregoriou, Nilgun Guney, Koula Kalvari, Stefanos Karampampas, Eleni Povi-Karavioti, Osman Ketan, Savvas Koureas, Fatos Miralay, Nicholas Panayi, Toprak, Maria Vasileou, Maria Yiannoura, Munevver Tantura.More on these next week.
These shoes are made for talking
Ayhatun Atesin has a show at 8 Koroglu Street, Arabahmet, (2pm-6pm on November 1-3 and from 11am November 4 and 5. The owner of these shoes is in Istanbul at the moment. A wall of ceramic forms bulges with interest as you pop in to Ayhatun’s studio. Inside are many ceramic shoes and, while there, I saw a video of the artist’s work, which should be screened all over town. She tells the Tale of the Silent Walk: "It began in March 2005 on International Women’s Day. A symposium was arranged to be held at Mersin University."It happened that diverse cultures met in Mersin and women from all over the world came together to engage in dialogue, meeting at a point where one was aware of one’s womanhood and of being an artist. 24 women artists from all over the world to exhibit their works at the Fine Arts Museum A new theme and ensuing slogan ‘Women Make Peace’ was born, in response to the horrors caused by the ongoing war and the women were asked to work on this theme."I thought of a labyrinth map of the capital of Nicosia. The dead-end streets of the labyrinth were like the cold, dead-end fact of war. In some corners of the labyrinth were broken shoes that had jumped from the wall and lay there sideways. This was the fate of individuals who had tried to escape the mainstream. In other parts, I tried to show the desperation of those who tried to go back when faced with walls."I called this ‘The Silent Walk’. Silent but containing screams within it."Ayhatun first encountered clay with Ayniye Ezil in 1986. She had a joint workshop with English artist Jill Crowley at the Barbican Art Gallery, London in 1993, participated in the UFACSI group exhibitions in Valencia, Spain 1994, Brussels, Belgium in 1997, Lille, France in 199 head a workshop with artist Anton Nussbichler and an exhibition entitled ‘Orient and the Oxidant’, in Holzoster, Austria in 1998. She has also been involved in a bicommunal ceramics exhibition at Ledra Palace in 2004 and is involved in Open Studios.
Glafcos Koumides at ArgoHERE is a superb exhibition by a Cypriot artist - now living in Germany – who is equally at home with conceptual art or painting. His present exhibition is mostly of paintings and they are often of landscapes or seascapes with suggestions of a lonesome surrealism. What appears to be a piano floats in a silent estuary. Images from past 20th century masterpieces hover in respect to our current emptiness. It is as if Cubism has lost its roots and started searching for another course. A landscape full of trees is silent. No wind is blowing. The trees do not speak to each other. These great paintings reek of a great loss. The very land we stand on is shifting away.
Handmade objects
EVANGELIA Koumidou Simopoulou has an exhibition at the Hilton Park Hotel from November 10 –12.‘The Other Art,’ is an additional part of the exhibition that reveals her multi-dimensional talent, is a number of hand-made faux bijoux, bracelets, pins and necklaces using natural materials eg pompoms made of wool, leather ribbons, fur and other everyday objects that are upgraded to a new dimension (buttons and beads)The Christmas collection comprises wreaths, garlands, candlesticks, baskets and hand made tree decorations made of cloth and silk ribbons.
US artist in Nicosia
THE American artist Juan Carlos Valencia is at Alpha Gallery.Entitled ‘Instant Chromatics,’ the show opened on Wednesday. The exhibition is organised in association with the Hellenic American Union in Greece and is taking place on the occasion of the opening of the Hellenic American Union’s branch in Cyprus. Among the organisation’s aims is to increase the cultural exchanges between Cyprus, Greece and the United States.Juan Carlos Valencia was born in 1971. In 1989 he began his studies in art and fashion at the Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. He continued his studies in 1993 in painting and sculpture at the Ecole Superieure des Beaux Arts in Paris. In 1995 he entered the studio of the Greek sculptor Aristides Patsoglou in Paris and participated in a number of projects. He has exhibited his work in numerous group and solo exhibitions in the United States and Europe."The paintings of Juan Carlos Valencia are characterised by his choice of a neo-pop idiom, since the artist relies on the appropriation of the style and the "second hand" imagery familiar to us from pop art. “The themes of Valencia’s sculptures are animals, primarily dogs and birds, which are portrayed as symbols of strength, freedom and liveliness.“Sensual female forms, show via selected detail of the focus of their sexuality – lips, nipples, limbs – women smokers, threatening revolvers, forms engaged in dialogue with animals, these are what make up the primary thematic areas of Valencia’s painting. These themes seem in turn to spring from the customary domains of pop art: advertising, comic strips, and cinema. “Flat and lively colours create the central motif against a white canvas background, untreated and devoid of any other clues, while drops and clusters of spots produce an illusion of movement, swinging to and fro against a level backdrop”.Until November 11, corner of Makarios Ave and Papanicola Street, Nicosia (Hilton area).Opening hours are Monday–Saturday 11am– 7.30pm.
Anastasia Chrysanthou at Opus 39
ANASTASIA Chrysanthou ‘s exhibition was opened by Andreas Ladomatos at Opus 39 but closes tomorrow. Hurry. This is an extremely good debut. A young artist who excels in figurative paintings is rare on these shores and Anastasia gives every work both a strength and a sensuality. Young and talented indeed.
Highly romantic
Demetris Michlis in Gloria’s Gallery and to say this exhibition is highly romantic is an understatement. Both spaces – up and down – in the gallery emote warmth and passion .Flowers bloom, petals fall - as does the occasional underwear - and love is in the air. Extremely well painted work too.Bye, bye chilly acrylic. Welcome sensual oil. An absolutely top class emotional show. Callas would be envious. High notes gorgeous. Tactilian surfaces irresistible. Sketch drawing
THIS excellent exhibition of drawings at Amorgos has wonderful work by well established artists but some notable newcomers, too, including Mariza Bargilly and Harris Kafkarides where fine art meets theatre with style and talent.
And also…
THE excellent exhibition by Taminamides at Apocalypse closes tomorrow. The Alexandra - Bacht Safarou exhibition has opened at Heliotropio, Larnaca, continuing until November 28. Eliza Petri’s exhibition opens at Opus 39 on November 13.New paintings by Demosthenis Kolassides at Kyklos Gallery, Paphos, until November 22.Uri Geller’s paintings and drawings at Gallery k until December 4. Constantinos Stephanou at Morphi Gallery, Limassol until the 24th of the month.
Kikos Lanitis at Bottega InteriorsAFTER 41 solo exhibitions in art galleries, museums, symposiums and a five year journey of his work Kikos says: "Easy access to digital technology and the close proximity of fine art with the world of advertising and industry, is threatening to destroy the capability and perspective of artists and is leading art to a contemporary, cultural paranoia.The ‘disguised artists’ have found an exit, and the "theorists" have used the ‘elevation’ of their existence by writing pages of explanations imposing this phenomenon. Opposed to worldwide ‘’industrial art," Kikos Lanitis gives special significance to the handwork of the artist. His 2006 artwork revolves around the controversy surrounding globalisation and poses the contemplative question and statement. (Will do my utmost to get down to this). Closes Thursday, November 30. La Bottega Interiors is at Thekla Lyssioti Street, Limassol.
Venice Biennial 2007
CALL for Cypriot participation in the 52nd International Exhibition of Contemporary Art June 10-November 21, 2007.Tracy (from up’ North) is representing UK, remember.Contact Ministry of Education and Culture.Cultural Services (central building, 2nd floor, Room 207), Corner of Kimonas and Thoucidides streets, Nicosia.Participation proposals should be submitted by Monday, January 8, 2007, noon.