CyprusTODAY Volume LII, No 4, October - December 2014 Contents

Editorial...... 2 Axiothea Festival...... 3 KYPRIA...... 18 Goddess Aphrodite...... 24 Stelios Votsis...... 28 Perfume of Cyprus...... 29 Treasure Island...... 30 Cyprus at the turn of the 20th...... 35 Glyn Hughes...... 37 Digital Corpus...... 38 Unknown history...... 40 Europa Nostra...... 50 Arshak Sarkissian...... 51 I am not the cancer...... 54 Soprano Tereza Gevorgyan...... 58 This is Italy...... 59 Short Matters...... 60

Volume LII, No 4, October-December 2014

A quarterly cultural review of the Ministry of Education and Editorial Assistance: Culture published and distributed by the Press and Information Natassa Haratsis-Avraamides Office (PIO), Ministry of Interior, Nicosia, Cyprus. [email protected] Press and Information Office Address: Michaela Mobley Ministry of Education and Culture [email protected] Kimonos & Thoukydides Corner, 1434 Nicosia, Cyprus Website: http://www.moec.gov.cy Design: GNORA COMMUNICATION CONSULTANTS Press and Information Office Printed by: Printco Ltd Apellis Street, 1456 Nicosia, Cyprus Website: http://www.moi.gov.cy/pio Front cover: Scene from Homer’s Iliad, directed by EDITORIAL BOARD Stathis Livathinos, which was performed at KYPRIA 2014 Chairperson: International Festival Pavlos Paraskevas, Back cover: Exhibit from the photography exhibition Cyprus Director of Cultural Services, at the turn of the 20th century by the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Ministry of Education and Culture Foundation and the Historical and Ethnological Society of Chief Editor: Greece Jacqueline Agathocleous [email protected] GNORA COMMUNICATION CONSULTANTS PIO 238/2014 - 7.000 (website: www.gnora.com) ISSN (print) 0045-9429 Tel: +357 22441922 Fax: +357 22519743 ISSN (online) 1986-2547

Subscription Note: For free subscriptions please contact: [email protected]. Cyprus Today is also available in electronic form and can be sent to you if you provide your e-mail. If you no longer wish to receive the magazine, in either print or electronic form, or if you have changed your address, please let us know at the above e-mail address. Please include your current address for easy reference. Editor’s Note: Articles in this magazine may be freely quoted or reproduced provided that proper acknowledgement and credit is given to Cyprus Today and the authors (for signed articles). The sale or other commercial exploitation of this publication or part of it is strictly prohibited. Disclaimer: Views expressed in the signed articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the publishers. The magazine can also be found on the Press and Information Office website at www.pio.gov.cy. Editorial

his issue of Cyprus Today starts off with the University of Cyprus’ annual Cultural TFestival, which took place in September and October at the beautiful Axiothea Mansion. Audiences got the chance to enjoy a multitude of performances, concerts and workshops – to name but a few items – all under the theme of the day, which was poetry!

Following on is KYPRIA 2014 International Festival, with its performances based on older and newer texts or musical works which certainly did not disappoint. Festival-goers were spoilt for choice, with options including Homer’s Iliad, the CTO’s Constellations and the very popular comedy Oi fonisses tis Papadiamanti – among others.

Cyprus Today was saddened to hear of the untimely death of visual artist Glyn Hughes on

23 October 2014. Our issue takes a look back at this important artist’s work. Another great Treasure Island artist who left us suddenly in 2012, Stelios Votsis, was honoured by the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture in cooperation with his family with a retrospective exhibition of his work, entitled Remembering Stelios Votsis – An Artistic Overview.

Our issue also features the documentary The Great Goddess of Cyprus, Cypriot director Stavros Papageorghiou’s film about the Greek Goddess Aphrodite. Unknown History In other interesting topics covered in this issue, the Cyprus Institute presented its Ancient Cypriot Literature Digital Corpus, a digitised record of the island’s ancient history, while the Cypriot Home of Cooperation won the Europa Nostra Award for cultural heritage.

And of course, there is a variety of exhibitions to choose from: The moving I am not the cancer installation, which toured several countries and arrived in Cyprus for two days in November, attempting to sensitise viewers to the inner struggles of advanced breast cancer

th sufferers. Readers will also be touched by the Unknown History exhibition held at the Short Matters 17 University of Cyprus Cultural Festival Pancyprian Gymnasium Museums, which tells the story of the Jewish Holocaust survivors’ final stop in Cyprus on their way to the land of Israel.

Other proceedings reviewed include the exhibition project Treasure Island featuring visual works, performances, public debates and events selected through an Open Call; the photography exhibition Cyprus at the turn of the 20th century; and Armenian artist Arshak Sarkissian’s art exhibition The Week of Madness. Kypria

2 3 17th University of Cyprus Cultural Festival

he beautiful Axiothea Mansion in Old Nicosia only in our small province but also elsewhere. So Tonce again hosted the University of Cyprus’ are great poems, which in one way or another have annual Cultural Festival from 6 September to 12 determined the character of a “poetic territory”. October 2014. Our “poetic territory”, the territory of Modern Greek poetry is small in its geographic scope Of Love and Death (compared to the “poetic territories” of the major languages). However, it is vast in its genre diversity By Michalis Pieris (16 May, 2014) and depth. Its origins date back to the 12th-15th Of Love and Death is the title and theme of an century, it reaches its Renaissance peak in the 16th anthology of Modern Greek poetry, proven in time, and 17th century (the Anonymous Cypriot poet, which the Theatrical Workshop of the University Georgios Chortatsis, Vitsentzos Kornaros), while of Cyprus presented in Kastelliotissa in April this in the 19th and 20th century it achieves international year, partly as a reaction to the conventional global recognition, culminating in two Nobel prizes day of poetry. An “Anniversary” established by government decree that gives any aspiring poet (George Seferis, Odysseas Elytis) and many the opportunity to assume that it is time for him other important distinctions: International interest to be honoured by poetry rather than to honour in the revival of the Delphic Festival, inspired poetry. This explains why major poets who are and spurred by Angelos Sikelianos; Lenin Peace considered milestones on the evolutionary path Prize for Ritsos; international acknowledgment of a national poetic tradition are often absent from of modern Greek literature thanks to Kazantzakis most of the events organised on this occasion, not and Cavafy.

Cavafis by THEPAK A Strange World

4 5 different schools, are not just musicians. Because Menelaou (violin) and Nikolas Alessandro Dante Production manager, assistant director: Stamatia they do not bring to stage already-established (violin), accompanied by Jana Drhova on the Laoumtzi forms of art, either their own or created by others, piano, contribute with their talent, expertise and Cast: The Chorus of Old Men and the Chorus of but are true artists who toil on the threshing field love for classical music as teachers at the Music Women features all the members of THEPAK, of genuine creation as if they begin from scratch Talent Development Programme of the Ministry while the major roles in this year’s performances are each and every time. As if they seek recognition of Education and Culture. They prepared this played by: Lysistrata: Christina Pieri Magistrate: and relive the experiences that form the essence of unique programme especially for the audience of Dimitris Pitsilis, Myrrhine: Myria Hadjimatthaiou, their art over and over again. Axiothea to give a taste of their high art, but also Cinesias: Stavros Aroditis, Coryphaeus of Old That is why they are not just musicians but poets in to “pave the way” for their students, the talented Men: Michalis Yangou, Coryphaeus of Women: the original Ancient Greek sense of the word, i.e. children of the Cyprus Young Strings Soloists Eftychia Georgiou, Lampito: Miranda Nychidou, creators. Thus, each concert they give is a work in ensemble, which also performed at the Axiothea Calonice: Angela Savvidou, Old Man: Chariton progress because they never cease to explore and Mansion in September. Iosifides, Old Woman: Michalis Michael. create through improvisations that allow them to In honour of the “Year of Costas Montis”, and embark on daring quests. Aristophanes’ Lysistrata by Costas Montis in response to an exceptionally high demand by This is the rationale underlying the decision to Theatrical Workshop of the University of Cyprus the audience, the Theatrical Workshop of the enrich our programme with precious gems of Adaptation and stage direction: Michalis Pieris University of Cyprus (THEPAK) offered two poetry that create a poetic mood and shed an additional performances of Aristophanes’ famous emotive light on all the events of this year’s Music: Evagoras Karagiorgis Set and costumes: Christos Lysiotis, Eliana comedy Lysistrata, translated into Cypriot dialect Festival (theatre, concerts, and readings). Gems by Costas Montis. of poetry, which one should probably experience Chrysostomou and analyse at a deeper level in order to feel the Movement coaching: Michalis Pieris The performances, which were given in September undercurrents that connect them to the various Choreography: Elena Christodoulidou at the Axiothea Mansion as well as Kourion Melina Harrer (violin) Strings and piano concert events, which Axiothea welcomes this year… Lighting: Giorgos Koukoumas Amphitheatre, were offered free to the public in an Sound supervision: Stamatia Laoumtzi effort to disseminate and promote the work of the ...the navigable river of Axiothea, which flows Technical support: Kyriakos Kakoullis major contemporary poet of Cyprus. This observation leads quite effortlessly to the gently through time, dividing it in two, and swells conclusion that the nature of Modern Greek again and again, has nursed lovingly this year the poetry was basically defined by the Greek poets beautiful jasmines at the entrance; an entrance of the periphery: Cyprus, Crete, the Ionian Islands, that seeks to be a passage – to the world of art; Alexandria, Asia Minor, and the Dodecanese. That a passage under a delicate roof of recognisable is why its most important achievements have been scent that blends with the shadow of the moon and written in the vernaculars of the greater Hellenic bonds with the melody governed silently by “the World. laws of the starry dome”. And all this with one aspiration only: To offer to its itinerant birds that High poetry, like any other form of art, is produced return every summer and every fall “nights full of by poets who express the historical epoch in which miracles, nights sown with magic!” they have matured and which has defined them, but at the same time tune in to the rhythms of the language spoken by the ordinary people, listen Strings and piano concert to it breathe, and savour the juices of the verbal Six artists from different parts of Europe, with and musical wealth of the traditional and modern outstanding educational background in music expressions of culture. and notable achievements in the field of classical With an anthology made with quality criteria music, presented a virtuoso repertoire for strings that seek to bring us closer to the best examples and piano, featuring works by Niccolò Paganini, of this high poetry, this year’s Festival offered a Franz Schubert, Ernest Chausson, Antonio lot of music from different regions and different Bazzini, Eugène Ysaÿe, Joseph Haydn, Camille traditions that have one thing in common - the Saint-Saëns and Giovanni Bottesini. musicians that create it, though coming from The soloists Melina Harrer (violin), Aische Wirsig Aristophanes’ Lysistrata by Costas Montis different cultural backgrounds and belonging to (double bass), Petru Iuga (double bass), Menelaos

6 7 Montis’ Cypriot Lysistrata – with its luscious of times in Cyprus and abroad (at municipal Waters of Cyprus, of Syria and of Egypt idiomatic language, full of brilliant translator’s festivals in Cyprus and in Crete, at the International Theatrical Workshop of the University of Cyprus Meeting of University Theatre in Ancient choices – has already been recognised as a Text selection, adaptation and stage direction: Olympia, at King’s College of the University standard-setting rendition of an ancient text, Michalis Pieris of London, at the Society of Cretan Studies – which preserves the freshness and vivacity of Music: Evagoras Karagiorgis Kapsomenos Foundation in Chania, and even Aristophanes’ writing style and highlights the Costume design: Stavros Antonopoulos at the Rizokarpaso Gymnasium in the occupied richness of the Cypriot vernacular in all its beauty, Set, stage and costume assistants: Kypros part of Cyprus). The performance has achieved adding an intense local flavour to the Ancient Georgiou, Anna Kyriazi great recognition by both audiences and critics, Greek comedy, an unmistakably Cypriot character. Lighting design: Michalis Pieris, Gregoris becoming one of the most successful productions In THEPAK’s performance, this Cypriot character Papageorgiou of the University of Cyprus Theatrical Workshop. extends over to the broader musical and metrical Light technician: Kyriakos Kakoullis This year, the performance underwent a revision organisation of the play, thus fitting the ancient Production manager, assistant director: Stamatia with the inclusion of new cast in major roles. comedy into the cultural context of Cyprus’ Laoumtzi demotic and popular narrative tradition. This is Cast in leading roles: Stavros Aroditis, Myria achieved not only through stage direction and Mark Eliyahu Hadjimatthaiou, Christina Pieri, Gregoris kinesiology, but also through the music of the play, A fantasy of Kamancheh and Piano Papagregoriou, Chariton Iosifides, Michalis Michael, Dimitris Pitsillis, Nicholas Kakkoufa, composed by Evagoras Karagiorgis, which enters Mark Eliyahu: kamancheh, bağlama Michalis Yangou, Angela Savidou, Eleni Efthimiou, into a creative dialogue with Cypriot folklore, as Adi Rennert: piano Makis Alampritis, Giorgos Koutsodontis, Loizos well as through Christos Lysiotis’ approach to Mark Eliyahu, composer, master player of costume design, which is inspired by the traditional Gavriel, Michalis Philippakis, Christophoros the Persian-Azeri kamancheh and the Turkish Hatzichristoforou Cypriot costumes. bağlama, and one of the leading and most Mark Eliyahu Chorus: Eftychia Georgiou, Maria Christodoulou, Since its premiere in the fall of 2000 at the influential musicians in the Israeli world music Georgia Liasi, Stella Alexiou, Andri Chatzigeorgiou, Rethymno Renaissance Festival, THEPAK’s scene, has been living and breathing music from Michaella Protopapa, Kontstantina Evangelou, The son of musician parents, he started travelling version of Lysistrata has been performed dozens the moment he was born. Christodoulos Santziakkis, and the remaining cast. the Middle East at the age of 16 to study and research music, and has studied in Greece, Azerbaijan, Turkey and the Netherlands. Study on the “Dramatic” Cavafy Mark has composed and performed music for After its successful journey to Delphi, Rome and film, dance companies and theatre productions, Athens, the theatre production Waters of Cyprus, and has written, arranged and produced music for of Syria, and of Egypt. Study on the ‘Dramatic’ various leading artists, such as Rita, Idan Raichel, Cavafy by THEPAK was presented in October Ishtar, Sevda (Azerbaijan), and many others. Mark at the Teloglion Fine Arts Foundation upon was chosen by the European Union to represent special invitation by the Aristotelian University of Israel in various international projects and has Thessaloniki. performed on some of the most prestigious stages To mark the occasion, THEPAK gave an additional across the globe with his projects and ensembles, performance for the audience in Cyprus, giving along with his father, Piris Eliyahu. theatregoers yet another opportunity to enjoy In his first concert at the Axiothea Mansion, the multidimensional poetry of the Alexandrian accompanied by the prominent Israeli pianist Adi in a modular play, grounded in the study of the Rennert, Mark Eliyahu presented a selection of “dramatic” Cavafy. pieces, inspired by the ancient Central The performance is based on the entire Cavafy Asian, Persian and Middle Eastern musical oeuvre and combines those poems or parts of traditions, and brought together with European poems in which the Alexandrian makes use of and modal harmonies that preserve the essential techniques and elements characteristic of the emotional qualities of the music, while making dramatic art. The stage presentation is further it accessible and inviting to everyone across enhanced by Evagoras Karagiorgis’ inspired A Woman’s Heart... boundaries of time and space. music composed specifically for the play, as well

8 9 Omologites Cultural Workshop seeks to explore created in the framework of the ground-breaking the roles that a woman is often called to embrace – Music Talent Development Programme of the partner, sweetheart, mother, the driving force and Ministry of Education and Culture, which was source of inspiration for all arts in all epochs. conceived by and operates under the guidance and A journey that begins in Cyprus and leads us supervision of the distinguished Cypriot violinist through Asia Minor, Crete, the Cyclades, Chios, and music pedagogue Professor Matheos Kariolou. Thrace, Epirus and the Peloponnese in an effort The Programme aims at identifying children to reveal the image of the woman as it evolved aged 3-10 with recognisable talent in music and throughout the centuries. providing them with high-level instruction in The script of the performance was written stringed instruments with the assistance of a group by the up-and-coming Cypriot writer Maria of internationally renowned instructors. Papandreou (First Prize at the International In the short time span since the establishment of Single Act Play Competition organised by the the Programme the children who participate in Union of Theatre Writers in Cyprus in 2012, the Cyprus Young Strings Soloists ensemble have Award at the Antonis Samarakis International impressed audiences with the exceptional quality Short Story Competition in 2014). of their performances and have already gained international recognition with appearances in Les Hypocrites some of the most famous concert halls in Europe Cyprus Young Strings Soloists (Vienna, Brussels, Moscow, Rome, Vatican). Ensemble of the Music Talent Development as by Stavros Antonopoulos’ choices in costume Greek-French origin, working professionally in In their first performance at the Axiothea Mansion, design, both of which add a distinctive aesthetic to different arts but sharing a common interest in the Programme of the Ministry of Education and the Cyprus Young Strings Soloists presented a the performance. Greek language and culture – present a fusion of Culture demanding programme with works by Marc- The director’s approach, which takes into account theatre, music and video art, inspired by the poetry Soloists: Cleo Karpasiti, Anna Economou, Annisia Antoine Charpentier, Georg Friedrich Handel, the different stages in Cavafy’s development of Constantine P. Cavafy. Iacovou, Fivos Stavrou, Nicoletta Demosthenous Antonio Vivaldi, Fritz Kreisler, Carl Bohm, Pablo as a poet (early, formative, mature), as well as Having the oeuvre of the Alexandrian as a set- Piano Accompaniment: Jana Drhova de Sarasate, Astor Piazzolla, Henryk Wieniawski, the thematic areas of his poetry (philosophical/ off point, Les Hypocrites have created their own Under the guidance of Professor Matheos Kariolou Nikos Skalkotas, Franz Schubert and Nicolo didactic, historical/political, sensual/erotic poems), story in which the poet himself and his works The Cyprus Young Strings Soloists ensemble was Paganini. makes the performance not only an enjoyable play the leading role. The performance came to artistic event but also a productive educational the Axiothea Mansion just a few months after its experience. successful premiere in April 2014 at Theatre de Menilmontant in Paris. Waiting for the Barbarians Les Hypocrites A Woman’s Heart... Stage direction: Eleni Apostolopoulou, Alexandros Agioi Omologites Cultural Workshop Giannou Stefanos Filos: violin, voice Performed by: Dimitra Kontou, Ilios Chailly, Maria Ploumi: lute, voice Alexandros Giannou, Eleni Apostolopoulou, Andreas Chatziandreas: clarinet, bagpipe Ioannis Michos, Topi Pudas Andreas Christodoulou: violin, lute, voice With the voice of George Corraface Filippos Dimitriou: percussion Video Art: Ilya Chorafas Neophytos Kalogirou: guitar Music: Orestis Kalampalikis Agioi Omologites Cultural Workshop Music and Choreography: Ioannis Michos Dance Ensembles Lighting: Manon Garsin With the friendly participation of Niovi Stage design: Manolis Ntourlias Charalambous Les Hypocrites – a theatre company established in With the performance A Woman’s Heart…, which Cyprus Young Strings Soloists Paris in 2012 and comprising artists of Greek and blends together theatre, music and dance, the Agioi

10 11 Cafe Balkan Asia Minor and Thrace. Alexander Gagatsis: vibraphone The journey begins in Cyprus with male and Vassilis Kommatas: clarinet female dances, songs, erotic couplets and tsiattista, Glafkos Kontemeniotis: piano before continuing to the village of Messotopos on Ioannis Vafeas: drums the island of Lesbos with characteristic folk poetry, Cahit Kutrafali: bass guitar carnival songs and traditional dances, and then Maria Pseiropoulou: vocals further away to Asia Minor and Thrace, ending at Cafe Balkan has its roots in earlier collaborations the village of Asvestades in the Evros region. and longstanding friendships. The idea for the With this tour around the outposts of Hellenism, band was conceived in Thessaloniki in the winter the performance seeks to highlight the connection of 2012 and took shape at a reunion on stage at the and cross-borrowing between different local Axiothea Mansion back in September 2013. traditions in music and dances but also in Through Cafe Balkan, Alexander Gagatsis and traditional costumes. Vassilis Kommatas build upon their common The performance featured folklore music origin and different experiences, balancing instrumentalists and performers from the village between traditional and modern sound along with of Asvestades in the Evros region, as well as the their collaborators Ioannis Vafeas and Glafkos Dance Ensemble of the Limassol Folklore Society. Kontemeniotis in an effort to express themselves Concept and realisation: Konstantinos Protopappas The Arts of Psarantonis in a personal language through traditional melodies of the Mediterranean and the Balkan The Arts of Psarantonis day presence and their energy. In Psarantonis’ Peninsula. The Secret Songs “It is in Nature’s garden alone that such arts can music one sometimes hears running waters that The band is welcoming for the first time Maria Vakia Stavrou grow” – Erotokritos purl, other times the sound of lonely trees battered Pseiropoulou on vocals and Cahit Kutrafali on Vakia Stavrou: vocals, guitar, compositions by the wind, or “the hum of the earth and the bass guitar. The band’s quest for musical identity Antonis Xylouris-Psarantonis: Cretan lyre, vocals Carlos Bernardo: orchestrations, guitar, Irish rumble of the wind”, as Kornaros has put it. There (or rather the outcome of this quest) is based on Niki Xylouri: pitcher, drum, vocals bouzouki, viola da gamba, charango, melodica are also occasions when his upright, abrupt hold improvisation (jazz or other), on deconstruction Giorgis Xylouris: lute, vocals Inor Sotolongo: percussion of the fiddlestick drives you to the edge of the cliff and maybe reconstruction of rebetiko songs and Lambis Xylouris: oud Stelios Pittas: cello, guitar “where times collide and meet”. melodies from Greece, Bulgaria, FYROM and Nektarios Kontoyiannis: lute The already established songwriter Vakia Stavrou Psarantonis has now gained international Turkey. Deeply versed in the musical traditions of his land presented a set of songs from her latest album recognition. Already in the 1980s prominent Music from the Outposts of Hellenism but also nonconformist and inquisitive by nature, “ΑΝΕΜόΕSSA”, written and recorded entirely in foreign musicians and scholars of ethnic music Antonis Xylouris-Psarantonis has established Limassol Folklore Society Paris, and new compositions from her upcoming globally had discovered his talent and had invited himself as a living legend of music, having With the love and respect for tradition that have album “Secret Songs” to be released in early 2015, him to major festivals in Australia, England, characterised its activity over the years, the after a series of concerts in the historic Lucernaire enriched the Cretan, Mediterranean and European France, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Limassol Folklore Society prepared a performance Theatre in Paris. An exceptional selection of songs music with inimitable sounds, exquisite music and the United States, Cyprus and elsewhere. Most featuring songs and dances from Cyprus, Lesbos, with a pronouncedly acoustic sound, accompanied singular interpretations. recently, in 2014, Psarantonis measured up his His music and also his thoughts on music, embody musical genius against high poetry from across the the ancient mythology of Crete. Either singing world, performing works by major poets such as about Zeus or telling the story of how the mythical Baudelaire, Pushkin, Rilke, Lorca and Borges, set shepherd Hantiperas made the first lyre, or talking to music by Dimitris Apostolakis from Hainides. about Zeus’ protectors, the Kourites, or expressing Art, as these and other great artists have taught us, with his lyre the living myth of his native land, is the fruit of artistic loneliness. It is the personal Psarantonis gives body and soul – with his physical path towards an artistic vision, which every great presence and his art – to the ancient myths of Crete. artist follows with faith and devotion for life. Such He does so not only with his virtuosity, but also artistic loneliness accompanies Psarantonis all his with his belief in those myths, which he approaches years as he treads the difficult path of his personal with heart and mind, convinced of their modern- quest into quality music. Cafe Balkan Music from the Outposts of Hellenism

12 13 of Medieval History at the Cardiff University, A Strange World Peter W. Erbury (Journal of Medieval History, CHEAP: Low Quality – High Fun vol. 25, issue I, 1999). In his analytical critical A project of the String Theory Ensemble featuring: review, published in the Spanish philological Argyris Bakirtzis: vocals, narration journal Erytheia, Revista de Estudios Bizantinos Stavroula Pavlikou: vocals, flute y Neogriegos (vol. 20, Madrid, 1999), the Maria Ploumi: lute Catalan Hellenist Eusebi Ayensa i Prat noted, Giorgos Paterakis: piano among others, that “the production highlights one of the most important works of Medieval Tsamiko songs next to Chopin’s polonaises. Cypriot literature, which precedes similar works Giannis Floriniotis next to Japanese songs of the 1930s. Stamatis Gonidis and Filippos Nikolaou’s of the Cretan Renaissance”. “Megiemele” next to Himerini Kolymvites’ songs. Bigalis’ “Melissoula-Melissaki” next to Amalia Women that Became One with the Earth Rodriguez’s songs. Domenico Scarlatti’s sonatas Theatrical adaptation, interpretation: Marinella next to Teris Chrysos’ “Taka-Taka”. Vlachaki Is this an aesthetic Armageddon or a musical Video: Thodoris Papadoulakis, Giannis Kritikos farce? A reanimation of second-rate pop-folk or yet Adaptation of folksongs: Leonidas Maridakis another wayward musical acrobatic extravaganza? Vakia Stavrou Vocals: Leonidas Maridakis, Danae Botik Everyone can see it as they want. The Secret Songs The Cyprus Chronicle by Leontios Machairas The performance Women that Became One with For the String Theory Ensemble, however, it is a the Earth comprises seven popular narratives of general stance toward the world around us: do we by instruments such as cello, acoustic guitars, Leventis Μunicipal Museum and the National women from Epirus, which refer mainly to the take it for granted and try to cope with it as it is, or viola da gamba, charango, Irish bouzouki and Bank of Greece Cultural Foundation (MIET) period around 1940 and have been recorded by the do we have the power to change it into something percussion, which create a highly intimate in Athens, the Theatrical Workshop of the writer Georgia Skopouli (Those Who Became One completely different? In the first case, we need atmosphere, partially owing to the orchestrations University of Cyprus presented the historical with the Earth, Dodoni 2008). to do nothing but follow the stream. But what made by Vakia Stavrou’s Brazilian collaborator, production The Cyprus Chronicle by Leontios Several rural women marked by the elements of weapons do we need in the second case? Carlos Bernardo, musician, arranger and multi- Machairas, which marked the beginning of nature, by poverty, war, civil war, exile, the cruelty instrumentalist, and the imaginative approach of THEPAK’s activity in 1998. In any case, apart from inspiration, it took the of men, talk about their lives in a plain language, String Theory Ensemble a lot of skill, a lot of Inor Sotolongo on the percussion. The play is the first and so far the only attempt to sincere and true, reviving a Greece that we have musical knowledge and many hours of work and bring to stage the most important narrative (and Songs of a personal nature in which, however, almost forgotten. rehearsals to create this strange project. It is this anyone can identify moments and pieces of his own potentially stage worthy) work of Medieval and These illiterate women share their experiences band’s belief that the meticulousness, knowledge life and experiences. New and older compositions, Modern Cypriot literature “Recital concerning with dignity and faith in life, but above all without and work behind every “spontaneous” comic coupled as always with Vakia’s favourite classic the Sweet Land of Cyprus entitled Cronica, that is bitterness and hatred, turning their troubled lives scene in a Charlie Chaplin movie always deserve songs (Hadjidakis, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Henri Chronicle”, which came as a result of a year-long into a song. to be taken into consideration. Salvador, Jacques Brel, and others). research into the work of Machairas. Awarded at the Ithaca Festival in 1998, this Print Act Art Performance The Cyprus Chronicle by Leontios Machairas historical production has had more than 50 performances in Cyprus, in Greece and elsewhere A ground-breaking partnership between engravers, Theatrical Workshop of the University of Cyprus (Munich, Paris, London, and Barcelona). members of the Cypriot Printmakers Company, Adaptation and stage direction: Michalis Pieris The performance received high critical acclaim and artists working in music, theatre and dance for Music: Antonis Xylouris-Psarantonis and was characterized as a “major philological the co-creation of a visual performance. Song lyrics: Michalis Pieris and theatrical event” (Yorgos Hatzdakis, Under the common theme “Nicosia”, works by Song composition: Evagoras Karagiorgis Kathimerini, Athens, July 19, 1998). Apart from Cypriot poets served as a guide and inspiration Set and props, costumes: Christos Lysiotis the positive critical reviews in the Cypriot and for the printmakers who experimented in creating Lighting: Grigoris Papageorgiou Greek press, the production was also praised various engravings, based on which actors, a Technical support: Kyriakos Kakoullis internationally, while its significance for the director, a choreographer and a musician then Assistant director: Stamatia Laoumtzi awareness of the people of Cyprus of their history developed further the common theme through On the occasion of its performance at the was emphasised by the distinguished Professor Scene from Women that Became One with the Earth their art, turning the print act into a performance.

14 15 Love unconquered in Battle by Nikos Charalambous, THOK, 2002), while in Christos Pittas 2005, he composed the music for the choruses and songs of THEPAK’s production of Erotokritos. A song cycle based on erotic poetry from Sappho to Kornaros Performed by: The Ballad of the Bridge Margarita Syggeniotou: mezzosoprano Theatrical Workshop of the University of Cyprus Pantelis Stamatelos: violin Adaptation, stage direction: Michalis Pieris Antonis Hatzinikolaou: guitar Music: Evagoras Karageorgis An original song cycle by Christos Pittas, featuring Set and props: Christos Lysiotis The Ballad of the Bridge older and new compositions, which was presented Costumes: Marina Kleanthous with great success in Britain and in Greece. Choreography: Michalis Pieris educational experience, since it gives students and Original Greek poetry by Sappho, Sophocles, Kinesiology: Arianna Ikonomou educators the opportunity to come across some Euripides, Kornaros and Chortatsis, among Lighting: Yorgos Koukoumas th essential issues in the research of verbal folklore, such others, coupled with a selection of Petrarchan 16 - Production manager, assistant director: Stamatia as the different approaches to and interpretations of a century Cypriot love poems from the so-called Laoumtzi Rime d’Amore manuscript found and kept at the given theme, as well as the historical and ideological On the occasion of its upcoming participation at Marciana Library in Venice. perspectives that open up as a result of the creative the Agia Napa Medieval Festival, THEPAK gave approach to demotic songs. At the same time, the one performance of its successful production The performance offers an innovative stage interpretation Christos Pittas Ballad of the Bridge, which has been piquing the of traditional folklore that takes into consideration Christos Pittas was born in Alexandria in a family interest of the audience for 11 years now. the context, pursuits and collective dilemmas of originating from Cyprus. He was raised in Nicosia The play is a stage adaptation of some of the most modern times. where he began to study music. At the age of 16 expressive versions of the famous Greek folk The music of the play is performed live on stage he graduated from the National Conservatory of ballad The Bridge at Arta as preserved in Cyprus, by the composer Evagoras Karageorgis (lute) and Cyprus and in the same year (1961) recorded his Print Act Art Performance Pontus, Crete, and Epirotic Greece. the musicians Andreas Christodoulou (violin), first compositions for CYBC – a cycle of songs for More than just an enjoyable theatrical event, Christiana Antonoudiou (clarinet) and Yiannis baritone and piano, based on poetry by Palamas, 1984, Queen Elisabeth Hall), which was followed the performance constitutes a truly productive Soulos (drum). Drosinis, Lipertis and Pashardis. by a series of dramatic compositions such as In London, where he went to continue his studies in Spring, Sibylla, Antigone, Heli-Om. Costas Montis music, the BBC Drama Department commissioned In addition to his ‘staged music’, Christos Pittas him to compose the music for two theatrical Costas Montis was born on February 18, 1914 in Famagusta, and died on March 1, 2004 in his home has also composed four Poetic Symphonies for productions, Menander’s Samia and Sophocles’ in Nicosia, surrounded by his family. He has received numerous honours and awards throughout orchestra, choir and vocal soloists (Hamathen, Electra. In the years that followed, drama became his life, and his books have been translated into several languages. Costas Montis has received Lumen Tristis, Rime d’Amore and 1973), as well a steady part of his creative endeavours with music honorary doctorates from both the University of Cyprus and the University of Athens. He has as a large number of compositions for smaller for dozens of theatre productions. In England, been nominated for the Nobel Prize, and in 2000 he was declared Corresponding Member of the ensembles and vocal and instrumental soloists. most of his compositions for the theatre were Academy of Athens, the highest honour conferred upon intellectual creators living outside Greece. commissioned by the BBC Drama Department, Most of Christos Pittas’ compositions have been In support of his proposal to the Academy of Athens, Professor Nicholas Konomis included the while in Greece and in Cyprus – by the national performed by orchestras and ensembles such as: following: “Costas Montis is one of the greatest living Greek poets, and certainly one who renewed theatres or by other theatre companies and The London Chamber Orchestra, New London in a unique way modernistic lyric poetry, and enriched modern Greek poetry from the point of view institutions such as Desmoi, Popular Experimental Soloists, BBC Singers, National Symphony of Cyprus. With his uninterrupted literary creation of 70 years, he has been able to depict artistically Theatre and THEPAK. Orchestra of Britain, New York North & South the authentic rhythms, the temperature, and the action of the deepest historical and emotional fluctuations of the soul and breath of Cyprus and its people. In his extremely powerful work he has His productive relationship with the theatre as a Ensemble, the Athens State Orchestra, Cyprus recorded every vibration of the island (erotic, social, political), and all the thoughts of the people of composer took him into other creative paths, which State Orchestra, ERT National Symphony Cyprus have been set down..... He has made use of the whole wealth of the linguistic, historical, and led to the creation of original music compositions Orchestra and Chorus. cultural tradition of greater Hellenism, and entrenched in his work, with unprecedented poetic force, worthy of the stage. A milestone along this path In 2003 he was awarded the Melina Mercouri Prize the indelible character of the deep-rooted values of the Greek nation.” was the Choreo-Dramatic Music 106 Act Idola for for his music for the play Phoenician Women by For more information on Costas Montis, visit his official website: http://www.costasmontis.com/ orchestra, dancers and solo percussion (London Euripides (translated by Michalis Pieris, directed

16 17 KYPRIA 2014 International Festival

YPRIA 2014” International Festival took Programme “Kplace from 3 September to 8 October Constellations 2014 and its performances based on older and newer texts or musical works certainly did not Cyprus Theatre Organisation (at New Stage of disappoint. THOC, ETHAL and Town Hall, Sotira) The programme of the Festival included, among Constellations is a love story that evolves others, the Cyprus Theatre Organisation’s with varying versions in parallel universes; a Constellations, Homer`s Iliad, the popular touching work about love and free will, as well comedy Oi fonisses tis Papadiamanti and as the celebration and mourning of existence. Aeschulus` Prometheus Bound, as well as the Translation: Dimitris Kiousis Rosamunde Trio, Tradition Re-Loaded, Giselle by Direction: Vangelis Theodoropoulos Adolphe Adam and Fotis Nicolaou’ Unravelling. Video/Scenic space/Costumes: Pantelis Makkas Music: Stavros Gasparatos Referring to the Festival, Minister of Education Movement: Elena Antoniou and Culture Costas Kadis said that such Lighting Design: Georgios Koukoumas high level cultural events, coupled with the Cast: Neoklis Neokleous, Stela Firogeni development of key infrastructure on cultural issues, have led to an upgrade of the cultural events held in Cyprus. I is someone else Three top musicians, including famous Cypriot with the contribution of the actors “This is the approach and the philosophy of the Rosamunde Trio – Martino Tirimo, Daniel pianist Martinos Tirimos, in a superb musical Set and Costume Design: Eleni Manolopoulou Ministry of Education and Culture for the next Veis and Ben Sayevich (at Larnaca Municipal journey with works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Music and Sound Design: Lambros Pigounis period,” he added. Theatre and Strovolos Municipal Theatre) Peter Fribbins and Antonín Dvořák. Lighting Design: Alekos Anastasiou Shostakovich: Piano Trio No.2 in E minor Movement & Martial Arts Coach: Shi Miao Jie Op.67; Andante; Allegro non troppo; Largo; Shaolin Warrior Monk Allegretto; Movement Supervisor: Pauline Huguet Stage and Costume Design Assistant: Tina Fribbins: ‘Softly, in the dusk...’ (2007) Tzoka Dvořák: Piano Trio in E minor Op.90 (‘Dumky’); With: Argyro Ananiadou, Vasilis Andreou, Lento maestoso; Poco adagio; Andante Lefteris Angelakis, Dionysis Boulas, Giorgos moderato (quasi tempo di marcia); Allegro; Christodoulou, Dimitris Imellos, Nikos Lento maestoso. Kardonis, Nefeli Kouri, Gerasimos Michelis, Giannis Panagopoulos, Maria Savvidou, Homer’s Iliad Christos Sougaris, Aris Troupakis, Amalia Tsekoura, Giorgos Tsiantoulas Directed by Stathis Livathinos (Strovolos Percussions: Manousos Klapakis Municipal Theatre and Rialto Theatre) Technical Manager: Manolis Vitsaxakis This monumental and epic performance, Sound Engineer: Kostis Pavlopoulos revered for its energetic, intense and yet so Electrician: Panayotis Patelis precisely executed production, was presented Production Assistant: Aggeliki Christopoulou at the festival after its successful European tour. Specialised constructions: Nectarios Dionysatos Translation in Modern Greek: D.N. Maronitis Make up Consultant: Yannis Pamoukis Director: Statis Livathinos Hair design: Daniel’s Constellations Adaptation: Stathis Livathinos, Elsa Andrianou Set Construction: Lazaridis Scenic Studio

18 19 Une saison en enfer (A season in hell) Tradition Re-loaded Giorgos Christianakis (at THOC Central Stage and Rialto Theatre) Prominent Greek musician Giorgos Christianakis Directed by Apostolos Apostolides (Deryneia stands against the poetry of Rimbaud in an Municipal Amphiheatre, Arch. Makarios III interesting and challenging performance with Amphitheatre, Pattichion Amphitheatre and live music and multimedia projections. Municipal Garden Theatre) Piano, keys, percussion, narration: Giorgos Traditional music is, without a doubt, the Oi fonisses tis Papadiamanti Christianakis manifestation of popular oral culture, but Guitar: Babis Papadopoulos it’s also the intellectual and historical life of Violin, viola: Fotis Siotas the nation, as it is transmitted from older to Violin: Michalis Vrettas younger generations as the quintessence of Cello: Tasos Misyrlis wisdom providing us with spiritual growth, Drums, percussion: Vasilis Bacharidis self-awareness and a well-shaped cultural Electronics, loops: Christos Harbilas identity. F.O.H sound engineer, loops: Titos Kargiotakis “Tradition Re-loaded is a proposal which Visuals: Giannis Piralis seeks to interpret and present traditional Stage monitor engineer: Vangelis Haholos Cypriot songs, through a contemporary Giselle approach, using most unusual instruments Photographer: Elina Yiounanli Actors: Helen Kastani, Konstantina Michael, Prometheus Bound that are made out of recycled material, even out of vegetables. This approach does International Sales: Alexandros Vrettos Natalia Dragoumi, Jenny Botsi, Foteini Demiri, By Aeschylus (Curium Ancient Theatre and not interfere with our goal of remaining Production Manager: Elina Fessa Sophia Vogiatzaki, Patrick Kostis, Parthena Arch. Makarios III Amphitheatre) Producer for the Cyprus tour: George G. Chorozidou and Jessie Papoutsi. faithful to the original musical sound, Aeschylus’ ancient Greek tragedy Prometheus Papageorgiou Production: FILOTHEATON E.E. while at the same time we shape for each Bound is a stunning piece with a direct relationship Producer: Yolanda Markopoulou one of the songs an innovating and unique with today and human life as it is experienced Production: POLYPLANITY productions Giselle course of acoustics. This is a contemporary by modern man in contemporary societies. It is artistic creation, a musical journey in the Adolphe Adam (at Arch. Makarios III not just about the Titan Promitheus’ punishment, field of our popular musical tradition, Oi fonisses tis Papadiamanti Amphitheatre, Pattichion Amphitheatre and who decided to help human beings by stealing producing a colouring in the sound that (The murderesses of Papadiamanti) Municipal Garden Theatre) Fire for them, and who taught them the alphabet shows the coexistence of the old with the By Alexandros Rigas and Dimitris Apostolou For lovers of classical ballet, the wonderful, and the use of numbers. Resemblances are not contemporary and the fusion of opposite (Pattichion Amphitheatre and Arch. Makarios imaginative story of Giselle by the St. Petersburg only limited to the State (“Kratos”) and Violence yet absolutely compatible hearings.” III Amphitheatre) Theatre Russian Ballet, was a great success at (“Via”) being actual mythic persons in ancient time, while today they act as agents of human This ‘journey’ was accompanied by the A hilarious comedy with the participation the KYPRIA 2014 International Festival. suppression. We have here all the elements of narration of selected poems of Costas of leading Greek comedians, Oi fonisses tis Libretto: A. Saint-George, T. Gautier a modern tragedy. On the one hand the ruling Montis, thus honouring one of the greatest Papadiamanti follows the story of six women Choreography: Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, poets and writers of Cyprus, on the occasion accused of murder, each of them having killed Marius Petipa of the 100th Anniversary of his birth, and someone who was not that innocent. But it Music Composition: Adolphe Adam the narration was uniquely embodied in looks as if things in life are not always what Cast: Giselle, a peasant maiden (international the whole musical journey, leading the they seem…Papadiamanti’s murderesses are six competition winner Anna Voutina); Count Albrecht audience into an innermost redefining of women who are “sane” enough to devise and (international competition winner Alexander the universal values and their position in invoke all sorts of mental illnesses for themselves Voutin); Berta, Giselle’s mother (Maria Chernova); the world today. in order to avoid conviction for their crimes. Hans, forester (Sergey Laletin); Batilda, bride of A wonderful musical journey along the paths Text: Alexandros Rigas - Dimitris Apostolou the Count (Svetlana Markova); Duke (Andrey of Cypriot musical traditions with the award- Director: Alexandros Rigas Provotorov); Armourbearer (Mikhail Onuchin); winning Tat Tnabar musical group, combined Costumes - Edited scene: Maria Karapouliou Mirta (Olga Pudakova); Monna (Natalia Safonova); with selected poems by Costas Montis. Lighting: Dionysis Lampiris Zulma (Victoria Ivanova) Apostolos Apostolides & Tat-Tnabar

20 21 The princess and the witches Unravelling Throughout its 20-year history, the Festival has Cypriot folk tale (THOC Central Stage, Rialto Fotis Nicolaou (Rialto Theatre, Strovolos always aimed at presenting Cypriot as well as Theatre, and Larnaca Municipality Theatre) Municipal Theatre) foreign artists and ensembles of international acclaim, and putting on high quality productions in An imaginative dance-theatre performance How familiar are we with others but also with various fields of the performing arts. In selecting directed by Yiolanda Christodoulou and ourselves? How strong are the traces we leave each year´s participants, it also aspires to provide an choreographed by Chloe Melidou. behind in the experience of history? How do we opportunity for the representation and participation, interact with the dead and how do we manage Concept / Direction: Yiolanda Christodoulou to the greatest possible extent, of Cypriot artists to have the accumulated past and the collective Movement: Cloe Melidou and groups without, of course, detracting from the memory stand in the present? Dramaturgy: Constantina Peter international character of the Festival. Art Direction: Elina Ioannou, Evelyn Unravelling negotiates this uncertainty, the During the past two decades, KYPRIA has Anastasiou impulse of wanting to feel familiar in what we hosted an array of distinguished artists and Actors / Performers: Yiolanda Christodoulou, call the Cosmos. ensembles from the fields of Dance, Theatre, Thanasis Ioannou, Maria Philippou, Demetris Choreography: Fotis Nikolaou Music, Visual Arts and Cinema. In the field of Constandinides, Marina Vrondi Dramaturgy: Thanasis Georgiou Dance, the Festival has hosted, amongst others, Music Composition: Demetris Zachariou Stage - Costume Design: Alexis Vayianos, the Rhine Ballet, the National Ballet of Cuba, Lighting Design: Alexander Jotovic Elena Kotasvili Omada Edafous by Demetris Papaioannou and Production Management: Yiangos Hadjiyiannis Mask: Martha Foka the Batsheva Dance Company. Light Design: Panagiotis Manousis Theatre performances by prominent directors Stage Manager: Sofronis Efstathiou The world of Diamantis featuring distinguished actors and theatre groups Dancecyprus and Cyprus Symphony Orchestra of worldwide acclaim have been in the forefront (Strovolos Municipal Theatre and Rialto About Kypria of the Festival, some of the most celebrated

The world of Diamantis Theatre) KYPRIA International Festival, right from its being the National Theatre of Greece, the A modern ballet performance by Dancecyprus, inception in 1993, aimed at presenting Cypriots Greek Art Theatre of Karolos Koun and Spyros class, the establishment, which does not want any based on the monumental painting of and visitors alike with a variety of cultural Evangelatos Amphitheatre. Moreover, one of change, and on the other side the ‘Other’ who Adamantios Diamantis The World of Cyprus, events of the highest possible standard. Having the Festival´s most prominent highlights was is introducing both a new cultural element and choreographed by Margaret Markidou and the been launched in a period characterised by an John Malkovich´s outstanding performance in is also acting as a vector of substantial changes. Cyprus Symphony Orchestra. almost complete lack of important cultural the Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Violence, (the character “Via”) representing the Conductor: Alkis Baltas events, it became the catalyst for the creation Killer, presented at KYPRIA 2011. interests of Zeus, is a cruel reality that we see and Choreography: Margarita Makridou of an unprecedented cultural movement which The KYPRIA Festival has also hosted a number sense, since the one being tortured is the Other, Dancers: Alexandra Antoniou, Alexia Anderson gives audiences a plethora of choices. The of celebrated music ensembles of worldwide yet this Other is so similar to us. He is us! There Koutzis, Gianmarco Beoni, Demetra Demetriou, Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education renown such as the English National Symphony also exist those who sympathise with the tortured Luca Cesa, Eveline Drummen, Tarsia and Culture have always been searching for new Orchestra, the Madrigalisti di Venezia, the Prometheus, but they do not dare show their Economidou, Siro Guglielmi, Vicky Kalla, approaches aiming at the further improvement European Union Baroque Orchestra, the sympathy because they are afraid of Zeus. They Loizos Constantinou, Ilaria Larkou-Kalispera, and upgrade of the Festival with regards to both Salzburg Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra, are present. They are there! But they are afraid of Konstantinos Karavos, Ketija Knazeva, its conception and further course and also the as well as, the Mikis Theodorakis Popular the Power... The Logos… Evangelia Lambrou, Elizabeth Lintzerakou, character of the events hosted in the Festival´s Orchestra and the State Orchestra of Greek Cast: Filippos Sofianos, Christopher Greco, Hamilton Monteiro, Manuel Di Pietro, Sara programme. Music conducted by Dionysis Savvopoulos. Eleana Papadopoulou, Yiannis Kokkinos Previtali, Frangiskos Sklikas, Fouli Stylianidou, Chorus leaders: Tzortzina Tatsi, Skevi Valeria Solea-Makri ,Giovanni Visone and the Papamiltiadous, Irini Andreou Dancecyprus Junior Company. Translated by: Savvas Pavlou – Andreas Choreographer’s Assistant: Fouli Stylianidou Pantzis (Based on Ioannis Gryparis’ translation) Costume Design: Margarita Makridou Set & costume design: Theodoulos Gregoriou Dressmaker: Eleni Papavasiliou Music: Vasos Agyridis Stage Management / Lighting: FX Sound Choreography: Alexia Nicolaou Productions Lighting: Vasilis Peteinaris Projections: DigiFrames Unravelling

22 23 The Great Goddess of Cyprus

A documentary by Cypriot director, Stavros Papageorghiou

veryone knows that Aphrodite is the Great EGoddess of Cyprus and that she was born on the coast of Paphos where she was worshipped. We imagine her as the beautiful nude Aphrodite of Praxiteles, the Goddess of Love. But beyond these, what do we really know about her? Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of beauty and love, whom we Cypriots consider our own, has a unique place in the island’s mythology and archaeology. Ancient sources cite Cyprus as her birthplace and the epithet “Kypris” follows her in abundance in ancient literature. Her ancestry is lost in the depth of time, emanating from ancient acts of worshipping fertility, and she was called the Great Goddess. The documentary film about Aphrodite The film will also be available for sale to academic Great Goddess of Cyprus, by Cypriot director Cyprus had harboured this Goddess from institutions and individuals in the form of DVD Stavros Papageorghiou, is a breath-taking the very ancient times. The inhabitants of the or VOD, through the TETRAKTYS distribution journey through time from the Chalcolithic island had worshipped the fertility of people service at www.tetraktysfilms.com. period to the Roman era. Guided by Dr and nature in some form as a supernatural TETRAKTYS FILMS, founded by Stavros Jacqueline Karageorghis, an internationally power at least since the 3rd millennium BC. Papageorghiou, is also interested in scheduling renowned French Archaeologist, we investigate Through the years, the Goddess took on many screenings of the documentary in Cyprus and known and unknown aspects of the worship of forms; by the 2nd millennium BC she was abroad, especially to countries where the presence Aphrodite on her island. already a strong sexual Goddess; towards the documentary, directed by Stavros Papageorghiou, of the Cypriot and Greek diaspora communities is end of the 2nd millennium BC, when the island The Great Goddess of Cyprus by TETRAKTYS significant, according to the director. was firmly influenced by the Aegean world, she FILMS (www.tetraktysfilms.com), which revives Spreading the Love abroad lost the fierceness of sexual urge and became sites, items and forms of worship. Producer/director Stavros Papageorghiou and And it does not end here an entirely respectable Goddess of love, beauty his core creative team – namely scientific and fertility. She was then exclusively the The procession of the Cypriot Goddess’ “Ideally we want to show the documentary in all worship could be considered as an expression consultant Dr Karageorghis and script-editor Goddess of Cyprus, Kypris. It is very possible Stalo Hadjipieris – are vigorously working the great cities in the UK, USA and Australia to of the eternal culture of the island itself, which that she was discovered here by the Greeks in on the English version of the documentary, introduce the Cypriots and Greeks of Diaspora has acted as a meeting point between the East the 12th century BC, because the Goddess was hoping to launch the Great Goddess into the to the true identity of this great deity of the Greek and West, where cultures intermingled to create unknown in the Aegean world back then. The international market. The aim of the producer Pantheon whose origin started from the humble an original civilisation. Greeks adopted her, gave her beauty and grace, is to see his documentary participate in various island of Cyprus,” Stavros Papageorghiou and named her Aphrodite, while for centuries Aphrodite Kypris is still known nowadays archaeological/anthropological documentary explained. He added, “The journey of The the Cypriots merely referred to her as Thea thanks to the poets of the Renaissance who film festivals around the world. Furthermore Great Goddess of Cyprus will not end with this (Goddess), Paphia, or Golgia, from the names rediscovered her through the ancient poets as Stavros, a documentary distributor, will promote project. We already have a second one in the of her ancient sanctuaries. the Goddess of love, born in Cyprus. Kypris the film at key documentary markets such as pipeline, which focuses on the correlation of The history of the Great Goddess and her worship granted love to the world, along with multiple MIPTV in Cannes, France, at MEDIMED the Goddess with the arts, local tradition and is as appealing as she is, and this is imprinted both emotions as a cultural value that would grace in Sitges, Spain and DOC MARKET at mythology, as well as on how modern society in the edition by Dr Jacqueline Karageorghis, life and would inspire so many masterpieces. Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, among perceives this diachronic ancient female deity. Kypris: Aphrodite of Cyprus, Ancient Sources She is the greatest gift Cyprus has offered to others, in an effort to license the broadcast rights The legacy of the Goddess is enormous and I and Archaeological Evidence, and in the Europe, and the whole world. to television stations and digital platforms. The feel that it is my duty to continue to make it

24 25 accessible to the entire world, not only Cypriots such as the Electricity Authority of Cyprus, and Greeks but also to any person regardless the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority, the of his/her nationality. From the first moment Press and Information Office, Cyprus Tourism we started production eight years ago, many Organisation, Hellenic Bank and Medochemie thousands of people around the planet had Industries, as well as many individuals from embraced this project with anticipation and Cyprus, the US, Netherlands, and other countries, gave me strength to continue and complete who donated money through the www.indiegogo. this documentary despite the many obstacles I com crowd-funding website platform. faced during its production process. I believe my compatriots still love their ancient About Stavros Papageorghiou Goddess. When I co-organised the premiere Stavros Papageorghiou was born in 1958 in screening of the film with the Director of Nicosia. He worked as a photographer for about the Department of Antiquities, Dr Marina four years before going to the US to study at the Solomidou-Ieronimidou, on 24 November 2014 University of Bridgeport, Connecticut, where at the Philoxenia Conference Centre in Nicosia, I he received his degree in Cinema with honours. was expecting around 300 people to turn up in the He returned to Cyprus in 1986, at a time when best case. However that particular night we broke cinema barely existed. Initially he was employed the national record. Over 500 guests honoured the at the TV station “O LOGOS TV”, where he Great Goddess of Cyprus with their presence. For remained for 4 years as a director-producer. His me, this was the best reward for all my efforts to personal need for creative expression led him in achieve this extremely difficult project. I was so 1994 to the bold step of creating his own film stations, and the educational rights to various With the support of the Cyprus Film Advisory happy that night,” Stavros concluded. production company, TETRAKTYS FILMS universities and libraries, mainly in the USA. Committee he has completed some notable The makers were keen to point out that this LTD. Since 2013, Stavros has also been a During the past twenty years, Stavros has productions, such as the short fiction film project would never have been completed if it was documentary distributor and sales agent. Within directed and/or produced a significant number The entomologist and the documentary films: not for the invaluable financial contribution of the this very short period of time, Stavros managed of audio-visual projects, the majority of them Skiagrafies Kyprion Logotechnon (Sketches of Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education to license the broadcast rights of many of the belonging to the documentary genre. Four of Cypriot Literature Figures) and Entelechy, to and Culture, and from a number of sponsors documentaries in his catalogue to foreign TV these have been developed with the support name but a few. of the MEDIA Development Programme, The Great Goddess of Cyprus is his current the audio-visual programme of the European directorial project, which is supported by the Union and their productions were supported by Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education the Cyprus Cinema Advisory Committee. and Culture. The proposal was accepted after Diomides Nikitas, the representative of the considering his seriousness and sense of Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education responsibility, and the level of research that and Culture, mentioned the following about characterises his documentaries. The presence Stavros in his short introduction speech at the of expert Dr Jacqueline Karageorghis as a premier screening of the documentary The scientific consultant only validates our trust. Great Goddess of Cyprus: The documentary is a complete comprehensive “Stavros Papageorghiou is an old acquaintance educational tool, which provides all the vital of the Cultural Services of the Ministry of information about the existence of Aphrodite Education and Culture of Cyprus, with whom in Cyprus over the years, and the important he has cooperated in various ways before, role that she played in our ancient history. As a sometimes through the commissioning of result, and taking the importance of this effort projects, through the process of bidding, and into consideration, the Ministry of Education at other times through the support policy for and Culture will distribute DVD copies of audio-visual projects that is promoted by this documentary to all secondary schools in the Ministry, based on the suggestions of the Cyprus, to be used as an educational tool in Dr Jacqueline Karageorghis (left) Cyprus Film Advisory Committee. history lessons.”

26 27 Remembering Stelios Votsis – An Artistic Overview “THE BODY: lived experiences in ancient Cyprus”

he Department of Antiquities of the the Cyprus Museum has also been hosting in TMinistry of Communications and Works its Galleries the exhibition Curating Body by opened the temporary exhibition The Body: artist Maria Loizidou (works from 1981 to lived experiences in ancient Cyprus at the the present). Loizidou curates her own works Cyprus Museum in Nicosia on 17 May 2014. afresh, aiming to enter into a dialogue with the The exhibition, which was organised within the ancient cultural landscape of the island but also framework of International Museum Day and with the spaces of the Cyprus Museum itself. European Night of Museums 2014, ran until 17 In this way, new stimuli are received and new February 2014. questions are set. For archaeologists, who study human On the opening day of the exhibition “Dance civilisation through the ages, the body met Archaeology”, choreographer Pascal constitutes the creator, as well as the witness of Caron along with dancers Ariana Alphas, history. As the creator, the body shaped society Mιlissa Garcia Carro, Styliana Charalambous, in a dynamic way through the use of objects Evi Kazamia, Aneesha Michael and Phedonas and its involvement in cultural practices, Odysseos performed the work Excavation such as work, food consumption or ritual and Movements. recreational activities. Lived experiences that resulted from the connection of people with the world were inscribed on the body becoming integral parts of personhood and social identity. The human body, therefore, preserves indications of its tangible and elusive action and bears witness to the culture of ancient societies that shaped it, literally and metaphorically.

he Cultural Services of the Ministry of Academy in London. He graduated from the With the above in mind, the exhibition “The TEducation and Culture in cooperation with Slade School of Art of the University of London Body: lived experiences in ancient Cyprus” the family of the artist Stelios Votsis organised a in 1955. presented antiquities dating from the Neolithic retrospective of his work entitled Remembering to the Early Christian period, originating A representative of the generation of Cypriot Stelios Votsis – An Artistic Overview. The from archaeological sites throughout Cyprus. artists who came to the spotlight in the exhibition served as an artistic tribute to this Figurines, sculpture, vessels, jewellery, period after independence, Stelios Votsis’ grooming and medical tools, musical significant Cypriot artist who died suddenly on ground breaking work embodied with instruments, and skeletal remains were 9 November 2012. remarkable clarity Cypriot art’s interest in the presented, some for the first time to the public, The exhibition, held at the headquarters accomplishments of the international artistic inviting the visitor to explore some aspects of of Hellenic Bank until 30 October, was scene and the resulting, inevitable rupture with the ancient body’s lived experiences. Although inaugurated by the Minister of Education and the accepted values of the time. bodies have left their traces in the form of Culture Minister Costas Kadis, on 15 October Stelios Votsis was one of the first Cypriot skeletal remains or artefacts, the exhibition 2014. artists who embraced the teachings of abstract fleshes out the invisible male and female protagonists who were once active on the island Stelios Votsis was born in Larnaca in 1929. art, identifying within this artistic style his of Cyprus. He studied art at Saint Martin’s School of Art, own worldview on the cosmic harmony of the Sir John Cass College of Art and the Royal universe. Parallel to the above archaeological exhibition

28 29 Treasure Island

he exhibition project Treasure Island “Treasure Island seeks to shed critical light on Ttook a look back on Cyprus’ history in dominant modes of historical representations, and its own unique way. Featuring visual works, address those stories that have been subjugated, performances, public debates and other events manipulated or silenced by hegemonic historical selected through an Open Call, next to a number discourses and artistic, literary or theoretical of preselected works, Treasure Island sought to practices,” NiMAC explained. “Moreover, the expand discourses of the past in Cyprus. project aims to underline the broader meaning of Organised by the Cultural Services of the the political in art, in the local context: On the one Ministry of Education and Culture, and the hand, as a drive for critical (re)negotiation of the Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre - Associated modern history of trauma, conflict and violence, with the Pierides Foundation (NiMAC), in as well as of any totalising ideological strategies collaboration with the Association for Historical of approaching, thinking and narrating the past, Dialogue and Research (AHDR) and the particularly in relation to national or cultural SIDESTREETS Initiative, from 26 September identification. On the other hand, as an attempt to 8 November 2014 visitors got the chance to to deal with a broad spectrum of crucial issues enjoy a variety of presentational formats; besides that affect Cypriot society beyond the Cyprus the aforementioned, the exhibition project also Problem. Ultimately, the project aims to bring featured theoretical discussions, film screenings, forth the culturally inconspicuous, and the latent talks, literature and poetry readings, public patterns of Cypriot historical experience, both in interventions and educational programmes. the colonial and postcolonial contexts.

The project has welcomed a variety of also includes presentations and interventions presentational formats such as theoretical led by Adonis Florides, Antonis Hadjikyriacou, discussions, film screenings, talks, literature/ Chrystalleni Loizidou, Meropi Moiseos/Nasa poetry readings, and educational programmes. Patapiou/Eleni Papadopoulou, Johann Pillai and It features a diverse group of Cypriot and Evi Tselika/Marina Hadjilouca spread throughout international participants, including Emin Cizenel, the duration of the exhibition, as well as a one- Lia Haraki, Eleni Kamma, Nurtane Karagil, day series of theoretical discussions. Treasure Gabriel Lester, Literary Agency Cyprus/Whirling Island also plan to host a public reading library Words, Mesarch Lab, Panayiotis Michael, Savvas in collaboration with Moufflon Bookshop, Papasavva, Christodoulos Panayiotou, pick comprising bibliography from the areas of social nick, Alexandros Pissourios, Saramarasamsara, and cultural studies, postcolonial theory, social Nicolas Tschopp, Stefanos Tsivopoulos and anthropology, political science, art theory, history, Sholeh Zahraei/Kamil Saldun. The programme critical literature and poetry, and beyond.

30 31 Cyprus/Whirling words, with workshop leader Pussy”: Culture jamming/On Cypriot Rachel Pettus and guest Marios Epaminondas, commemoration in the 21st century and its at NiMAC and various other locations within interventions by Chrystalleni Loizidou. the walls of Old Town Nicosia. (Also took place 18 October 2014: Presentation/discussion on 15 and 22 October 2014, with workshop Here Lie the Books, Rizokarpaso 1931-32 leader Stephanos Stephanides and guest Aydin (2014). Meropi Moiseos, Nasa Patapiou and Mehmet Ali; on 24 October with workshop Eleni Papadopoulou in conversation with leader Aydın Mehmet Ali and guests Münevver Niyazi Kızılyürek, Bishop Makarios of Kenya Özgür and Agnieszka Rakoczy; on 30 October and Takis Hadjidemetriou, at NiMAC. with workshop leader Nicoletta Demetriou) 25 October 2014: Educational programme 10 October 2014: Presentation “Cyprus Programme of events Nicosia – Beyond barriers by Literary Agency Cyprus/Whirling words, with workshop leader 26 September 2014: Performance The Record 24 October 2014: Presentation Nonverbal Communication by Gabriel Lester. Rachel Pettus and guest Lisa Suhair Majaj, Replay React Show (2014, 30 minutes) by for women only. The workshop took place at Gabriel Lester’s lecture titled Nonverbal Communication refers to a term indicating communication Lia Haraki at NiMAC. (Also presented on 10 NiMAC and a variety of other locations within through sending and receiving wordless - often visual - cues between people. In Lester’s reasoning, October) the walls of Old Town Nicosia. artworks are vehicles of such forms of communication. In fact, the more popular and simplified term 4 October 2014: Screening/discussion Life ‘body language’ can easily be understood as the language of shape, form and volume. Lester focuses 8 October 2014: Screening/discussion Cyprus Chances: Four Families in a Greek Cypriot on his broad spectrum of artworks and inventions relating to the perception of body language, in is an Island by Ralph Keene (1946, 34 minutes) Village (1974, 43 minutes) by Peter Loizos at terms of the many communicative qualities of artworks and the ways these inhabit time and space. at Rüstem Bookstore in the non-government NiMAC. Antonis Hadjikyriacou in conversation controlled part of Nicosia. Adonis Florides in Gabriel Lester, born in Amsterdam in 1972, started his artistic endeavour as a musician, stumbled with Olga Demetriou, Zeleia Gregoriou and conversation with Costas Constantinides and into literature, studied cinema and finally became a visual artist. Lester’s many interests and Adonis Florides. Yiannis Papadakis. skills explain the themes, methods and nature of his present artwork. Most of his films and Copyright: The Royal Anthropological Institute spatial installations have an implicit narrative layer, strong cinematic influences, sequential 10 October 2014: Writing workshop Writing constructions and an obvious sense of rhythm. 4 October 2014: Writing workshop Writing Nicosia – Beyond barriers by Literary Agency

32 33 In memory of artist Glyn Hughes 29 October 2014: Visual lecture/ presentation Monument to Fragmentation by Johann Pillai. This presentation told the story of an obsession: the attempt to research, find and reconstruct for the first time the history, events, and physical characteristics of a major work of art that disappeared in 1958 and somehow mysteriously appeared in Cyprus: The 227m2 mosaic wall created by Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu for the Turkish Pavilion at the 1958 Brussels World Fair. The pavilion’s 100 meter-long linking mosaic wall (which many art history and architecture textbooks describe as “lost”) was the first Rethinking conflict and urban space - a socially Turkish artistic expression of the concepts engaged art experiment with Evanthia Tselika of pluralism and multiculturalism; and Marina Hadjilouca in collaboration with in Cyprus it has acquired numerous artist and art educator at the Pancyprium other significations. The presentation Gymnasium, Antigoni Sofokleous, and graphic and accompanying exhibit trace to the designer, Myria Konnari. A student’s exhibition present, through historical mishaps and followed with works produced during the the political mayhem of wars, military Glyn Hughes (photo by Cyprus Mail) educational programme. coups and chance discoveries, the trials and tribulations of the wall between 1 November 2014: Screening/discussion Cyprus he Ministry of Education and Culture was of his fruitful cooperation with the German Belgium, Turkey and Cyprus over half is an Island by Ralph Keene (1946, 34 minutes) Tsaddened to learn of the untimely death of director Heinz Haus for productions that were at NiMAC. Adonis Florides in conversation a century. Its overarching question is the visual artist Glyn Hughes on 23 October 2014. staged abroad as well as for the Cyprus Theatre with Christodoulos Panayiotou and Stavros this: Can archives, exhibitions, artworks Glyn Hughes was born in Wales in 1931. He Organisation. Karayiannis. and monuments resist absorption into studied at Bretton Hall in Yorkshire and in 1956 Glyn Hughes contributed more widely to the memorial narratives, and instead express came to Cyprus to teach, staying on to become development of Cypriot art through his regular 5 November 2014: Readings from the writing fragmentation and forgetting? workshops – public opening. an integral part of the Cypriot art scene which he column in “The Cyprus Weekly” newspaper, Johann Pillai studied aesthetic and influenced with his work. which stood out for its insightful artistic critique. 8 November 2014: Discussion The Past as literary theory at Yale and the State With “Apofasi”, the island’s’ first art gallery which In appreciation of his long and multi-faceted Treasure Hunt at NiMAC. The discussions University of New York at Buffalo. he founded with Christoforos Savvas in 1960 as a contribution to the development of contemporary were divided into two parts under the themes: An associate professor of comparative base, Hughes became one of the pioneers in the Cypriot culture the Ministry of Education and “Buccaneers and Buried Gold”: Deconstructing literature, his research interests include introduction to Cyprus of contemporary artistic Culture awarded Glyn Hughes with an Annual memory and fiction with Yiannis Hamilakis, critical theory; comparative studies in movements. From 1971 to 1973 he organised a Honorary Allowance. Nicolas Papadimitriou and Stephanos Stephanides; and “The Stockade”: Barriers in Romanticism; modernist art, music and series of artistic happenings at Apophasis under The Minister of Education and Culture Minister, Education / Education of Barriers with Mete literature; irrationalism; historiography; the general title Synergy, which brought together Costas Kadis, expressed his heartfelt condolences Hatay, Aydin Mehmet Ali and Yiannis Papadaki. and literature in relation to the visual in a single unit, aspects of conceptual and to the artist’s friends and family. His death leaves arts. He is currently an independent environmental art. This pioneering initiative was an irreplaceable gap in the artistic life of Cyprus. Curatorial team: Yiannis Toumazis, Louli scholar and the director of Sidestreets, cut short by the Turkish invasion of 1974. The Ministry of Education and Culture was Michaelidou, Anber Onar, Despo Pasia, an independent cultural and educational His creative work was not restricted to painting. represented at the funeral by the director of the Kyriakos Pachoulides, Elena Stylianou. initiative in Nicosia. Hughes served the theatre as a set and costume Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education For more information visit: www.nimac.org.cy designer with equal zeal within the framework and Culture, Pavlos Paraskevas.

34 35 Cyprus at the turn of the 20th century

he Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation Tand the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece opened a photography exhibition th entitled Cyprus at the turn of the 20 century on They feature views and panoramas The photographs depict This was stated by the President 7 October 2014. The exhibition was inaugurated of the six towns, photographs of the daily life, costumes, of the House of Representatives, by the President of the House of Representatives, the archaeological monuments and Yiannakis Omirou, in an address Yiannakis Omirou. dances, activities, the large monasteries of Cyprus, customs and habits of at the presentation of the tome It featured 88 photos of 1890 to 1901 that were pictures of Lapithos, Karavas, and the opening of the exhibition the island’s inhabitants presented for the first time at the ‘Cyprus Exhibition’ Bellapais, the Karpas, Platres and that was organised by the Cultural in Athens in 1901. The volume was published by Kakopetria, portraits of anonymous during the first decades Foundation of the Bank of Cyprus the Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece, Cypriots from the towns and of the late 19th century in cooperation with the Ethnological at the initiative of its secretary general Ioannis The Cyprus Exhibition the countryside, moments from and early 20th century Society of Greece. Mazarakis-Ainian. The introduction and editing is The Cyprus Exhibition was organised at the their daily occupations as well of As Omirou noted, Cyprus is armed with both the the work of Petros Papapolyviou. Zappeion in April to June 1901 by the ‘Patriotic portrayals of the early British colonial presence relevant resolutions of the United Nations and the The photography exhibition was initially organised Association of Cypriots’ in Athens, at the instigation in Nicosia and Troodos. Each photograph was solidarity of EU, of which Cyprus is a full and by the Historical and Ethnological Society of of Limassol lawyer George S. Frangoudis and accompanied by a text selected by the editor equal member. Greece in July 2014. It was presented in Athens at from the main Greek travel and historical works was effectively the first attempt to systematically Among other comments, the president of the the National Historical Museum, housed at the Old on Cyprus of the same period, mainly from the promote Cyprus and by extension the demand for House said that the exhibition and tome of the same Parliament Building, to honour Cyprus forty years books of G. Frangoudi, Athanasios Sakellariou Enosis (union with Greece) in the Greek mainland. name, are composed of copies of 90 photographs after the Turkish invasion of the island. and Ieronymos Peristianis. The photographs, most The opening was held on April 6, 1901 with 120 from daily life in Cyprus at the beginning of the of which were later distributed as postcards were The exhibition was hosted in Nicosia by the Bank Cypriots travelling to the Greek capital. It was 20th century. of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, and is scheduled to the first opportunity for the ‘national centre’ to taken by the pioneer photographic artists of Cyprus: After the ‘Cyprus Exhibition’ in 1901 in Athens, tour various cities of Cyprus. The photographs were get to know Cyprus so well. Some 200 exhibitors Foscolos, Papazian, Toufexis, Soteriou as well as most of the photographs and many of the exhibits first presented at the grandCypriot Exhibition, held participated, showcasing the main Cyprus Max Ohnefalsch-Richter and represent a treasure were, on completion of the exhibition, donated to in Zappeion in 1901. The aim of the exhibition was products, clothing, handicrafts, intellectual work trove for historians which ‘returned’ to Nicosia the National History Museum and the Historical to tighten the links between Cyprus and Greece. and antiquities. In addition, a Cypriot loom was from Athens 113 years later. In the intervening period everything has changed, with the exhibition and Ethnological Society of Greece, which has The photographs depict the daily life, costumes, installed and there were traditional Cypriot dances offering the opportunity therefore to remember the developed close ties and cooperation with Cyprus dances, activities, customs and habits of the island’s as well tsattista (improvised oral poetry ‘duelling’). authentic world of Cyprus. from that time. inhabitants during the first decades of British rule One of the richest sections of the exhibition, As Omirou said, the aim of the photographic (late 19th century and early 20th century). Also exclusively created by the zeal shown by G. exhibition when it was first presented in 1901 was depicted are landscapes, anonymous Cypriots of Frangoudis, was a collection of dozens of Omirou: An opportunity to reassert faith in the to bring the national centre into a first, in-depth urban or rural origin, as well as monuments and photographs from Cyprus that were displayed on continuing struggle contact with the Cyprus reality of the time. antiquities from across Cyprus. The photographs five panels. They constituted one of the biggest Both the published volume and the photographic come from well-known photographers of the time. poles of attraction for visitors to the Zappeion exhibition Cyprus at the turn of the 20th century Omirou said that the support of Greece, its cultural Apart from the captions used at the 1901 exhibition in spring 1901, but also the primary vehicle to offered the opportunity to reassert faith and institutions, collective bodies and the millions which are cited unabridged, new captions offering promote the island to the Athenian public. The commitment to continuing the struggle to rid of ordinary, anonymous Greeks, is of as much additional or even corrected information have been Nicosia exhibition featured the 90 photographs Cyprus of the Turkish occupation, non-acceptance paramount importance for Cyprus today as it was added. saved in the archives of the Historical and of the fait accompli of the invasion and settlers, the for initiators of the exhibition of 1901. This support A publication that includes the photographs of the Ethnological Society of Greece at the National enforcement of international law in our country and solidarity has been continuous, moving and exhibition along with accompanying texts in Greek History Museum, to which they were donated by and the conservation of the national sovereignty multi-faceted, he concluded. is available to purchase. G. Frangoudis when the ‘Cyprus Exhibition’ ended. and international status of the Republic of Cyprus. For more information, visit: http://www.boccf.org/

36 37 Ancient Cypriot Literature Digital Corpus

he Cyprus Institute presented the Ancient TCypriot Literature Digital Corpus and its incorporation to Dioptra, the Digital Library of Cypriot Culture of The Cyprus Institute, on 18 September 2014. The event was under the auspices of the President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, and was addressed by the Minister of Education and Culture, Dr Costas Kadis. The Ancient Cypriot Literature Digital Corpus is one of the most important projects of the Science and Technology in Archaeology Research Center “It also offers important tools, such as the electronic Hellenization of the island.” “The user, on top The CyI comprises three specialised (STARC) at The Cyprus Institute and is sponsored version of the Liddell-Scott-Jones ancient Greek “It is no coincidence that in the of the abilities multidisciplinary research centres, and supported by the A.G. Leventis Foundation lexicon and the timeline, which correlates the most widely known epic of ancient provided so far by developed in partnership with leading international institutions in their (http://www.leventisfoundation.org). Accessed authors with their eras, which altogether place Greek literature, Cypria, the Cypriot the print version of the texts in their historical and archaeological respective thematic areas: globally, it offers an innovative experience of ancient myth meets the Greek and together the project, is now texts from a total of 64 writers, covering a period of framework, and offer new angles in which to ‘read’ they create the history of the Trojan The Energy, Environment and 13 centuries (7th century BC to 6th century AD). the ancient culture of Cyprus,” said the Minister. War; and that it has since served as offered a wealth of Water Research Center (EEWRC) Apart from the intelligent search of ancient words According to Minister Kadis, the aim is for the the Greeks’ quintessential teaching informational and – partnered with the Massachusetts and concepts, the project incorporates innovative Ancient Cypriot Literature Digital Corpus to work,” he concluded. visual material” Institute of Technology (MIT), digital technologies, applications and visual become a focal tool for researchers and students, The Science and Technology in Archaeology plus teachers and pupils in Secondary Education. material that enrich the exploration of ancient texts About The Cyprus Institute Research Center (STARC) – partnered with the and enhance our understanding of Cyprus’ ancient He added, “A pilot teaching programme was Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées The Cyprus Institute operates under the aegis of civilisation. applied at a Lyceum last year with very encouraging de France (C2RMF), and the Cyprus Research and Educational Foundation results, as it turned out that using a digital database The Dioptra Library follows a modular (CREF), which is governed by a Board of Trustees, The Computation-based Science and Technology in teaching practice could make a lesson more development plan, with the Ancient Cypriot comprising leading personalities of the international Research Center (CaSToRC) – partnered with the appealing and interesting.” Literature Digital Corpus being its first module, academic, political and business world. University of Illinois. and its aim is to record, research and disseminate The minister explained that the work was an The creation of The Cyprus Institute (CyI), a novel, Having launched its first research centre in late the Cultural Heritage of Cyprus. Under the advanced, digital form of Ancient Cypriot Corpus, internationally recognised research institution, is the 2007, with only a few years in operation, CyI supervision of leading scientists, research groups which was issued over the period 1995-2008 by the tangible manifestation of the Cyprus Research and has demonstrated its keen ability to successfully develop and apply innovative technologies to study Leventis Foundation. conduct scientific research and to attract scientists and preserve our rich culture. Educational Foundation’s vision to help transform It includes 64 texts by ancient Cypriot writers Cyprus into a knowledge-based economy, and in of international repute. It is now pursuing a large th th (from the 7 to the 6 century AD), covering many doing so to advance the welfare of the island and number of research projects, many of them funded A digital journey through antiquity literary genres and seamlessly integrates into the the region. Today, the Institute is a world-class by the European Commission, including an ERC whole of ancient Greek literature. “The user, on top of the abilities provided so far research and technology institution, carrying out Advanced Grant. by the print version of the project, is now offered The texts were edited by Professors Andreas pioneering research programmes involving cutting- A Graduate School acts as the Institute’s Education a wealth of informational and visual material, Voskos, Costas Michaelides and Ioannis Taifakos. edge high throughput technologies, in order to arm, which trains researchers for senior posts in which was curated by Professor (archaeologist and “These pages are of monumental value as they address problems of regional as well as international academia as well as industry and government former Director of the Department of Antiquities) authenticate the Cypriot Hellenism’s intellectual significance. At the same time, it provides training bodies. It offers high quality doctoral programmes Vasos Karagiorgis,” said Minister of Education and and national foundations, which were laid some for future researchers and scholars through its high grounded in the research environment of the Culture Costas Kadis at the Corpus’ presentation. three and a half thousand years ago with the quality doctoral programmes. respective research centres.

38 39 Unknown History

Works of art by Jewish refugees at the British Detention camps in Cyprus

rt created by Jewish survivors of the concentration or forced labour camps. They AHolocaust during their time in British headed back to Palestine (Eretz-Israel), their detention camps in Cyprus have returned to homeland. Being under British Mandate rule at the island after 65 years and were exhibited at the time, Palestine was almost inaccessible to the Pancyprian Gymnasium Museums from 30 Jewish immigrants. The British navy enforced a October to 12 December 2014. full-scale blockade, so between August 1946 and The works of art, kept in the HaShomer May 1948, 39 immigrants’ ships attempting to HaTzair Archive up until their recent return to run the British blockade were seized. Cyprus, provide a historical depiction of life The Jewish refugees were sent to Cyprus, where as a Holocaust survivor in the final leg of their twelve Detention Camps were established to journey to the land of Israel. accommodate them; five so-called “Summer The Unknown History: Works of art by Jewish Camps” in the Karaolos area near the town refugees at the British Detention camps in of Famagusta and seven “Winter Camps” in Cyprus exhibition at the Pancyprian Gymnasium Dhekelia and Xylotymbou near the Larnaca Museums’ premises in Nicosia was made possible District. During this period more than 52,000 due to cooperation between the Embassy of Israel Jewish refugees passed through the British in Cyprus and the Pancyprian Gymnasium, as detention camps in Cyprus, until the last well as thanks to the great generosity of the detainees were finally set free in February 1949 HaShomer HaTzair – Yad Yaari and Moreshet and headed to the newly-established State of Centre for Research and Documentation in Israel. Israel. The Cypriot people treated the Jewish Credits should also go to the artist, researcher and detainees warmly and provided necessary archivist Yuval Danieli, who comprehensively services, helped them and expressed their organised the care of these exhibits and helped solidarity in many ways. keep memory alive. “This affair could have been considered as a sad episode in the history of the new Israel, when survivors from the death camps were forced On the way to the Land of Israel to be surrounded again by barbed wire fences, After the end of the Second World War, survivors guard posts and sentinels,” explained Israeli of the Holocaust were evacuated from the Nazi Ambassador to Cyprus Michael Harari in his

From the print album Begerush Kafrisin

40 41 everyday reality or portrayed the surroundings the tents, decorated wooden or stone boxes, of the camps: the bridge over the Larnaca - picture albums, chess and domino sets. Shoes, Famagusta road which connected the camps, the clothing and other artefacts were produced in double wire fences, the ditches which surrounded the same way. Finally, the immigrant ships used the deportation camps and the watch towers. to transport Holocaust survivors to Palestine, Other works rendered the grind of daily life; the their homeland and future State of Israel, were queues for water, the round tin barracks - which depicted with every opportunity - a constant supposedly provided better protection against symbol of the longing to finally reach a safe weather conditions, but, in fact, were freezing in haven. winter and sizzling hot during the summer and Back then, the detainees were eager to display even leaked when it rained. their work, so in October 1947, a memorable art Artefacts and handicrafts were made from all exhibition was inaugurated in the Xylotymbou sorts of material that was available in the camps: camp. The exhibits were later sent to Tel Aviv discarded beverage cans, soft limestone, wood and were put on display there in April 1948. Most panels (once part of dining tables), ceramic of the exhibits have been kept in the HaShomer tiles etc. These materials were consequently HaTzair Archive, where they remain until today, assembled into form with the help of nails, wires covered in the dust of history. and knives. Model tractors, ploughs, miniature Sixty-five years after the last of the Jewish house furniture, books or similar artefacts refugees left the shore of Cyprus, pieces of art were created, even miniature slippers. They created back then returned to the island. anticipate a great yearning for warmth and what one would call «Home». Additionally, one can Thanks to this initiative, history treasures – works find colourful toys for children; weaving and of art hidden for decades in archives – have pictures made of threads or material cut from come back to light. The power of creativity and

Greeting in the exhibition’s catalogue. “But it They achieved successes through organised seems that along with the difficulties and pain, actions, such as vocational training, educational Jews who were detained in Cyprus saw their and cultural activities. Artists’ workshops, music stay there not only as something forced upon courses, theatre performances, sports events, a them; many testimonies indicate that they saw choir and an orchestra were organised. After all, it as a preparatory and transitory period between the ability to create art under harsh conditions Europe of the Holocaust and entering the Land of was one way to overcome difficulties. Israel. While they lived in the British detention camps in Cyprus, they experienced a chapter of The artworks created by the refugees during their Jewish heroism and fraternity, which became stay in Cyprus depicted their experiences and a symbol of their determination to build new rendered the grind of daily life in the detention lives; shortly after the Holocaust, the survivors camps, or portrayed the surroundings. Still, decided to take responsibility of their fates and other works followed a more classical repertoire, chose to stick to life and go on.” characteristic of European traditions in art. Some of the detainees were later to become established To the Holocaust survivors the period spent in artists in Israel – such as Shraga Weil (1918- Cyprus was nothing more than one last stage in 2009), Schmuel Katz (1926-2010) or Haim their long journey to the land of Israel; a stage (Heniek) Barkani (1923-2001), whose artworks during which they were forced to spend long were on display in this exhibition. months in detention camps, living under difficult conditions. Even so, the detained Jewish people The refugees produced a variety of art works; demonstrated great endurance and vitality, paintings, drawings, engravings and sculptures. adapting to the conditions of their captivity. There they depicted their experiences and Shmuel Katz

42 43 strong will to live a creative life against all odds The Pancyprian Gymnasium Museums was in charge of the school, from 1936 to 1960, a is manifested in these works. They demonstrate systematic effort began to create an archaeological The Pancyprian Gymnasium is an evolution how the human spirit could not be tamed, despite museum at the Gymnasium. In 1943, at the 50th of the Hellenic School founded in 1812 by the harsh reality. One beholds the emergence of anniversary of the Pancyprian Gymnasium, the Archbishop of Cyprus, Kyprianos. The a new life and witnesses the willpower of men the school’s graduates collected the amount of composition of the various collections of this and women to overcome the Terrible and move four thousand Cyprus pounds for the purpose of historic school is the result of long and intense forward. improving the school’s museum collections. efforts by the school’s teachers, who strove The exhibition was accompanied by educational to provide a diverse education framework to After the Second World War, the archaeological, programmes; one for primary and one for their students. It is also the result of generous historical, numismatic and folk art collections, as secondary school children. Guided tours were donations and pecuniary sponsorships by the well as the natural history collection, remained available in Greek, Hebrew and English. school’s graduates, benefactors or other parties exhibited in the basement of the Severeios Admission was free. who acknowledged the importance of the Library. Thankfully, museum exhibits were not A catalogue was also produced to commemorate Gymnasium’s contribution. looted during the adversity of the coup d’état and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974. 65 years from the closure of the British Detention The very first effort to establish a museum Camps in Cyprus. at the Pancyprian Gymnasium dates back to The Pancyprian Gymnasium’s museum 1893, when the Consul of Greece to Cyprus, collections, created throughout its hundred- K. Panourgias, donated his personal collection year history, were reorganised and enriched in The print album Begerush Kafrisin of fossils and made the first steps towards 1993, on the initiative of Headmaster Georgios Naftali Bezem set up a workshop in the winter the creation of an educational museum. The Hadjikostis. The collections were put on display camps, where he taught painting, linocut and museum then started building up its collection in five halls in the school building; the School’s other engraving techniques. This art workshop either through purchases or via donations, which History Museum, Historic-Archaeological was autonomous; the teaching was not limited were classified and maintained by the school’s Museum and Natural History Museum. in time, a fact that allowed students to work professors. and create continuously. Bezem taught there At present, the museums host the Archaeological for about 6 months. In the beginning, there During the time Principal Constantine Spyridakis Collection, Numismatic collection, Collection were 35 students of all ages. Among the most extraordinary collective artworks of this workshop were students’ prints depicting the refugees’ experiences in the Detention Camps. The prints were bound into albums, one of which is included in this collection. It bears the title Begerush Kafrisin (“in the Cyprus Exile”) and was offered as a gift to Yehoshua Leibner. This album consists of 26 original prints (linocuts) made by 26 different participants of the workshops, although one attests a rather barbed wire, beyond a situation without escape. homogenous style, characteristic of modernist The contrast of harsh black and white lines and approaches to form. While studying these prints surfaces, without any hue of the grey, makes this at a primary stratum of understanding, reflections feeling even stronger. from crowded detention camps and the whole cycle of life there emerge – children being After some years, Bezem understood the born, mothers breast-feeding, daily activities, magnitude of the influence which his experiences weddings, gatherings. A closer study, though, during this period had on his future work. reveals concealed fears and nightmares from ”There I came face to face with my subject: The the not-so-distant past. The situations depicted immigrants. My encounters with them proved are casual and even boring, yet the feeling to me, unequivocally, that spiritually I remained transmitted is one of inability to see beyond the one of them.”

44 45 music education and taught music and piano for in changing circumstances in the camp. It was many years. He is the composer of 245 famous common practice to sometimes take the children songs, widely performed by some of the most of the camp to the beach. The outing was renowned singers in Israel. In addition to his accompanied by armoured vehicles with soldiers musical interests, Haim Barkani also worked as carrying loaded rifles. This unusual convoy a caricaturist, illustrator and graphic artist. prompted Barkani to draw a caricature, showing a young child going to the beach, accompanied by four armoured British vehicles. At the opening His artistic activity in the Detention Camps of this exhibition, while looking at the caricature, the guest of honour - the actor Meir Margalit, Barkani remained in the camps in Cyprus for who came from Israel as part of a delegation of two years. His musical background helped with artists - asked the British colonel accompanying his diverse activities in the camp. He organised him: “Sir, how is it that four armoured vehicles a choir, composed songs, played the accordion are needed to guard one young child?” Barkani at camp meetings and events and produced a recounts that the very next day the children went few puppet shows. Occasionally, his wife would to the beach accompanied by only one jeep. relate some stories about the first days of their life together in the detention camps. She recalls: “A short time after we married, Heniek disappeared Shmuel (Alexander) Katz (1926-2010) for about 2/3 of the night. I was very offended. We had just got married and he was already cheating Artist, Illustrator, Caricaturist on me. It seems that he had gone to bring a piano Shmuel Katz was born in Vienna, Austria, to and then I understood that he had a second wife: Jewish-Hungarian parents. After the annexation Music. I could either take it or leave it.” of Austria by Nazi Germany in March 1938, Barkani related in his memoirs how one of his the family moved to Hungary. When Hungary caricatures on display at an exhibition succeeded was invaded in 1944, Katz was deported to a

of Old Weaponry and Collection of Old Maps. Haim (Heniek) Barkani (1923-2001) The school also runs the Art Gallery, which Musician, Caricaturist and Graphic Artist showcases artworks by renowned Cypriot painters, former professors and students. Haim Barkani was born in the city of Lodz in Poland to Jewish parents, who were both musicians. At the age of six he began taking Educational programmes piano lessons and, at a young age, even began composing music. With the outbreak of World The Pancyprian Gymnasium pays particular War Two, the family fled to the Soviet Union attention to the purpose for which these museums and ended up in Siberia and then in Bukhara, were established: To support and complete Uzbekistan, where they stayed until the end of the school children’s education. The aim is to the war. After the war he lived in Italy, and as promote contact with original objects, of high part of a Jewish youth group, they intended to historical and artistic value, which quantitatively immigrate to Palestine (Eretz-Israel), but were develop culture and offer direct experiences to eventually sent to the detention camps in Cyprus. pupils and students. There, Barkani met and married his wife, Halina. These are completed by special guided tours, In 1949, after being liberated, he immigrated to lectures and educational programmes. Israel with his group. In the 1950s he studied

46 47 to Bratislava and in 1937 he began studying in the garden beds around the black, tin barracks. art in Prague. He spent World War Two in Here, notions of hope for freedom and the Budapest, engaging in forging documents for continuity of life for the Jewish people - even in the resistance. He was imprisoned there between captivity - are tangible. In another drawing, a small the years 1943-44. In 1947 he tried to immigrate child is depicted with a sorrowful look and an to Palestine (Eretz-Israel) aboard the refugee adult face, short of stature, dressed in a coat many ship «Theodore Herzl», carrying 2,500 Jewish sizes too big for him. He is standing confused refugees. Just opposite the shores of Haifa the ship next to his backpack within the entanglement of was intercepted by the British Navy and many of the frightening barbed wire fences that surround its passengers were wounded. The refugees were him from all sides. consequently transported in metal cages aboard British battleships to the port of Famagusta and from there on to the “winter camps” in Dhekelia- Naftali Bezem (b. 1924) Xylotymbou. In the Detention Camp, Shraga Weil Artist & the Printmaking workshops organised produced artworks that mainly depicted life in in the Detention Camps the camps, and also taught the detained youth art. Weil, alongside Grazovski and others, was one of Bezem was born in the city of Aachen in Germany. the initiators of the art exhibition which took place As a young boy he immigrated to Palestine (Eretz- first in the Cyprus camps in October 1947, then in Israel) in 1939, without his family, as part of a Tel Aviv (1948) and now, many years later, back in youth group, just two weeks before the outbreak The Summer Camp - Shmuel Katz - 1947 - watercolour on paper Cyprus. He later immigrated to Israel and joined the of World War Two. Both his parents stayed Ha’Ogen Kibbutz. During his life, he engaged in behind and perished in Auschwitz in 1943. His concentration camp in Yugoslavia. He managed His artistic activity in the Detention Camps many different art disciplines; illustration, collage, talent for art was manifested early in his life; he to escape and made his way to Budapest, where book cover design, silk-screen printing, linocut, completed art studies at the Bezalel Academy of Katz was the most prolific chronicler of the he hid in the cellars of the Swiss Legation oil painting and sculpture. In the 60s and 70s, he Arts and Design (est. 1906) in Jerusalem. While “summer camps” in Cyprus, with his paintings until the arrival of the Red Army. In 1945 he also created some architectural designs, such as the there he met his future wife, Hannah. With her in colour, chalk and pencil, depicting the grind of commenced his studies in Architecture at main entrance of the Knesset (Israeli Parliament), he was sent in 1947 to the Detention Camps in daily life there. Every corner of the tents, every the Budapest University of Technology and and the doors at the Israeli President’s residence Cyprus, as an art teacher there. His achievements water tank and every piece of garbage could Economics. In the next year he attempted to in Jerusalem. His work has been exhibited both in in painting and drawing were exceptional, while attract his attention and was depicted meticulously immigrate to Palestine (Eretz-Israel) aboard the Israel and abroad, winning a number of prizes. In at the same time the range of subjects that he and skilfully. Those paintings that depicted the “Knesset Israel”. The boat was intercepted by 2010, an exhibition of his work took place in Tel dealt with shifted easily between the private and human figure were executed in a humorous and British forces and the refugees were deported Aviv. the public, between the social and the political light-hearted way, sometimes bordering on the to detention camps in Cyprus. There, he had his and between the diaspora and the land the caricature. Katz generally demonstrates in his first exhibition. In 1947 he received permission Israeli. Bezem is an important artist, who made work exceptional virtuosity and craftsmanship. to immigrate to Israel as part of a group. This His artistic activity in the Detention Camps significant contributions imaging the new born A watercolour displaying panoramically a field group later founded the Gaaton Kibbutz (1948). The work Weil created in Cyprus was influenced Israeli State. He was one of the most prominent of monotonous, khaki-coloured tents draws the He remained a Kibbutz member until his death. largely by Czech art and Central European art in artists of his generation. He lives in Tel Aviv viewer’s attention. These tents replace in terms Shmuel Katz was one of the most important general. This he combined with grotesque and and still paints. His art revolves around notions the lacking figures, echoing the sorrow among the and well-known graphic artists, illustrators sharp humour, as well as with political awareness. of Family, Holocaust remembrances, settling the detainees without directly depicting them. In the and caricaturists in Israel. Throughout his life Using black ink and chalk or black and white land of Israel and social aspects of life in Israel. background, one notices the inviting blue sea – he worked as an artist and a graphic editor of watercolours on paper, he gave his drawings a During his lifetime, he received prestigious suggesting this to be a sea of freedom and hope. daily and weekly newspapers and illustrated most contrasting character. In his works presented prizes. He has exhibited his work both in Israel hundreds of books. He has exhibited his at the exhibition, one notices the attempt to assert and abroad. One of his well-known works is the work not only in Israel but also abroad and Shraga Weil (1918-2009) that life in the camps was a continuation of life in cast aluminium bas relief mural From Holocaust has been awarded many prizes. In 2013, the the Nazi concentration camps and that their set- to Rebirth (1974) at the Yad Vashem - Jerusalem. Painter, Sculptor, Graphic Artist Ein Harod Museum of Art in Israel organised up was meant to inflict even more injustice on In December 2012, a retrospective exhibition a retrospective exhibition of his work titled Shraga Weil was born in Czechoslovakia in 1918 the Holocaust survivors. Especially notable is a commemorating his work was inaugurated at the “Shmuel Katz: Stylus Days”. to Jewish parents. In 1931, the family moved drawing where two children are planting a seed Tel-Aviv Museum of Art.

48 49 The Week of Madness

By Arshak Sarkissian

rmenian artist Arshak Sarkissian presented Ahis art exhibition The Week of Madness at the Opus 39 Gallery in Nicosia from 29 September to 11 October 2014. The exhibition, which included paintings, drawings and sculptures by the artist, was supported by the Pharos Arts Foundation.

The courage of Arshak the painter By Vardan Jaloyan The courage of Arshak the painter is featured in a renovated connection of the real and the fantastic, the human and the inhuman, the cultural and the savage. His drawings exhibit a complexity and subtlety that exceed imagination; he is one of the few artists capable of creating vast canvasses with multiple figures and complex structure. As a painter he is, at the same time, an anthropologist of states of mind. The artist often depicts animals along with his characters, a fact that also leaves room for physiognomic confusing interpretations. The characters are diverse and condense the enormous heritage of Western Europe. Arshak Arshak seeks and finds that plastic life in is able to create a new harmony between reality subcultures that avoid control, but mostly in his and unreality. According to his own testimony, imagination. he takes the prototypes of his characters from Arshak has several graphic works and the subcultures of large cities, recording their paintings with the title Orchestra Rehearsal. anthropological mutations. There is a vital The orchestra, certainly, is the model of area where the human and the animal become society, but of what kind of society? Orchestra indistinguishable. The inhabitants of this zone musicians have a particular social character, are characterised as monsters, a mixture of admirably introduced in Theodor Adorno’s human and animal. article Conductor and Orchestra: Adorno When we say politics today we mean bio- writes that orchestra musicians are prone to politics, namely, political control over the sadistic humour and continuous jokes; they manifestations of human life, which implies like obscene practical jokes. One may recall exclusion of the monstrous. The heroes of Federico Fellini’s film, Orchestra Rehearsal. Arshak perhaps are those who have fled that This feature is probably related to the fact that bio-political control. One of the reasons that many ways of sublimation are closed to man in figurative plastic art is not possible anymore musical space. It is particularly reflected in the is that modern life has stopped being plastic. famous stubbornness of musicians. They are

50 51 constantly disappointed with their position in Europa Nostra award for the Home of Cooperation the orchestra and constantly disillusioned with their chosen profession. Orchestra is a mini model of modern society, where freedom of self-expression entails disappointments. One may assume that, with their social he Home of Cooperation, a historical character, all of Arshak’s heroes are “orchestra building situated in the UN-controlled musicians” and can express themselves by T buffer zone in Nicosia, has won the Europa means of instruments. For example, a woman Nostra Award for Cultural Heritage. has a fan in one hand and a piece of watermelon in the other. They are free and vibrant, often And to commemorate the conservation award, look negligent, are probably stubborn like European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Fellini’s heroes, but in that noise a hubbub is Multilingualism and Youth, Androulla Vassiliou, the outcome of his desire to see his painted continuous and always present, and nothing unveiled a plaque at a special ceremony held on 16 images in tangible form. significant will happen. September, 2014. The ceremony was also attended “It symbolises the philosophy Modern society is trying to find and define what by the vice president of Europa Nostra, Irina of the Cypriot communities working is allowed, while science and bio-technologies Subotic, Ambassador for European Economic It is all about the costumes are questioning boundaries between humane together, in collaboration with Area and Norway Grants, Ingrid Schulerud, the international community – ideals Costumes have a primary significance in Arshak’s and inhumane, life and lifeless. More and more Nicosia Mayor, Constantinos Yiorkadjis on behalf frequently we are changing our behaviour, as if of course shared by Europa Nostra’’ paintings and sculptures. His vivid visual stories of the Greek Cypriot community and Mehmet something inhuman had invaded our life. I think are told not only through gestures, mimics Harmanci as representative of the Turkish Cypriot Revolutionism is typical of Arshak’s paintings, yet and poses, but especially through costumes. community. A musical programme followed the “It thus symbolises the philosophy of the it is not a social, but an anthropological revolution. The clothes of the characters are often hung presentation of the award. Cypriot communities working together, in like a sack; they look casual, sometimes even collaboration with the international community The Jury said the Home for Cooperation was miserable. Clothes symbolise social exploitation About the artist – ideals of course shared by Europa Nostra,’’ and sometimes escape from the social, since a something to be really proud of; “It constitutes the European cultural heritage organisation Arshak Sarkissian was born in Gyumri, person lives and acts inside of clothes. a substantial contribution to the revitalisation said. Armenia in 1981. Arshak works predominantly of Nicosia’s United Nations Dead Zone as Besides paintings and graphic works, sculpture in the medium of painting, drawing and well as to the wider peace-making procedure. also has an important place in Arshak’s art. sculpture. He completed his education at the Furthermore it represents a typical example of The European Union Prize for Cultural Arshak’s sculptures have “come out” of his National Aesthetic Center of Art in Armenia the 1950s architecture of Cyprus, which finds Heritage paintings and graphic works, and they also and later took an art course at Cyprus College few supporters but which we are again starting The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage need to be looked at in a different way. For of Art (2001-2002). The artist had solo shows example, a unique character emerging from a to see as a brave and distinctive statement of the / Europa Nostra Awards was launched in 2002 in different galleries abroad, among them the character of its period.” by the European Commission and has been graphic work may be transferred afterwards to Albemarle Gallery in London, Gavriel Gallery Erected in the early 1950s, the building is organised by Europa Nostra since then. The painting and finally may become a sculpture. in Bremen, Opus 39, Nicosia and many more. During these transformations, those characters attached to the Nicosia renaissance fortifications. Prize promotes excellence, inspires through In 2005 he attained a RA President’s Award for the “power of example” and stimulates the become more vivid, more alive, because the Fine Arts. Among his works is the interior design Like most of the architecture in the UN Buffer exchange of best practices in the heritage field subject is the secret of life, that life coming out of the passenger terminals at Zvartnots Armenia Zone, it suffered from daily disintegration until across Europe. It also aims to communicate to of its own boundaries. International Airport. He has participated in it was included in the project implemented by the general public the beauty and the economic Both paintings and sculptures of Arshak have numerous art projects, among them are Art the inter-communal organisation Association of and social value of our cultural heritage. dramatic contents; there, life stages itself and Omi International Artist residency in New Historical Dialogue and Research. Functioning shows its whole power. I would like to call his York and Stand Up For Your Rights Design as an educational centre, the purpose of the The Prize honours every year up to 30 sculptures “dimensional painting”, but we know and Illustration Team Residence program in Home for Cooperation is the launching of outstanding heritage achievements from all that this term has been used by great goldsmith Buntingford, UK, and the Andirran National projects involving education and training and parts of Europe. The awards are given in and sculptor Julio Gonzalez for completely Commission for UNESCO international art the advancement of research and dialogue. It is four categories: conservation, research and different sculptures. In his sculptures, Arshak camp 2014. He works and lives in Yerevan, accessible from both sides of the divide without digitisation, dedicated service by individuals remains a painter, which brings to mind Degas’ Armenia. This is his 4th solo exhibition at Opus having to cross checkpoints, providing a shared or organisations and education, training and “Dancers”: Degas’ wonderful sculptures were 39 Gallery. space that can be used by all. awareness-raising.

52 53 I am not the cancer

By Evie Andreou

ast aside, ignored and overlooked, is aimed to draw a wider picture of the disease and Chow many women with Advanced Breast revealed amongst others aspects, poor public Cancer (ABC) feel, and in wanting people to understanding of advanced breast cancer. understand that they are ‘not their cancer’, a The audiovisual installation is the work of new installation opened on 7 November 2014 two acclaimed artists; photographer Tim with real-life stories of how the disease has Wainwright and sound artist John Wynne, who impacted on them and their families. bring forth the women’s stories and introduce The I am not the cancer installation was the rest of the world to the psycho-social and organised by Novartis Pharma Services Inc economic impact of the disease on the women Oncology in cooperation with Europa Donna and their families. Cyprus and was part of the European wide It was first set up in Belgium and travelled to Here&Now campaign. six other European countries before arriving in The campaign was launched in Brussels in Cyprus. June 2013 where the breast cancer community In each country, the women whom the artists gathered to discuss and debate how support work with are found through cancer patients’ and care for women living with advanced associations and in fact there was great interest breast cancer could be improved. It coincided from Cypriot women in telling their stories. with the new findings from a European survey In Cyprus the artists worked with three local commissioned by Novartis Oncology. The women and also used stories of women from survey, conducted in nine European countries, other European counties.

The visitor walks into a dark room with six Wynne said. chairs in front of six screens where each of the He added that different people connected with six women’s faces – or the back of their heads – different stories and that some people were is shown to symbolise the hidden nature of the almost always affected. illness. The artists then use sound and vision to create the experience. The women are encouraged to talk about whatever they want to. “They tell us about the “A lot of people have found it quite powerful. things that matter to them in every intimate It feels very personal and direct, we use special way; we have no agenda so we let them say speaker technology that when you are sitting watching the video it’s almost like the voice what they want to say about the situations they is in your head and the video material that we find themselves in. We don’t interfere,” Tim use… we made a decision to film the women Wainwright said. not talking… it’s like listening to someone’s “We tried to create a context in which they thoughts and they are just looking at you,” John can think about and talk about the things that

54 55 because that’s what the doctor had told the family less than one third of the women patients said when the metastasis appeared six years ago. they feel ‘strong’ or are ‘looking forward’ since Breast cancer is the most common cancer in they were diagnosed with ABC, and 56 percent women, and ABC largely affects women over said their household incomes had fallen as a 50, while 30 per cent of women with early breast result of the disease, while 87 percent said their cancer go on to develop advanced disease. ABC is expenditures increased to cover treatment and not curable but medical treatment minimises the further medication. symptoms, prolongs life and improves the quality The campaign calls everyone from health care of the patient’s life. The expected life expectancy practitioners, to decision makers to the public to of ABC patients ranges from two to four years. all do their bit so that women with ABC receive Last year, 590 new breast cancer cases were the proper care and support they deserve. diagnosed in Cyprus, among them four men, Europa Donna Cyprus launched a campaign while 90 women with ABC died. last month to gather signatures for the creation According to the research, women with of a specialised breast centre in Cyprus, which ABC often feel invisible as they feel no one would lead to a 30 percent reduction in deaths, understands them. They feel isolated from and they called on Minister of Health Philippos others who don’t have ABC. They do not Patsalis to keep his promise to create it. So receive enough support, and when they do, that far more than 20,000 people have signed the support eventually wanes. petition http://kentromastou.com.cy/ Fifty one percent of ABC patients said they The art installation, which was under the believed they are perceived negatively by auspices of the Minister of Health, was society, while research showed that 32.1 inaugurated at the Famagusta Gate in Nicosia by percent of people asked did not know or could First Lady Andri Anastasiades on 7 November not give a definition of what ABC is while 77.1 2014 and remained open to the public, free of percent did not know that ABC is incurable. entry, for two days. The findings of the survey showed that only (Article published in the Cyprus Mail newspaper)

Photographer Tim Wainwright (left) and sound artist John Wynne mingle with guests after the exhibition are most important to them; and of course so that was interesting having that perspective. with each woman most things are going to be We’ve never heard of that kind of situation different, every time we do the project, we get before,” Wynne said. a very different perspective on things,” Wynne He added that one of the English women that said. they worked with was all about the impact of the He also said that each of the Cypriot women’s breast cancer on her career and her work, while stories was different and also quite different other women have talked almost exclusively from anything else they had seen so far. about their family and its effects on them. “There are different issues in each country and “I have cancer but I am not the cancer,” said different issues according to whether they are in Tootje, one of the women from the Netherlands an urban or rural environment. In fact one of the who had participated in the project. She had Cypriot women we worked with is from a very said that she was not afraid of dying but that small village in Paphos, and she talked about she was worried about all the people she would how nobody in her village had heard of anyone leave behind, her children and her husband. surviving cancer before and nobody talked In her story she had said how her illness had about it… families who have had someone with affected her children and how her son had said in cancer it was like a secret… kept in the family, a school presentation that she would die in a year,

56 57 Soprano Tereza Gevorgyan This is Italy…

he Pharos Arts Foundation presented a recital he Cyprus Symphony Orchestra, in Mendelssohn’s Italian symphony, composed Twith the young Armenian soprano Tereza Tcollaboration with the Embassy of Italy in during his tour of Italy, not only reflects the Gevorgyan, who despite her young age has been Cyprus and as part of initiatives under the Italian colours and temperament of the country and its distinguished throughout the world for the beauty Presidency of the Council of the European people, but also incorporates the characteristic of her vocal colour and her eloquent performances. Union, presented the concert series This is dance rhythms of the saltarello and tarantella. Winner of the Rosenblatt Recital Prize and The Italy… (F. Mendelssohn) in three concerts on 30 This splendid symphony was preceded by the Edith Mary Clarke Cup for best female singer and 31 October 2014, and 1 November 2014. majestic Overture to Tancredi by Rossini and (April 2014), as well as the Pavarotti Prize The concerts took place under the artistic Beethoven’s masterful Violin concerto, whose (October 2013), Tereza performed a programme direction of Italian conductor Sesto Quatrini, revival in 1844 was conducted by Mendelssohn that included songs and operatic arias by Wolfgang winner of the International Contest Solon himself and interpreted by the then 12-year-old Amadeus Mozart, Sergei Rachmaninov, Pyotr Michaelides, which was announced the CySO violinist Joseph Joachim. A pre-concert talk was Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Armen Tigranian, Herbert Foundation in 2012. also held with a short presentation of the works, by Hughes, Giacomo Puccini and Gaetano Donizetti. The audience was presented with the works: clarinetist and musicologist Angelos Angelides. The concert was jointly presented with PSBANK Overture to the opera Tancredi by Gioacchino The concerts were presented at Rialto Theatre and kindly supported by the Embassy of Russia. Rossini; Ludwig van Beethoven’s Violin in Limassol, Pallas Theatre in Nicosia and The young Armenian soprano Tereza Gevorgyan concerto in D major, op. 61 (with soloist Sorin Markideion Theatre in Paphos, and supported has studied in the Yerevan State Conservatoire with London with the Stanmore Choral Society. Alexandrou Horlea, member of the CySO); and by Rialto Theatre and Paphos municipality in Rafael Akopyants, and with Diane Forlano at the Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy’s Symphony no. collaboration with the organisation “European Her operatic performances include the roles of Royal Academy of Music in London, where she 4 in A major, op. 90 (Italian). Capital of Culture – Paphos 2017”. Bat/Animal in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilege has recently obtained a DipRAM. She is currently at the Barbican Centre, Tatiana in Tchaikovsky’s part of the Opera Course of the RAM, under the Eugene Onegin with the BBC Symphony guidance of Lillian Watson and Jonathan Papp. Orchestra conducted by Stéphane Denève, and Notwithstanding her young age, Tereza has been Musetta in Puccini’s La Boheme with the Nevill distinguished throughout the world for the beauty of Holt Opera. Her repertoire includes roles such her vocal colour and her eloquent performances. She as Norina in Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, Dalinda was one of 12 young singers selected for the 2011 in Handel’s Ariodante and Pamina in Mozart’s season Georg Solti Academy in Tuscany, receiving The Magic Flute. Tereza has collaborated with intensive training from Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and renowned conductors such as Richard Bonynge, Sir Thomas Allen, and giving a number of concerts Valery Gergiev, Anthony Legge, Lionel Friend, in Tuscany and Florence, as well as participating in a Jane Glover and Paolo Speca. th CD recording for the 100 anniversary of Sir Georg Tereza Gevorgyan is the winner of the Rosenblatt Solti’s birth, produced by Richard Bonynge,. Recital Prize and The Edith Mary Clarke Cup Her recent highlights include concerts at the for best female singer (April 2014), the Pavarotti Palace of Caserta in Naples, Carnegie Hall in New Prize (October 2013), supported by Karaviotis, York and the Chicago Symphony Hall celebrating the Les Azuriales Karaviotis Prize (August Georg Solti’s 100th birthday with The World 2013), the Thelma Kings Singers’ Award (March Orchestra for Peace conducted by Valery Gergiev, 2013), the Ludmilla Andrew Russian Song Prize Mozart’s Requiem in Bucharest Romania with (June 2011), and the Douglas Samuel & Birdie the National Radio Orchestra of Romania, and Matthews Award at the Royal Academy of Music. Brahms’ Requiem and Mendelssohn’s Hear My Tereza is grateful for the generous support of the Prayer at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Raffy Manoukian Scholarship.

58 59 Short Matters

hort film lovers got the chance to enjoy the Matters programme featuring the short films Syear’s awarded European short films at the nominated for the European Film Awards 2013 annual Short Matters festival in September and was a manifold panorama of young contemporary October. European filmmaking. Organised by the Ministry of Education and The 2,900 members of the European Film Culture, the European Film Academy and ARTos Academy selected Dood van een Schaduw Foundation with the support of the Cyprus (Death of a Shadow) by Belgian filmmaker University of Technology, the Festival presented Tom Van Avermaet as the overall winner, which the best European short films of the European was presented at the 26th European Film Awards Film Academy for the eighth year running. The Ceremony in Berlin on the first weekend of screenings took place at ARTos Foundation in December 2013. Nicosia from 24 to 26 September 2014 and at Dood van een Schaduw (Death of a Shadow) the Pefkios Georgiades Amphitheatre (CUT) in Dood van een Schaduw (Death of a Shadow) Limassol from 8 to 10 October 2014. Valladolid Short Film Nominee – European Short Short Matters is the European Film Academy’s Film 2013 short film tour which brings the short films Belgium/France, 20’, fiction nominated for the European Film Awards to a Directed by: Tom Van Avermaet series of film festivals and institutions across Screenplay: Ines Van Impe Europe and beyond. Coming from various regions Director of Production: Ellen De Waele of Europe – Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Editor: Dieter Diependaele Ireland, Palestine, Portugal, Russia, Spain, The Sound: Christian Monheim Netherlands, UK and Ukraine – the 2014 Short Cast: Matthias Schoenaerts, Laura Verlinden, Morning Though I know the River is Dry

The short film initiative is organised by the Festival Bristol Peter Van Den Eede, Benjamin Ramon, Amandine As Ondas (The Waves) European Film Academy in co-operation Festival del film Locarno/Switzerland Zurbuchen, Brian Piezel, Denis Duron, Gregory Ghent Short Film Nominee 2012 with a series of film festivals throughout Film Festival Ghent/Belgium Rabat, Emile Boudaille, Bruno Clément, Frank Portugal, 22’, fiction the continent. At each of these festivals International Film Festival Rotterdam/the Maréco, Laurent Marchetti, Guillaume Sentier, Directed by: Miguel Fonseca an independent jury presents one of the Netherlands Clément Bruneau, Guillaume Leguichon, Jean- Screenplay: Miguel Fonseca European short films in competition with International Short Film Festival Clermont- Baptiste Wagnon, Daniel Rechul, Simon Robas, Director of Photography: Mário Castanheira a nomination in the short film category of Ferrand/France Jérome Wagnon Editor: Sandro Aguilar the European Film Awards. In order to be International Short Film Festival in Drama/ Synopsis: Soldier Nathan Rijckx died during Sound: António Figueiredo considered for the short film initiative, short Greece World War I. A strange collector imprisoned his Cast: Andreia Contreiras, Alice Contreiras films have to be selected for the competition Krakow Film Festival/Poland shadow and gave him a new chance; a second life Synopsis: Beautiful, truly Portuguese Norwegian Short Film Festival Grimstad/ section in any of these partner festivals: against 10,000 captured shadows. It is love that seascapes swept before my eyes. Tied up in Norway guides him, as his purpose is to meet Sarah again, these images was my youth, my paradise lost. Berlin International Film Festival/Germany Sarajevo Film Festival/Bosnia & the woman he fell in love with before he died. The vast sea, the beach, the people, all waiting, Cork Film Festival/Ireland Herzegovina Curtas Vila do Conde - International Film Tampere Film Festival/Finland But when he discovers that she’s already in love all dying gently, sadly, beautifully… Life and Festival/Portugal Valladolid International Film Festival/Spain with someone else, jealousy clouds his mind and death were being recorded here as a whole: Encounters Short Film and Animation Film Venice Film Festival/Italy pushes him towards a bitter decision, a decision Death as a part of life, a cosmic change, a not without consequences… transformation.

60 61 Morning Screenplay: Omar Robert Hamilton Cork Short Film Nominee Director of Production: Louis Lewarne Ireland/UK, 20’, fiction Editor: Omar Robert Hamilton Directed by: Cathy Brady Sound: Basel Abbas Screenplay: Sarah Woolner, Cathy Brady Cast: Kais Nashif Director of Production: Isona Rigau Synopsis: He has returned to Palestine. On the Editor: Matteo Bini fraught road through the country he relives the Sound: Tom Griffiths choice that sent him to America and the forces of Cast: Eileen Walsh, Johnny Harris history now driving him home. Synopsis: A distraught woman doesn’t want to be Zima A Story for the Modlins disturbed, but the front doorbell keeps ringing and Skok (Jump) Editor: Petar Valchanov outings. In SONNTAG 3, the protagonist has a the caller won’t leave until she answers. Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Nominee 2012 Sound: Ivan Andreev blind date with the Chancellor. Bulgaria, 30’, fiction Cast: Stephan Denoliubov, Ani Valchanova Though I know the River is Dry Directed by: Petar Valchanov & Kristina Grozeva Synopsis: The old bachelor Gosho receives an Yaderni Wydhody (Nuclear Waste) Rotterdam Short Film Nominee 2013 Screenplay: Kristina Grozeva, Petar Valchanov offer from his rich cousin Joro to take care of Joro’s Grimstad Short Film Nominee 2012 Egypt/Palestine/UK/Qatar, 19‘, fiction Director of Production: Kristina Grozeva, Petar luxurious penthouse while the latter is abroad. Ukraine, 25’, fiction, no dialogue Directed by: Omar Robert Hamilton Valchanov For the poor relative, still living with his mother Directed by: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy and grand-father, this is the perfect opportunity to Screenplay: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy have some peace and quiet in luxury and richness. Director of Production: Volodymyr Tykhyy, But as early as his second day in the apartment, Denys Ivanov the water meter reader arrives, performing her Editor: Kristof Hoornaert monthly inspection. Her visit turns out to be much Sound: Sergiy Stepanskiy more than just a simple water meter reading, but Cast: Sergiy Gavryluk, Svenlana Shtanko the most deceitful, most passionate, the funniest Synopsis: Sergiy and Sveta live in Chernobyl. Sergiy is and the saddest love in the world. a truck-driver at a radioactive wastes utilization plant. Sveta works at a radioactive decontamination laundry. Misterio (Mystery) Their work and their lives are dictated by one Berlin Short Film Nominee 2013 unchangeable rhythm with clockwork precision. But Sonntag 3 (Sunday 3) Yaderni Wydhody (Nuclear Waste) Spain, 12’, fiction what sets this mechanism in motion - day by day? Directed by: Chema García Ibarra Screenplay: Chema García Ibarra Zima Director of Production: José Antonio Fernández Locarno Short Film Nominee 2013 Editor: Chema García Ibarra Russia, 13’, documentary/experimental Sound: José Marsilla, David Rodríguez. Directed by: Cristina Picchi Cast: Angelita López, Asun Quinto, Josefa Sempere, Screenplay: Cristina Picchi Antonio Blas Molina, José Manuel Ibarra, Luismi Director of Production: Ekaterina Okhonko Bienvenido, Susi Martínez, Josette Mora. Editor: Cristina Picchi Synopsis: They say that if you put your ear to the Sound: Henri d’ Armancourt back of his neck, you can hear the Virgin talk. Cast: Ay Ogunlana, Vladimir Kopilov, Alexander Sonntag 3 (Sunday 3) (Murmansk’s sailor), Alexey Beznosov, Sergey Tampere Short Film Nominee 2012 Krutikov, Alexander (Baikal’s fisherman), Alexey Germany, 14 min, animation Laptev Directed by: Jochen Kuhn Synopsis: A journey through North Russia and Screenplay: Jochen Kuhn Siberia where people have to cope with one of the Director of Production: Jochen Kuhn world’s harshest climates, Zima portrays a reality Editor: Olaf Meltzer where the boundary between life and death is so Sound: Jochen Kuhn thin that it is sometimes almost non-existent. In Skok (Jump) Synopsis: The third part in a series about Sunday these remote places, civilisation constantly fights

62 63 Houses with Small Windows Butter Lamp and embraces nature and its timeless rules and young man in a neighbouring village with her life. rites. People, animals and nature become elements She has shamed the family and therefore must die of a millennial existence cycle where physical and at the hands of her own brothers. And as tradition mental endurance are as important as chance and will have it, the killing must be compensated. where life and death constantly meet each other. Butter Lamp A Story for the Modlins Drama Short Film Nominee 2013 Sarajevo Short Film Nominee 2012 France/China, 15’, fiction Spain, 26’, documentary Directed by: Hu Wei Directed by: Sergio Oksman Screenplay: Hu Wei Screenplay: Carlos Muguiro, Emilio Tomé, Sergio Director of Production: AMA Productions – Goya Oksman Entertainment Director of Production: Sergio Oksman Editor: Hu Wei Editor: Fernando Franco, Sergio Oksman Sound: Hervé Guyadère Sound: Iñaki Sánchez Cast: Genden Punstok Cast: Elmer Modling Synopsis: A young photographer and his assistant Synopsis: After appearing in the film Rosemary’s suggest to Tibetan nomads to photograph them. Baby, by Roman Polanski, Elmer Modlin ran away On diverse and more or less exotic backgrounds, with his family to a distant land, where they shut families appear to the photographer. Through themselves inside a dark apartment for thirty years. these shots, the photographer will weave unique links with each of the various villagers. Houses with Small Windows Venice Short Film Nominee 2013 Orbit Ever After Belgium, 15’, fiction Bristol Short Film Nominee 2013 Directed by: Bülent Öztürk UK, 20’, fiction Screenplay: Bülent Öztürk and Mizgin Müjde Directed by: Jamie Stone Arslan Screenplay: Jamie Stone Director of Production: Clind’oeil films & The Director of Production: Chee-Lan Chan, Len fridge.tv Rowles Editor: Bert Jacobs, Pieter Smet & Jan Hameeuw Editor: James Taylor Sound: Thierry De Vries Sound: Jens Rosenlund Petersen Cast: Mizgin Müjde Arslan, Seyithan Altiparmak, Cast: Thomas Brodie-Sangster, MacKenzie Emine Korkmaz Crook, Bronaugh Gallagher, Bob Goody Synopsis: Houses with small windows is a Synopsis: Earth’s orbit; the distant future. Two powerful and yet muted portrait of an honour star-crossed lovers overcome all probabilities and killing in the rural Kurdish Southeast of Turkey. sacrifice everything they have in order to spend 22-year old Dilan pays for her forbidden love for a one perfect moment together.

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