Stelios Votsis at Opus 39

The exhibition opens Wednesday, March 19th at 7.30 pm. On until April 5.

Organisers say Stelios Votsis’ work is making a very important contribution to the awareness of the role of the artist as creator and designer of the world’s visions.

"His deposition, which derives from the artist’s way of living and never from the conventional rules of seeing and reading things, has managed to preserve its eternal ‘youth’, ceaselessly searching the deposits of knowledge which nature has entrusted to the hands of the intellect."

And they add: "On the other hand, whiteness makes everything transparent and light.

“So, the windmills, the gliders, the kites, the phalluses, are ready to fly as symbols of unity and rhythm in a Homeric sky. Meditation, mastery, persistence and quality: these are what Votsis is.

“His compositions are constructed through parabolic lines, visual fragmentation, linear webs and geometrical applications which would normally have been created on a computer but are drawn by hand.

“The artist, looking at a painting of ’97, admitted that he had worked logically, psychologically as if in a state of lucid drunkenness, creating a web-like structure which, starting from a triangle (hope desire love), expanded as it were a living organism across the entire painting like a perfect, abstract picture in which everything can co-exist: earthly or transcendentally".

Do not miss

Solos 2008, the Lia Voyiatzi and Christos Christou joint exhibition at Castelliotissa has not only fully awakened that particular area by its brilliant organisation and quality but is a perfect example of how ‘realism’(Lia) and ‘abstraction’ (Christos) can hang side by side with amazing strengths.

Angelo Evangelou at Pantheon had a most dynamic opening.

The paintings are stunning and tragic and on that night there was a "Performance" staged by Andri Constantinou with Yiannis Kyriakides on the drums and a remarkable character actor named Marios Ioannou who rolled on the floor in a most unsettling way. Even my camera got upset.

The actor sort of delved into the powerful moods of the paintings. A pair of scissors (belonging to Angelo’s mum years ago) starred.

Catch up with Athena in her highlights. The post is chaotic during Carnival time. On the horizon I can see there is Christos Petrides at Argo tonight at eight.

Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre (The Power House) has something called Yours Sincerely tonight (Friday) as well, with selections from The Marfin Laiki Bank Art Collection.

Andreas Savvides,

at Gloria Gallery

This stimulating exhibition continues until March 22 of the month.

A major Cypriot artist who has made superb sculptures.

During the last decade he has persevered with painting as well, and at Gloria’s exhibition Andreas shows both disciplines.

He has bravely developed new styles in his sculpture which for a mature artist is very adventurous.

Forms overlap and figuration is forcing through his paintings, often Cyprus landscapes.

What better? But Andreas is also a keen sailor and his paintings of boats in sail or abstracted in compositions are a revelation.

Angelioforoi: Malvena

at Diatopos

Malvena graduated from the Aristotelian University, Department of Fine and Applied Arts, Thessaloniki, Greece.

She continued her Post Graduate Diploma in Edinburgh College of Art, Scotland and completed her studies with an M.A. in Wolverhampton University in the UK, where she was awarded a distinction.

Has practised in various workshops in the UK, USA, Italy and France. Also participated in solo exhibitions and Group exhibitions in Cyprus, Greece, UK, USA, Scotland, France, Spain, Germany, Croatia, Italy and Egypt.

Distinctions and Awards

In 1995 she participated in the second Biennale of young Artists in Croatia.

In 1997 she participated in the 19th Biennale of Alexandria, Egypt, where she was awarded an award.

In 1999 she was officially invited to exhibit in the 20th Biennale of Alexandria, Egypt, where she was awarded with an award.

In 2000 Malvena participated in the International Biennale Saint Etienne, France.

In 2006 took part in a Group Exhibition in Germany after selection from an international committee among international artists.

In 2007 her work was chosen by an International committee to be published in a well-known International Art Magazine.

In 2007 Malvena was chosen to commission the Award Prize for research of Nicos Solomonides.

Dr Helen Meli, art historian and artist, has written:

"The artist’s work is expressed through two units which show the development of her artistic expression: the "Seekers" and the "Messengers"

Malvena’s initial work on the ‘Seekers" is characterised by an evolving search which uses images that get unnoticed in our every-day lives.

The artist captures the attention of the viewer and challenges him/her to look at something ordinary in a completely new way by converting it into something creative, unique and unprecedented.

Through something that goes virtually unnoticed in our daily routine, a result of intense aesthetic quality is created. Through the ordinary something extraordinary is created. ART is created.

This artist’s search arrives at its destination through the dynamic and revealing discovery of the ‘Messengers".

The "Messengers’ are characterised by dynamic contrasts of textures and shapes.

The search which began at a primitive stage, with the seekers, eventually evolves into a more restless and modern feeling through the "Messengers".

The "Messengers" which give the impression of angels or birds flying, challenge the viewer to search for the artistic elements used by the artist as well as the elusive and transparent feeling of the surface.

A central heavy and concrete geometric form with a smooth surface comes in contrast with the two light, asymmetrical, richly texture forms that originate from inside her within each side, thus creating a restless tension between the light feeling of flying and movement and the heavy steady feeling of the permanent and the solid.

The artist challenges the viewer to participate in her artist interpretation and seek his/her own meaning and personal message".

Light Line - Pegasus

Art Foundation

Within the framework of the 8th Dance Platform, the Pegasus Art Foundation and Rialto Theatre present the project by Horst Weierstall and Christos Avraamides at Artspace Art Studio 55.

Both artists’ present works related to the phenomenon of movement in their own ways. Christos as photographer shows works created during various dance productions of the Cyprus Dance Platform and the European Dance Festival and Horst will present a series of ink drawings created in 1988 and two recent videos

Both artists met in the 90s when Christos documented some performances and installations.

The photos became a collaborative response to the themes that were related to the phenomena of time, space, movement and light. Horst and Christos developed a year-long collaboration and interest in art and performance, often joining their creative energies in dance productions presented at the Rialto Theatre in Limassol over the past years.

First UNFICYP

Art Exhibit

Showing selected works from UNDP-Action for Cooperation and Trust’s island–wide art competition ‘ART Attack’.

This beautiful exhibition was at the UNFICYP Headquarters lobby. A little out of town but well worth the journey.

The Special Representative of Chief of Mission, Michael Moeller gave a very friendly, sensitive opening talk. He brought the artists together from both sides. Their work was excellent.

This island-wide art competition was launched in May 2007 and invited Cypriots islandwide of all ages and abilities to express their ideas by submitting an artwork reflecting one of the following themes – environment, identity, difference and equality, memories, spirituality, future life.

The aim of the exhibition is to prompt discussion and reflection on the issues which Cypriots care about and which are visualised through the art medium. The object of the project and the message of the exhibition is that Cypriot society possesses a rich cultural diversity which can be explored through the visual arts and ultimately this diversity needs to be shared and celebrated.

More than 900 entries were received for the competition.

Beginning with Nicosia, an exhibition of the winning entries will tour the island throughout 2008 travelling to six other cities.

Here are the names of those participating. All excellent.

Alexandros Safarov, Anna Alexandrou, Anna Georgiou, Anna Karpis, Chrysanthi Farmaka, Ioanna Filippou, Ioanna Voskou, Janice Hughes, Kyriacos Pastides, Sophia Sophocleous, Stephanie Wood, Feridun Isiman, Svetlana Ziuzina, Sheila Davis, Belgin Sakalli, Oya Silbery.