The Memory Box

The Memory Box is a mobile device which works on the comparison between ‘History’ understood as the official and political version and ‘Stories’, meaning the tales told by those who actually lived through the making of that ‘History’.

It is thus a collector and a container of people’s tales, a free space where each of us can recount episodes of our own lives, of our own passions, of our own dreams and frustrations. It is a means of ‘democratic activation’. A portable voting booth where our own preferences (our tales) express a past and present far richer and more complex, yet less functional and abstract.

The Memory Box is an interactive project for all the people of both parts of the island (students, women, older, immigrants, etc…).

The project for Nicosia.

Given the peculiar aspects of the recent history of the island, the strong interests of the dominant nations which continue to influence its development, and the recent changes brought about by the island’s entrance to the European Union, the most urgent issue to investigate through the Memory Box, what repercussions these overwhelming external pressures have of the lives of the inhabitants.

In Nicosia, people will be asked to contribute with their stories on the big issues concerning the recent history of the island, and their concept of "Home", through simple questions, in both languages.

The aims of the project lie in the reactivation of a common feeling of belonging, and in the transmission of thoughts, opinions, memories, dreams and desires of the peoples of the two parts of the city, independently by the official channels of political communication and mass media.

Through the means of direct, interpersonal dialogue, linked to their feelings and the stories they have to tell, the goal is to divert the "Cyprus problem" from the channels of geopolitical debate and interests, giving back the word and the chance to influence their own destiny to their rightful owners: the Cypriots.

Under the campaign ‘Lemonade for tales", the "Memory Box" device, a kiosk for lemon juice, sound installatons, perfomances, video projections, etc will function as a common platform for the opening evenings of central squares of Nicosia.

Saray Square, 2-7 October Friday 10.00- 17.00 opening + party Saturday 7th Oct from 6 pm.

The Memory Box is a concept by Gianmaria Conti.

Designed in collaboration with Bauhaus University, Weimar (Germany)

A project by a MAZElab, Milano presented by the ARTOS foundation.

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Don’t miss the new shows

- Philippos Yiapanis

Do not miss the Philippos Yiapanis sculpture park exhibition until 11th of October at Fasoula, Limassol district.

- Johanna and Brigida Almeida

This joint exhibition of Johanna Almeida and her daughter Brigida was opened last Friday, 7 pm at Kyklos Gallery, Paphos by the artist Costas Economou. It will continue until 14th October. The theme for the show is "Trees", using oils, acrylics, conte and aquarel.

Costas Economou reports:

"Johanna, who lives permanently in Cyprus and her daughter Brigida who lives in Holland , are daughter and granddaughter of the Dutch painter Herman Aarsten.

Their joint exhibition at Kyklos Gallery on the theme of trees will open until the 14th October. Johanna and Brigida love trees and they look at them as a source of aesthetical experience and artistic creation.

Their pictures with trees of different colours are full of life and movement.

Johanna and Brigida have mastered their means and they treat colour, shape, line and form with wisdom, skill and sensitivity

So they succeed in creating works with formal compositions and expression of feeling. Their trees take an almost anthropomorphic form. Familiar scenes aquire through poetic approach an idyllic atmosphere. The branches and the twisted trunks remind of dancers in all flowing expressive movement."

Costas reminded me that in Paphos they are cutting down many trees.

- Pipitsa Filippidi

This excellent exhibition continues at Alpha Gallery (Makarios Avenue & 3 Papanikoli Str, Hilton Area 22751325) until the 7th of the month.

Pipitsa Filippidi was born in Athens. She studied piano and voice at the Athen Odeon. She passed a career in music and decided on a career as a painter. She studied drawing and painting at the atelier of Dimitris Giannoukakis for six years and also spent some time at the studios of Alekos Kontopoulos and Vrasides Vlahopoulos.

Her work is characterised by the rich use of oils and acrylics and has been influenced by expressionism, cubism and contructivist movements within which she places many symbols. Filippidi has had exhibitions throughout Europe and has participated in the Venice and Alexandria biennales. She was a member of the Hellenic Fine Arts Society, federation international; Culturelle Fermimce, the French Federation of Women Artists, The Internatonal arts Guribl and many other Greek and European Art Societies.

Her works are at the National Gallery in Athens and Thessalokiki, the Athens Municipal Gallery, the Thessaloniki Governor’s Building, the Greek Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture, in many municipal galleries and collections, as well as the Vorres Museum and Pierides Museum

This is a very fine exhibition indeed. Prices reasonable. A collector’s dream.

- Nina Sumarac

Nina shows at Pizza Express until 25th of October

Brand new work by this talented artist who is branching out into new directions.

Tel: 99852123 www.ninasumarac.com

- Andros Efstathiou

Strong Nicosia debut at Apocalypse of a well-known Limssolian painter. Deliberately crowded canvases – chock full of intriguing "things’. Mostly people. There are also some wonderfully sparing works – are they the latest? Especially Nos 9 and 10. They suggest portrait paintings in which the sitter has a mind of ITS own. This is surely what a good none-screaming Francis Bacon is like. Congratulations. Advanced work indeed. Fine to see figurative (anthropomorphic) paintings in the capital.

- Demetris Menikou

Demetris Menikou’s Invisible Dialogues at Kypriaki Gonia will be opened tonight by ex-Minister of Education Dr Chrysostomos Sofianos. The exhibition will continue until 20th October

It has been written:

"His blend of movement rhythm, relevance and colour, entices the beholder into a sensation of continuous, infinite inner searching. The artist silently raises timeless questions of the human race, such as ‘Where are the boundaries of human perception ?’ ‘When and how does creation begin?’ ‘Can it be explained by science alone?’ ‘Can perfection be depicted?’

- P.M Chrystalla

At En-Plo Hall, Kato Paphos harbour.

This exhibition continues until Friday, October 13th. Chrystalla is a Karpassian woman, who has been engraving since 1998 and is a former pupil of Hambis at his school in Plataniskia.

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Biennale art

The following artists who participated at the Beijing International Art Biennale will be showing their work at Rouan Gallery, Limassol.

From Wednesday 11 October at 8 pm: Marianna Constanti, Tatiana Ferahian, Savella Michael, Popi Nicolaou, Nicholas Panayi, Christnia Papayriakou, Rinos Stefani, Ramon Trias Torres.

Until 27th October.

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Stella’s photographs

Keep hold of your last week’s Cyprus Weekly where there is a brilliant full spread of Stella’s photographs.

Here is mine, a mere painter’s opinion, of her exhibition. Stella, as you know is one of our best painters. Her works always relates. Her themes and application connect. That is rare here. Her photographs are in colour and you observe that they are completely in colour. Not depending on black shadows. Yet form is always there too.

Her exhibition is at Xanthis Xenierouin Old Nicosia and the building is much further down the road where the old House of Arts and Letters used to be.

These Mexican portraits are on sale for 70 CP each and part of the profits will go to the Institute Casa Xochiquetzal.

Casa Xochiquetzal is a charitable institution that serves as a refuge for homeless women in Mexico City and has been operating for a year now. Its purpose is to offer services to elderly women such as medical assistance, programmes of reading and writing, psychology and arts and crafts.

The purpose of the organisers is to sustain the existing programmes and, if possible, augment the number of women that stay permanently in the house. The continuation of its programmes depends on the financial support of individuals

Contact 99542373 or the e-mail address stellaangelidou@yahoo.com

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Babel chat

Babylon Shade at Artos foundation and Museum Arterra

A tumble of books, heads like your favourite deer on the wall, notes, notes and more notes, a conceptual batiked/ dressing gown in two or three greys.

Whole list of names: Marina Vassileva, Nadia Zhubareva, Maria Anwander, Roza El-Hassan, Una Szeemann, Mimmo Roselli, Alicia Marin, Urs Jaeggi, Karl Weibl, Tone Fink. I promise to go again – it must be better than this. Full blurb next week.

Until 25th October.

In Transition

At Evagoras Lanitis Centre, Limassol.

The focus of this exhibition is ‘displacement’, whether it is caused by political, economic, environmental or social reasons. The exhibition will present the work of 67 artists from 31 countries including Cyprus, most of which has been created specifically for In Transition.

Through connecting different sites and different people, the exhibition will be searching for a contemporary perception of the realities and dilemmas which confront displaced people.

"In Transition" will be accompanied by three talks scheduled for 4th October 7 -8.30 pm, by US artist and international editor of Leonardo magazine Sheila Pinkel, motion designer from UK. Rob Chiu and video artist from Lebanon Nestrrine Khodr.

NeMe is a Limassol based interdisciplinary collective (www.neme.org)

The Evagoras Lanitis Centre is open daily (except Mondays), between 16:00-20:00.

(More next week when I would have seen the exhibition).

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