Coming Together in Mouttalos
The Mouttalos area does not “belong” to anyone; neither to the Turkish Cypriot owners who left their houses after the 1974 invasion, nor to the Greek Cypriot refugees who settled there afterwards. It is precisely this situation that the project Coming Together in Mouttalos aims to present in the neighbourhood inhabited by the Turkish Cypriots during the period from Cyprus’ independence in 1964 until 1974 – through tracing the narrative of people from the two communities. Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot artists will set up installations trying to reconnect past and present, bringing the two communities closer. Austrian artist Victoria Cohen approaches this sensitive issue very carefully by lighting spaces in Mouttalos such as deserted phone booths and a courtyard with flowers which will be used as small stages for small-scale events, so that the area can reconnect with the rest of the city. As part of the general rebirth of Mouttalos, henna and terebinth trees will be planted along the streets and photographer Ercenc Mehmet Korkmanzel will be the curator of the events organised during the planting of the trees. In addition, Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot residents will participate in activities which aim at bringing people closer. A bi-communal group of educators will present music, songs and poetry in the form of theatre. Moreover, the Department of Architecture of the University of Nicosia will present an exhibition of maps and stories with archival material from the area.
This exhibition will also present stories about Mouttalos and small abandoned objects connected to the quarter and its former inhabitants.
Finally, architects and academics Angela K. Petrou, Maria Hatzisoteriou and Sevina Floridou will be the curators of a cultural and narrative route running through the deserted buildings and monuments of Mouttalos, in an exploration of its history and its future prospects.
Moutallos
20 to 24 September - from 1900 on Wednesday 20 September
Free entry
Pafos2017 event
Coming Together in Mouttalos
Wednesday 20 September – Sunday 24 September 2017
Onset: Wednesday 20 September 19:00
Onset: Wednesday 20 September 19:00
The project aims to shed light on the history of the area, through tracing the narrative of people from the two communities. Artists will create temporary art works and installations in an effort to reconnect the past with the present, bringing the two communities closer.
The events will start with the Chromotopes light installation by Victoria Coeln from Austria, which will be followed in the next 4 days by tours, narrations, exhibitions, performances, screenings, workshops, music, as well as a flower and food market, thus reviving a neighbourhood that has been isolated.Moreover, the Department of Architecture of the University of Nicosia will present an exhibition of maps and stories with archival material from the Mouttalos area and a students’ workshop with ephemeral installations. Meanwhile, a cultural and narrative route running through the deserted buildings and monuments of Mouttalos is created.
The event is curated by SevinaFloridou, Maria Hadjisoteriou and Angela K. Petrou, with the participation of Ercenc Mehmet Korkmazel, Victoria Coeln, Thomas Buro, Nina Larissa Bassett, the Cypriot Engravers, Dervish G. Zeybek with Studio 21, Sholeh Zahraei and traditional craftsmen Argyris and Panayiotis Panayiotou.
With the support and collaboration of the Embassy of Austria in Cyprus and the University of Nicosia.
Free entrance
