Cyprus human time space at the Biennale in Venice

THE CYPRUS PAVILION – Venice Biennale del Arte 2011

The participation of the Republic of Cyprus at the Biennale presents Marianna Christofides, Elizabeth Hoak-Doering, curated by Yiannis Toumazis which proposes a synergy between the ‘emotional’ object drawings of Doering and the ‘scientific’ topographies of Christofides. It aims to create a special dynamism through a museography of time and space, the exhibition aims on texploring on the one hand social, political and cultural relations, as well as trends and tensions on a local and global level, and on the other hand it attempts to operate in the manner of the medieval ‘illuminated manuscripts’ that convey new and valuable knowledge.

In the 54th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia, Cyprus is represented by two artists, Marianna Christofides and Elizabeth Hoak-Doering. Taking the Cypriot experience
and historical reality as a starting point, both artists approach issues of historicity, identity and memory in a particular way, tracing and mapping data from a wider cultural history.

The work of both artists departs from the Cyprus experience and the field of socio-politics, but it extends and transforms so as to articulate a substantial discourse as part of a much
broader, global system. Issues of multiculturalism, crossings, displacement, migration, and hybridization are common ground in their research. Their meeting inside the Cyprus Pavilion
seeks to highlight and negotiate existing positions and contradictions surrounding the apparent homogeneity of a globalised environment, while simultaneously it addresses the
deeply human need for spiritual and intellectual transgression: one that leads to a redefinition of the spatio-temporal systems of existence, as well as a reformulation of human experience.

54th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia
4 June – 27 November 2011

Artists: Marianna Christofides and Elizabeth Hoak-Doering
Curator: Yiannis Toumazis
Commissioner: Louli Michaelidou
Assistant Commissioner: Angela Skordi
Production Manager: Constantinos Filiotis
Press and Communication Manager: Marika Ioannou
Graphic Design: Xenios Symeonides

Opening Reception*
Thursday, 2 June, 19:00
Palazzo Malipiero, San Marco 3198, I-30124
Venezia (S. Samuele-Palazzo Grassi Boat Stop – Line 2)

*Cocktail in the garden of Palazzo Malipiero, next to the Cyprus Pavilion

Press Conference / Film Screening
Friday, 3 June, 19:00 TBC
Conservatorio Statale di Musica “Benedetto
Marcello” Palazzo Pisani, San Marco 2810 – 30124 Venezia
Exhibition title: Temporal Taxonomy: official Website

Collective influence of ‘The Elders’ revisiting the future of Cyprus

Elders’ chair Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his fellow Elder Dr Gro Brundtland will travel to Cyprus on 8-9 February to support the release of a documentary film called Cyprus: Digging the Past in Search of the Future. On 10 February they will join their fellow Elder Lakhdar Brahimi at special screenings of the film in London at parliament, and with members of the Cypriot diaspora.

The Elders are an independent group of global leaders, brought together by Nelson Mandela in 2007,

Ode to Jules Verne for more creativity in entrepreneurship

Age-old values revisited as a new guide for encouraging Entrepreneurs

As we face global concerns and unresolved geopolitical matters, the world cries out for a new type of leadership.

We’ve inspired ourselves in  the recent declarations showcasing the latest business and scientific awards to Cyprus entrepreneurship and the challenge for the current establishment in finding new ways of stimulating cultural change in Cyprus.

It is made evident that enterprises, administrations, associations and civil society as a whole are facing difficulties in connecting with younger generations and in doing so may be focusing on a style of leadership that fails at inspiring different abilities and values required to open new perspectives for young generations that may want to consider entrepreneurship as a means of looking ahead.

In most instances, it isn’t clear that we are properly setting the framework for connecting with success, but most importantly, are we mistaken in looking at skill sets that are too comfortable?

Should we not be instead boldly confronting the how and the what behind the development of skills? Should we not be looking for skills that, although may ‘rock one’s traditional boat’ will actually help with personal development and a rethinking of our own cultural and societal biases.

• True Openness
• Ability to question and ask questions
• Making new connections, new combinations and relationships
• Ability to risk and experiment
• Tolerance to ambiguity and diversity
• Working outside the comfort zone

One realizes that this is a big challenge. And for many, it means moving away from predictability,  to embrace variation, and to build a capacity to function well outside one’s comfort zone.  This is made so that we can generate new ideas and solutions to the challenges that will flourish as a result of the post-crisis.

In remembering the 183rd anniversary of the birth of Jules Verne – we have an age-old example of how to start – Think extraordinary and use creativity.

Inspired by
Patrick. D. Heuchene, working for Cyprus Tourism at the etourism cluster intiative and Dr. Ali Dastmalchian is dean of the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria.
The Victoria Times Colonist
Entrepreneurs will need new outlook and Google Inc.

Inspired by sharing

The culture that is shared is that which builds community.

We’ve been following the Creative Commons movement for quite a while and their essence is inspiring. What does it mean for you?

The future takes shape in Cyprus at the Hubert Curien Memorial Lecture

Get infected by the transforming views of how our universe is being shaped by knowledge.

Inspired by one of the founders of the European Science Foundation, The Hubert Curien Memorial Lecture was* to be held in Cyprus and with key theme ‘The shape of Tomorrow’.

It’s a privilege to have the director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina or aktabat al-Iskandarīyah,  to extend intellectual bridges of knowledge and understanding into the future.

Prof. Serageldin, invited by the Cyprus Institute, will impart a lecture on the changing nature of the structure of knowledge and inter-generational communication is being affected across countries. In his own words, he believes that humanity lies at the verge of,

“a profound transformation of how knowledge is structured, accessed, manipulated and understood, how it is added to, and how it is displayed and communicated, that is the most profound transformation in the history of humanity since the invention of writing.”

The lecture will serve to examine the distinctive aspects of  transformation with concrete implications institutions involved with learning,  research and supporting institutions of knowledge such as museums, libraries and archives.

As chair of the different boards of the library’s affiliated research institutes and museums and International Chair of Savoirs contre pauvreté (Knowledge Against Poverty), as well as his advising role to different international academic, research, scientific institutions, which includes the Institut d’Egypte (Egyptian Academy of Science), TWAS (The Academy for Sciences for the Developing World), the Indian National Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the European Academy of Sciences and Arts;  Prof. Serageldin, is bound to infect his audience by the excitement of the times, and the fantastic explorations that will transform forever our views of ourselves and the universe that surrounds us.

Event Organizer: Cyprus Institute
*Date: (Lecture was postponed by events and liberation of Egypt)

Update

Alexandria, 08 February 2011 — Speaking with CNN’s Nic Robertson, Serageldin described how opponents and supporters in Egypt’s protests, together with the BA staff, joined hands in protecting the Library. Walking with Robertson through the Library hallways, pointing out the treasures, old and new, he told how all this had been at the mercy of the crowd, and how Egypt’s youth, armed only with moral power, saved the Library from rampage. Asked where he had been amidst the turmoil, Serageldin replied he was at the Library everyday.
See the video: Cnn interview and visit to the museum

Tribute to love poetry – 50 Years of Love

A tribute to the Erotic Poetry of the past 50 years put to music in honor of the 50th anniversary of the founding of Cyprus [1960-2010] 50 YEARS OF LOVE

Under the auspices of the Ambassador of the Republic Mr. IOSIF, with the support of the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus

The Embassy of Cyprus, “Cyprus House”, the Foundation and Michael Cacoyannis and The Limassol-Cyprus Literary Society in Cyprus paid a tribute to the erotic poetry of Cyprus on the occasion of celebrations of 50 years since the founding of the Republic [1960-2010].

The concert embraces 32 of the most beautiful love poems of the most famous Cypriot poets set in music by Cypriot composers. The Limassol-Cyprus Literary Society puts on an epic production with many references and projections regarding the poets’ and the composers’ lives, as well as the stitches of the songs that will be presented. The show consists of a choir, 7 solists, a ballet and an orchestra.

The Limassol-Cyprus Literary Society was founded in 1961 by a group of intellectuals and is considered one of the oldest Clubs in Cyprus. The music section contains the “Choir” and the vocal group “Melody.”

Components of the show were:
Artistic Director and Choir and Orchestra: Violet Kakomanoli and Francis Guy
Stage presence and costumes: Mario Burg
Choreography: Phaedra owner-Zenios
Soloist: Vassilis Lekkas, Anastasia Guy, (mousikosynthetria), Dina Goudioti, Athena Charalambides, Kate Tanos, Marios Andreou, Marios Burg
Vocal Group “Sound” Cultural Group Limassol
Dance Phaedra owner-Zenios
Views: Marios Kyprianou, Dina Leonidou
Orchestra: Theodore Krasides (Flute), Dimitris cage (Violin), Joan-Maria Galanos (piano), Eugenia Karapatakis (cello), Francis Guy (Guitar), Andreas Cerberus (bass), Peter Kizas (Percussion).
Show: Andy Constantinides

More about the tribute read on to the Michael Cacoyannis foundation for this wonderful initiative

Culture and networking delight at EIBTM 2010 for Cyprus Tourism

A great day for delight in Travel and Tourism of Cyprus

2010.12.02 – EIBTM, Barcelona. Tourism professionals cast their most enchanting spells in Barcelona for the coming year 2011.
By enchantment, the report from the eibtm 2010, reffers to the magic personal spell cast by those travel and tourism professionals that DelightHaving the privilege to be in Barcelona yesterday, I had the unique opportunity to meet and observe Cyprus’exhbited their upmost talent catering to the best professionals of the Meetings and incentives sector.

A far cry from the turbulence of the economic woes of the sector, the team representing Cyprus this year, breathed and projected professionalism through its people and their capacity for collaboration in an open space.
Read the account of Naturally Cyprus editorial staff getting first hand feel and interest in the evolution of personal and professional relationships as they unraveled themselves in an environment of professionalism and enhanced business relations.

As professionals representatives from Cyprus Tourism spoke with optimism, confirming positive desire by people wanting to network, “even on the first day of the exhibition, where lots of people canceled due to Airline blockage by the snow storm, my agenda was full of meetings”. Of course with Commandaria wine on hand, meetings and networking made it for an ideal socializer.

With the year closing, we wish to take note of this event as a clear message of how professionals in Cyprus will rise to the challenge of improving and exploring enhanced services for clients and doing so beyond the impediments with which the sector is facing for the new season in 2011. We wish them the best of luck and perseverance.

The article illustrates positive expressions with graphic and visuals from the Event celebrated in Barcelona, you may read on the full article at the following link below:
Enchantment for Cyprus by Tourism and trade professionals – Blogging Cyprus Tourism

Urban Invaders | a User Creativity Challenge

Using creativity for Invade local space with creativity and changing Mental models

What might happen when a team of creative thinkers inιtiates a dialogue with local communities about their neighborhood? 

In-person participation for positive outcomes are encourages, as it is this participation which makes the creative interventions a product of true collaboration with the local community.  At these events, entertainment through creative activities encourage dialogue and possibilities to transform local space.

Feel invited to two exclusive, innovative and creative interventions on Saturday 27 November 2010 at the Square in the heart of old Agios Dometios and Pontiakou Ellinismou Park in Engomi,

Mingle and refreshments will be served along with delicious snack and cakes.
See you there!  Schedia facilitates as user-centered experiences.

Information
Saturday 27 November 2010
Old Agios Dometios Square, Agios Dometios (next to Agios Dometios Cultural Centre)
Pontiakou Ellinismou Park, Egkomi (Next to Ippokratio Hospital)
12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
t: 99790336
Entrance free

Teams
Agios Dometios (participants): Chrysostomos Josifides, Julia Kalimeri, Lydia Mandridou, Omiros Panayides, Nicolas Hasapopoulos
Team Egkomi (participants): Chloe Chimarrides, Myrto Aristeidou, Panagiotis Minas, Eleni Mouskou, Natalie Stylianou, Polymnia Tomasidou, Philippos Vassiliades

The interventions are supported by Agios Dometios and Egkomi Municipality.

View Original Article

Cyprus Contemporary artists travel- a portrait of Valentinos Charalambous by Fundació Antoni Tàpies

Fundació Antoni Tàpies, Barcelona, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Cyprus documents Valentinos Charalambous’ journey through his personal biography and artistic career as a ceramist, interwoven with major events of contemporary history.
His forced exile from his family house in Famagusta led him to the exile of Baghdad and the unexpected rich dynamics of modern Iraqi culture and later to another exile from Baghdad due to the war. The film is an original way of exploring, with a major master, the modern and contemporary developments of ceramics, an art form still too often confined to the ‘borders’ of modernity.
A portrait of Valentinos Charalambous, this documentary film is based on the artist’s private journal. Born and raised in Cyprus, the film travels through Valentinos’ life with still photographs, slides and archival material, to name just a few of the source materials taken as points of reference. The narration, which utilises first-person accounts in an interview format, represents the testimony of a lived experience, a remembrance of a past that sheds light on the modern cultural life and political events of Cyprus and Iraq, and through them on the whole Middle East.
The film combines Valentinos’ artistic output, which follows the family tradition of pottery making from Famagusta using a technique originally from Smyrna, Turkey, with his description of situations, intellectuals and artists he met during his career in London and his teaching at the Department of Ceramics at the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad from 1957 to 1983.
Valentinos’ lucid memories depict the vibrant atmosphere of the Institute of Fine Arts in Baghdad, which was a place where architects, artists, musicians and poets met.
The film highlights the importance of historical modernity as seen from the perspective and lived experience of a Cypriot artist who had the opportunity to capture the socio-political changes of the city of Baghdad.The present documentary film about Valentinos Charalambous is a result of the research done for the long-term project Contemporary Arab Representations directed by Catherine David in collaboration with Nuria Enguita Mayo, which was initiated by the Fundació Antoni Tàpies in Barcelona in 2002.

Premiere of documentary Valentinos Charalambous

A mix for cultural Cyprus in Madrid

A fine celebration between Russia and Cyprus for 50 years of good relations in modern times.

Toast to Modern Relations

On October 13, 2010 the Embassy of Cyprus in Madrid in collaboration with the Russian Embassy, jointly organized a piano recital concert held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Cyprus and Russia in the context of the historic visit to Cyprus of Mr. Dmitry Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation.

A piano recital was led by the young talented, George Manouris, who played works by Beethoven, Chopin and Liszt, and enthused 90 distinguished guests. The Ambassador of Russia Mr Alexander Kuznetsov highlighted in his speech, the relations between the two countries whose bonds of friendship between its people could be traced back to the Byzantine era.
In his speech, the Ambassador of Cyprus, Mr. Nearchos Palas, also mentioned the excellent relations between the two countries and expressed gratitude to the Government of Cyprus and the Cypriot people and the active attitude of Russia to preserve its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus.

By the end of the concert the two Ambassadors that jointly hosted the reception at the premises of the Russian Embassy with traditional dishes and drinks from the two countries.
The event was attended by members of the diplomatic corps, politicians, local authorities, businessmen, journalists, artists, etc. an exceptional mix of Halloumi, Wines from Cyprus and Vodka were also toasted to the good health of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism in recognition of their efforts.

Photography: Courtesy of the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus