cyprus art news - 931: The 1st Çatalköy International VOUNOUS Terra Cotta Symposium Sep 01

Heidi Trautmann

931: The 1st Çatalköy International VOUNOUS Terra Cotta Symposium Sep 01 – 16, 2017
9/5/2017

Visit of today: September 04

By Heidi Trautmann

The progress of preparations for the grand opening on September 07, that is Thursday, is quite obvious and the team of artists, in the meantime they have become friends, or as they call themselves, the Vounous Brothers, are busy in giving the bronze age village of Vounous a face. In the background, in the many bamboo huts ceramists have been working now for some days, starting with kneading their own clay material which they obtained from the main place where it is soaking, clay that was collected in the mountains, in the valleys, that is where already the Cypriot forefathers have got their clay from, 1000s of years ago. I have touched it, it is like silk.

Groups of artists, usually four or five, come to one hut, provided with shade against the strong sun. They have been given copies of original artifacts, to be found in museums only or in books, and they do now copies of them. They have also been given tools to work with that have been prepared according to designs of old Bronze Age ones. They use calabashes to give the clay a basic form, and they use tools made from bamboo to flatten, smoothen the form, to scratch lines on it and so forth. A wooden hammer is used to work the clay properly to get air bubbles out before they work with it, and finally they use a piece of leather to polish the finished article. It is fascinating to see how easily the ceramists are getting used to work the old way, and, as they told me, they enjoy it deeply. Rauf Ersenal has shared all his findings and results with the artists that now work with him in this unique event.

Yesterday I had the pleasure to meet a master ceramist from Japan, the one some of our Cypriot ceramists had gone to for a most interesting workshop. Within the next few days artists from abroad will arrive to join the local ones; today there were also some ceramists expected from the southern part of the island.

There is parking space being prepared by the Belediye for the opening night but the visitors will have to be prepared to park along the streets as well. I suggest that you bring a torch with you, because when you go back to your car, it will be dark, and for elderly people it is better to be on the safe side.

The Vounous Brothers also prepare a stand where the visitors can buy some souvenirs; you will be surprised by the beautiful design of those Bronze Age days and also by the excellent work the artists did in order to present one important cultural time of Cyprus.

THE PROGRAMME
OF
ÇATALKÖY
1ST VOUNOUS INTERNATIONAL TERRACOTTA SYMPOSIUM

Date : 1- 16 September2017
Hour : 11.00-19.00
Location : Vounous Necropolis- ÇATALKÖY-GİRNE

Topic : Reproduction of Early-Middle and Bronze age Vounous ceramics with the primitive creating and kilning techniques in the ateliers formed in Cyprus Bronze Age Village replica

Aim : The aim is to reproduce the replicas of the terracotta artefacts of Vounous smuggled to foreign countries and to publicly exhibit in Çatalköy. It is also to promote these artefacts, teach the techniques, to publicize the cultural heritage of Çatalköy by encouraging the production and to help the preservation of our cultural heritage.

Organisation : Çatalköy Municipality

Head of the Project : Rauf Ersenal
Assistant to Head of the Project: Celal Dimililer
Art Consultants: Cumhur Deliceırmak, Şenol Özdevrim

ACTIVITIES:
- Experimental ceramic practices;
- Making Vounous ceramics with the primitive techniques;
- Preparation of Vounous clay;
- Giving a form to Vounous clay;
- Drawing the patterns;
- Polishing;
- Undercoating;
- Drying;
- Kilning in wood fire kilns.
- Acknowledgement of the participants about the history of Vounous and the area of Çatalköy;
- Visiting the museums;
- Academical presentations.

Reason
- To revitalize and promote the historical culture of Cyprus;
- To enrich and develop the interest on cultural heritage of Cyprus;
- To create opportunity for young researchers to work with experimental archaeology and Professional ceramic artists and to have experience;
- To explore reconstruction and to promote the production of antique ceramic.

Participation:
Anyone, who has a set one’s heart to the cultural heritage of Cyprus and want this heritage to be protected and hand down to the next generations can attend this symposium. Everyone, who would want to produce ceramics with professional ceramic experts, can attend the workshops within certain programmes. It is free participation.
DATES: ( All kinds of work are going to start at 11:00 and will end 19:00. During the kilning process firing can take longer through the night. Therefore the hours can change.)
1 September 2017 Friday : The last check on the symposium area and completing the work on the area.
(Closed for visit)
2 September 2017 Saturday : Placing the tools and materials that will be used in the symposium area. ( Closed for Visit)
3 September 2017 Sunday: The artists attending the symposium will be placed in the ateliers and starting the production.
4 September 2017 Monday : Opening the symposium area for visit. The visitors can produce by attending the activities. ( Open for visit.)
5 September 2017 Tuesday: The continuation of production in the ateliers and the first kilning process. (Open for visit. )
6 September 2017 Wednesday : The continuation of workshops. ( Open for visit. Workshops for the visitors.)
7 September 2017 Thursday : Official Opening Ceremony ( 18.30-20.00)
- Exhibition of the first production of artefacts;
- Visiting the ateliers in the village ( Vounous Necropolis) and the introduction of the artists and visitors.
- The opening of 2 Open Air Museum replica.
- Dispensation of Vounous souvenirs to the visitors.
- Visitors watching the process of kilning in the kiln that is formed in the middle of the village.
- Sound and light performance in accordance with the historical period and atmosphere.
- Burning the Vounous fire.
8 September 2017 Friday: Continuation of the atelier work. Visitors can attend the production.
(Open for visit)
9 September 2017 Saturday: Workshops and kilning. ( Open for visit). A safari tour on the Beşparmak Mountains with the artists.
10 September 2017 Sunday: BİZİM GRUP “ Vounous Mountain Walk” and continuation for the atelier work.
(Open for visit)
11 September 2017 Monday: Continuation of the atelier work. (Visiting Cyprus for the visitor artists)
12 September 2017 Tuesday: Continuation of the atelier work. Visitors attending activities. 20:30 Presentation of Symposium Declarations (Vounous Symposium Area)
(Open for visit)
13 September 2017 Wednesday: Atelier work and kilning.
14 September 2017 Thursday: Atelier work and preparations for exhibition.
(Open for visit)
15 September 2017 Friday: Closing ceremony and the exhibition of works. Presentation of participation certificates and plaques to the attending artists.
(Open for visit)
16 September 2017 Saturday: Visiting the exhibition in the symposium area. To see the foreign visiting artists off. CLOSING.
(Open for visit)


Turn-off to Vounous on the side road from Catalköy to Ozanköy...		The Vounous Brothers