By Heidi Trautmann
This is what I wrote some
days ago:
Kibris
Developments – the Özberim Family – present to the public their newly
established Milos Park Homes in Alsancak. They have for the occasion invited
four North Cypriot artists to make statements – all in their own way: TOYA
AKPINAR – SEVCAN CERKEZ – GÜRKAN GÖKAŞAN – UMAY YILMAZ KUTAY. I will
comment on the exhibition within the next days. I went there before the opening
but the art spaces were not ready yet......
Here the complete text…
http://www.heiditrautmann.com/category.aspx?CID=2741561174#.VxXNrtR96JA
In the meantime I went again
to visit the remaining art spaces and I had the pleasure to be accompanied by Sadaf
Babazadeh Irani, a film producing artist who says that - having lived during
her young years mostly away from home which is Iran – she at present lives in a
space where past, present and future are close together and about…to be
reconnected?
She took me around the place
from one art space to the next, starting again with Sevcan Cerkez where I took
some more pictures. They will be a short
written guide at the entrance to lead you to the art spaces but there are also
signs installed.
I remember what Harper Özbirim
told me during a talk I had with him, that he has been away from Cyprus for
seven years and it was not easy for him to reconnect – quite a block of
experience stood between him and his home country – but with the help of newly
found friends, young artists especially, he could settle and work with some
enthusiasm and the fruits of his education in England for Kıbrıs Developments
and the now growing project of Milos Park Homes. He brought in his ideas that
society is very closely connected to the arts and nature and that in whatever
is done concerning living spaces for people this should be considered. A very
fine view and vision.
It is not new to me that our
artists are lacking space for exhibiting, for exchanging ideas with others, for
working together, space was and is a major problem, also since Cyprus is an
island. This also appeared to Harper to be a big problem so he offered to his
art friends the possibility of empty future living spaces - still virgin land
so to speak - to develop an art project, ideas without having to think if the
nails in the wall or paint on the floor would enrage the gallery owner. A
generous offer.
The artists used the spaces
offered for installations that have to do with the sad realisation of where
time with all its developments has taken us, to war and internal jolts, not
only in Cyprus, to divisions within society, to the dependence on communication
via the media nets and the organisation of one’s leisure time, to solitude
where only the shadows of oneself and the furniture keep us company, to
impossible dreams of a true and clean world and so on.
The spaces are open, partly
covered by a curtain, no doors to lock out people. The artists were using light,
sound and videos to give their installations depth and story. Each viewer will interpret the installations
in their own way. However, a short introduction at the entrance gives an
impression of the artist’s idea.
The road to the five art
spaces – one of them is reserved to Harper Özbirim and Sadaf Babazadeh Irani
who are engaged in the Homes Project but wanted to join the four invited
artists with their own installations.
Toya Akpinar in Doppio
Artspace – with her project FORGOTTEN BODIES
Sevcan Cerkez in Solo
Artspace - with her project WHITE
Gürkan Gökaşan in The Lofts
Artspace - with his project CYPROBLEMATIC IMPASSE
Umay Yilmaz Kutay in Duvar
Artspace - with her project PINOCCHIO’S DREAM
Harper Özbirim and Sadaf
Babazadeh Irani in Grande Artspace - with their projects EMPATHY and CAPITAL
The Art Spaces / Galleries
will be open until May 16, viewing times on weekdays 09:00 – 17:00 hrs and
weekends 10:00 – 17:00 hrs.
Directions: When you have
arrived at the Golden Lady where the road turns left towards the centre of
Alsancak, you turn left and the next road left again; there you will find the
first sign-board to MILOS PARK HOMES, you follow this sign; on the next roundabout
you go straight and go as far as the T-junction, there you turn right, pass the
Necat British School and there you turn right:
Tel. for further information:
0533 850 0872 or 0392 444 5277 ext 401