Art Aware Exhibition (18th February – 2nd March)
Art Aware Project, whose seeds were sowed at a meeting of EMAA’s Executive Committee and Nicholas Panayi, is the longest running project that our organization has ever hosted. (April 2004 – May 2005) The project was based on the need of the artists, who live in the same city but haven’t contacted for thirty years, to look at each others’ art, get to know and understand each other, and through art, which is the mirror of cultures, have discussions on art objects within the context of our day’s realities to reach the actual place of existence of art. As we have addressed you on the previous issues of our journal, our association have concluded the project with a catalogue and an exhibition participated by those artists who were involved in the project. The exhibition was launched concurrently at two venues, Atatürk Cultural Centre (AKM) and Haydarpaşa Art Gallery (HP). More than 70 artworks of 23 artists were displayed on these venues where the brotherhood and interconnections of cultures were shared with the viewers. Depending on the physical conditions of the exhibition venues, while painting dominated works were displayed at AKM, installations and other works were displayed at HP. On the evening, where the event was sponsored by the Management of Cultural Department, Ministry of National Education and Culture, opening talks were made by Nilgün Güney and Nicolas Panayi.
On our island, where from the very first day of the opening of the border, a variety of artistic events have been taking place, the most extensive bi-communal mixed exhibition has been organized in Northern Cyprus by our association through the Art Aware project. Also, another point that should be cared about and considered a success is the fact that throughout both the exhibition and catalogue processes, everybody worked within a relationship of mutual love and trust, with intimacy and care, reaching a successful outcome.
As Nicholas Panayi has indicated on the exhibition catalogue, “Art Aware has succeeded as a series of cultural interchange that I believe became one of the most successful bi-communal events on the Island… It was heart warming to see this idea became reality where so many others remain unrealized… Let Art Aware be a clear demonstration that we only need, but can understand each other on this island and truly live”.
We deeply express our appreciation to our artists Adi Atassi, Anna Kakoulli, Aşık Mene, Demitris Neukleus, Doros Erakleous, Emin Çizenel, Feridun Işıman, Glyn Hughes, Günay Güzelgün, İnci Kansu, Katerina Attalidou, Kyriakos Kallis, Louiza Kaimakki, Mustafa Hastürk, Nicolas Panayi, Nilgün Güney, Özden Selenge, Panayiotis Michael, Pembe Gaziler, Ruzen Atakan, Spyros Demetriades, Stefanos Karambambas and Zehra Şonya.
