Maria Toumazou's Double-Site Exhibition in Nicosia Explores Cypriot Labor and Globalization
Maria Toumazou showcased 'Fair-face Elysée,' a dual-location exhibition in Nicosia, running from September 30 to October 24, 2018, under the organization of Thkios Ppalies. This exhibition featured a consultancy firm's office alongside a former snail farm situated near the buffer zone. Among the artworks were 'Light design…' (2018), a towering three-meter metal structure, and 'Hand…,' a sculpture equipped with Arduino-powered hands crafted from melted mini Zivania bottles. The second venue displayed military post walls adorned with spray-painted Chinese characters, while 'Ex snail forming greenhouses now for stray dogs' showcased arched metal structures topped with shopping bags. The exhibition addressed themes of labor and globalization, employing traditional materials. Thkios Ppalies, dedicated to promoting emerging Cypriot artists, marked this as its inaugural offsite exhibition. A review was published in December 2018's ArtReview.
Key facts
- Maria Toumazou's exhibition 'Fair-face Elysée' ran from September 30 to October 24, 2018 in Nicosia
- The double-site exhibition was organized by Thkios Ppalies, an artist-run space in Nicosia focusing on emerging Cypriot artists
- One site was a consultancy firm's office in an industrial business park; the other was a former snail farm field near the buffer zone dividing Cyprus
- Toumazou participated in Cyprus's presentation at the 2017 Venice Biennale with the collective Neoterismoi Toumazou
- Works included 'Light design…' (2018), a three-meter-high metal assemblage with cob and a propeller replacing clock hands
- The installation 'Hand…' was created with #hack66, a Cypriot hacker space, using Arduino-powered hands with fingers from melted Zivania bottles
- Cement block walls from military posts featured spray-painted Chinese characters at the second site
- The exhibition addressed themes of labor, globalization, and traditional Cypriot culture through varied assemblages
Entities
Artists
- Maria Toumazou
Institutions
- Thkios Ppalies
- Neoterismoi Toumazou
- #hack66
- ArtReview
- Venice Biennale
Locations
- Nicosia
- Cyprus
- Republic of Cyprus
- Turkish-occupied north
- Venice
- Glasgow