Meletios Meletiou's 'Buffer Zone' Exhibition in Rome Explores Hostile Architecture

The exhibition 'Buffer Zone' by Cypriot-born artist Meletios Meletiou (Lemesos, 1989; Accademia di Belle Arti di Roma, 2018) is on view at Spazio Molini in Pastificio Cerere, Rome. The site-specific show presents works that initially appear inviting—colorful forms reminiscent of play and music—but reveal themselves as hostile: a cement carpet mimicking soft sponge, pyramid-shaped spikes on floors and walls, and playful-looking objects that block access. The exhibition critiques hostile urban design and the proliferation of obstacles in public space. Alongside the exhibition, the artist's book 'Epidermis' was presented on October 8, edited by Gaia Bobò with contributions from architect Constantinos Vassiliades, architecture historian Paolo Bertoncini Sabatini, and an interview by Caroline Corbetta. The book includes fifteen color plates. The project is supported by the Embassy of Cyprus, the University of Pisa, the University of Pafos, and the University of Naples Federico II. Meletiou's work draws on his experience of the buffer zone in Nicosia, Cyprus, a divided capital, and reflects on how barriers shape physical and mental spaces.