Cyprus Mail
Environment

Art exhibition seeks roots

nefeli kentoni

March at the Nicosia Municipal Art Centre begins with an art exhibition. Titled Seeking Roots, it brings together 18 artists born in the 1990s, who delve into the concept of identity formation, amidst an identity crisis prevalent in Cyprus and worldwide.

The artists, who were selected after an open call, question among other issues, the role of cultural roots, tradition and heritage in developing and performing identity, the way language constructs one’s subjecthood and the extent to which ‘Cypriotness’, or belonging to a cultural-national identity, affects our self-perception.

Adopting Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari’s notion of ‘rhizomes’, the exhibition does not attempt to trace the thread out of the never-ending labyrinth of contemporary identities but rather follows the roots laid down by various artworks, which are in a constant dialogue with each other, indicating some of the elements the artists understand as pivotal constituents of themselves.

By resorting to several theoretical frameworks to probe identity, like existentialist philosophy, third-wave feminist theories, postcolonial and poststructuralist approaches, to name a few, Seeking Roots examines the topic through the prism of a multidimensional critical lens and the use of diverse media, such as painting, ceramics, printmaking, video art, installations, new digital technologies, photography and performance.

While a singular cultural identity is impossible to pinpoint and mould, the attempt to investigate it has proven a source of inspiration for the new generation, who as children/grandchildren of the postmodern era share concerns associated with disillusionment in the grand-narratives of the past, embracing instead a fragmented worldview and consequently a fragmented, non-linear, non-singular view of subjecthood. Identity crisis is undoubtedly even more dominant in a postcolonial space like Cyprus, which historically battled with contested narratives and myths in relation to its cultural and national identity. Thus, Seeking Roots is an attempt to explore the various ways young artists redefine the crucial characteristics of belonging.

 

Seeking Roots

Collective art exhibition on the concept of identity. Curated by Ioulita Toumazi. March 2-27. NiMAC, Nicosia. Tuesday – Saturday: 10am-9pm. Tel: 22-797400

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