Upcoming exhibition to look at Cyprus’ coffee shop society

Ah, coffee… it’s a huge tradition in Cyprus, the love of coffee and the connections that are made over it. Serving and consuming coffee is a large part of the Cypriot identity and culture and an upcoming exhibition The Coffee Shop: The Other Dimension looks at the secrets of coffee and its significance in today’s society.

Curated by art historian and Director of BPRarts Cultural Management Catherine Louis Nikita, in association with the Limassol Municipality and Limassol Municipal Arts Centre – Apothikes Papadaki, the exhibition was scheduled to open in December 2020 yet stricter government measures led to it being postponed first to January and now to March. Already set up at the Papadakis Warehouses in Limassol, the exhibition awaits to show visitors the culture of coffee on the island, finally opening on March 12.

The objective of the exhibition is to stress the emblematic role played by coffee in the history of Cyprus, from its emergence in the middle of the 19th century onwards, and at the same time to showcase the role of coffee shops as a vital part of the social fabric of the patriarchal Cypriot society, through the eyes of 24 artists and photographers of the past and the present.

“The Cyprus coffee,” said Nikita, “carries within its beans centuries of history and civilisation, unites and divides, constitutes part of the tradition and continues to play a crucial role in our daily lives. Inside the little cup of coffee with its creamy froth known as ‘kaimaki’ you can find pleasure, memories, nostalgia, culture, customs and all kinds of secrets.

“The method of preparing a Cyprus coffee has its origins in the Middle East, whereas the custom of drinking it became known and established in Cyprus during Ottoman rule, which also left a mark of its origin with loanwords from Turkish that we still use today to describe its attributes, the process followed and the pots used to brew it.”

Important information about the customs, conventions and practices related to coffee during the 18th and 19th centuries were drawn from the testimonials of travellers who visited the island and recorded in every detail and colourful language the daily life of Cyprus during that era. Nowadays, the customs associated with coffee constitute the coffee-shop culture and reveal symbolisms and established stereotypical beliefs that are related to the ideological dimensions of coffee.

Coffee Shop: The Other Dimension

Art exhibition about the secrets of coffee and the significance of the coffee shop in the society of Cyprus. March 12 – April 24. Limassol Municipal Arts Centre – Papadakis Warehouses, Limassol. Tuesday – Friday: 10am – 6pm, Saturday: 10am – 2pm. Tel:25-367700