Woanders: a look into the artistic journey of Maria Papacharalambous

Marking visual artist Maria Papacharalambous’ 30 years on the local and international art scene, The Lefteris Economou Cultural Foundation presents the project woanders in Nicosia, curated by art theorist, researcher and curator Evagoras Vanezis featuring an exhibition and a series of parallel events.

Papacharalambous’ diverse oeuvre includes painting, installations, video and short films, theatre sets and costumes, renovated ruins, and social sculpture. Vigorously exploring the possibilities and boundaries of painting – the medium in which she started – she exchanges its traditional tools and materials with other techniques and objects, using surfaces other than the canvas. For the artist, art and life are simultaneous processes of movement, exchange, and reflection.

Inspired by her exhibition history, the title woanders, as a play of words in English, brings together the aporia and marvel of wonder and the roving of wander. In German, it is a word which means elsewhere and also where else?, when expressed as a question. woanders is also the conceptual framework of the research methodology on which the exhibition and publication is based, understood as an open, collaborative space of exploration into an under-construction archive. This archiving aims to unravel Papacharalambous’ mingling with the aesthetic sensibilities of our times.

The exhibition, which opens at Garage on October 20, consists of a selection of works from the beginning of her artistic practice up to the present day, with many being shown for the first time. A new soundscape by composer and sound artist Antonis Antoniou is presented, which utilises Papacharalambous’ recordings from her early studies in singing, to create a sonic collage.

The exhibition as a whole is a collaborative process and includes several other artists. In collaboration with CYENS – Centre of Excellence, a wandering in the artists’ home and studio will be realised by way of virtual reality. The curation of the exhibition space is realised with artist, poet and curator Christos Kyriakides while the publication, developed in collaboration with Papacharalambous and Vanezis and designed by Philippos Vassiliades, includes archival material and texts by the two. In addition, it includes a literary response by performance artist, writer, and poet Thomas Diafas.

The project is accompanied by a series of parallel events in the exhibition space. A workshop will take place on November 3, 10 and 17 titled ‘on why we need gardens’ where the artist will invite participants to her personal space, and by utilising the art of gardening and giving it philosophical connotations, a collective experience of reflection will be created. The workshop requires pre-booking (99-807798 and 99-793093).

Woanders

Exhibition on the diverse artistic oeuvre by Maria Papacharalambous. October 20-November 20. Opening night 7pm. Tuesday – Friday: 5pm-8pm, Saturday: 11am-1pm and 5pm-8pm. Publication launch, October 29 at 7.30pm. Workshops on November 3, 10 and 17. Tel: 99-807798, 99-793093