A studio or workroom which is made accessible to allcomers, perhaps just in the short term, during an open studio event, where artistic or creative work can be viewed and created collaboratively. An open studio is intended to foster creativity and encourage experimentation in an atmosphere of cultural exchange, conversation, encouragement, and freedom of expression.
In the modern era, open studios originated in the salons of 17th Century Paris, such as the Hôtel de Rambouillet and the gatherings of intellectuals and artists hosted by Madame de Scudéry. Much later, during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the concept of the open studio took the form of public poetry exchanges (most notably those of the Beat poets, events that were the forerunners of modern poetry slams), the ‘happenings’ of Andy Warhol’s The Factory (culminating in the multimedia open-floor parties known as the Exploding Plastic Inevitable), and the experimental jamborees of the French literary group OuLiPo.
In the 21st century, the open studio (often taking the form of a virtual or internet location) focuses on the creative act of making and sharing, in a flexible space equipped with a range of contemporary media and multimedia. Artists and non-artists come together in a social act of collaboration, the only entry requirements being an inquisitive nature, a curiosity about new and traditional media, and a lack of inhibition about creating in a semi-public space.
A modern-day open studio blurs the boundaries between theory and practice, sparking insights and enabling the discovery of new kinds of meaning. It allows for greater freedom of thought and expression. Its ultimate aim is to pioneer fresh modes of communication and sharing, and produce innovative forms of public engagement.
An internationally recognised event, there a number of countries running its own version of open studios. These include UK, such as Helfa gelf in North Wales, Cyprus, Holland, Germany and America, to name but a few.
Open Studios Communications is a network and communications platform set up to promote the open studio style events in the UK and Internationally, and to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information with the rest of the world. The website offers multiple search options on date, location, type of event and organisation.
There has been a number of events in Cyprus under the open studios banner, including the event in Nicosia and Paphos. Both have run independently of one another, with different organisation and structure.
First run in November 2006 inside the city wall of Nicosia, [1] Open Studios presented the opportunity for visitors to visit and see artists work from both sides of the divide. This event typically runs once every two years.
Events were also run in 2008 and 2011.
This event originally started as Paphos Open Studios in 2006, and primarily consisted of UK Artists living in Cyprus. However it expanded to include the Limassol region and so becoming a truly international affair with artist participating from a variety of countries and cultures. It is an annual event. The purpose of this event is to present the opportunity to the general public to meet and discuss the work of the artist in an informal and relaxed environment.
Taking place during selected weekends in October, the event is launched with an Opening Art Exhibition in Paphos, presenting the opportunity for visitors to view the artists work and to meet some of the artists. Information about the participating artists, their discipline, location and opening weekends can be found in the Artist Information Guide or on-line. This information helps the visitor plan and manage their itinerary for the event, and is typical of most Open Studio Events.
Open Studios is endorsed by the Cyprus Department of Education & Culture, Cultural Services, the Cyprus Tourist Organization [2] and UNWTO
In 2011, the organisers of Paphos & Limassol Open Studios announced that this event would no longer exist in its current form and would go into hibernation. The event has just been relaunched under 'new management' in 2015 - www.cyprusopenstudios.com is under construction.
2011 Participating Artists were, [3] [4] [5]
Because Cyprus has no working railway system, various other methods of transport are needed to ensure the proper delivery of any cargo, be it human or freight. Since the last railway was dismantled in 1952, the only remaining modes of transport are by road, by sea, and by air.
Nicosia is the largest city, capital, and seat of government of Cyprus. It is located near the centre of the Mesaoria plain, on the banks of the River Pedieos.
Limassol is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the eponymous district. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population of 183,658 and a metropolitan population of 239,842. Limassol has been ranked by TripAdvisor as the 3rd up-and-coming destination in the world, in its Top 10 Traveler’s Choice Destinations on the Rise. The city is also ranked 89th worldwide in Mercer's Quality of Living Survey (2017). In the 2020 ranking published by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, Limassol was classified as a "Gamma -" global city.
Paphos, sometimes spelled Pafos, is a coastal city in southwest Cyprus and is the capital of Paphos District. In classical antiquity, two locations were called Paphos: Old Paphos, today known as Kouklia, and New Paphos.
The Cyprus College of Art (CyCA) is an artists' studio group, located in the village of Lempa on the west coast of Cyprus. It was founded in 1969 by the artist Stass Paraskos; the current director is the Cyprus-based artist Margaret Paraskos.
The Cyprus Red Cross Society (CRCS) is the only Red Cross society in Cyprus recognised by the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The Headquarters of the Society are located in Nicosia.
Paphos International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport located 6.5 km (4.0 mi) southeast of the city of Paphos, Cyprus. It is the country's second largest airport, after Larnaca International Airport. Paphos Airport is commonly used by tourists on vacation in western Cyprus, providing access to popular resorts such as Coral Bay, Limassol and Paphos itself.
APOP Kinyras Peyias was a Cypriot football club from the village of Peyia of Paphos District. The club formed in 2003 following the merger of lower division outfits APOP Peyias FC and Kinyras Empas FC. The club's name APOP means Athlitikos Podosferikos Omilos Pegeias and Kinyras' name coming from the mythical king Kinyras who was the founder of Paphos. In the summer of 2012, after a large bankruptcy the club was dissolved.
Cyprus Volleyball Federation (CVF) is the governing body of volleyball in Cyprus. It organises the first division, second division leagues and a cup competition.
Armenians in Cyprus or Armenian-Cypriots are ethnic Armenians who live in Cyprus. They are a recognized minority with their own language, schools and churches. Despite the relatively small number of Armenians living in Cyprus, the Armenian-Cypriot community has had a significant impact upon the Armenian diaspora and Armenian people. During the Middle Ages, Cyprus had an extensive connection with the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, while the Ganchvor monastery had an important presence in Famagusta. During the Ottoman Era, the Virgin Mary church and the Magaravank were very prominent. Certain Armenian-Cypriots were or are very prominent on a Panarmenian or international level and the fact that, for nearly half a century, the survivors of the Armenian Genocide have co-operated and co-existed peacefully with the Turkish-Cypriots is perhaps a unique phenomenon across the Armenian Diaspora. The emigration of a large number of Armenian-Cypriots to the United Kingdom has virtually shaped today's British-Armenian community.
Dali is a large village in Cyprus, located south east of the capital Nicosia and close to the ancient city of Idalion. In 2001, it had a population of 5,834. By 2011, the population had almost doubled to 10,466.
Since the arrival of the first motor cars on the island in 1907, Cyprus has developed a modern road network. According to 2002 statistics, the road network in the Republic of Cyprus-administered areas of Cyprus consists of about 7,206 km of paved and 4,387 km of unpaved roads. Although the first motorway in Cyprus, A1, was completed as recently as October 1985, the country already has the most motorway km per capita among all European Union members. There are no toll paying roads in Cyprus to date.
Cyprus, due to its population and size, has modest international sporting achievements. Most sports are governed by associations under the umbrella of the Cyprus Sport Organisation.
Cyprus-Polish relations are foreign relations between Cyprus and Poland. Diplomatic relations between both countries were established during the 1960s. Cyprus has an embassy in Warsaw and 2 honorary consulates. Poland has an embassy in Nicosia and an honorary consulate general in Limassol. Both countries are full members of the European Union.
MY MALL Limassol is a shopping centre in Zakaki, a town to the west of Limassol, Cyprus. As of 2010, it is the third biggest mall in size in Cyprus. The mall was originally named "Tiffany Mall", but the name was changed in 2009 following complaints from other holders of the rights to the Tiffany name.
The 1222 Cyprus earthquake occurred at about 06:15 UTC on 11 May. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.0–7.5 and triggered a tsunami that was recorded in Libya and Alexandria. The strongest shaking was felt in Nicosia, Limassol and Paphos. Many people died, although there are no estimates for the total number of casualties.
Cyprus–Germany relations refer to the bilateral relations between Cyprus and Germany. Germany is represented in Cyprus through its embassy in Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus is represented in Germany through its embassy in Berlin, Germany. Both countries are full members of the United Nations and the European Union.
Christianity in Cyprus is the largest religion making up 78% of the island's population. The largest branch is the Greek Orthodox Church, while the rest are the smaller religious groups of the Anglicans, Roman and Latin Christians, Maronites, Armenian Apostolics, Greek Evangelics.
Loukia Nicolaidou was the first Cypriot woman to study art abroad and is considered a pioneer for women professional artists in Cyprus. Her painting The Good Fruit of the Earth is part of the collections of the State Gallery of Contemporary Cypriot Art.
Katy Stephanides was one of the leading artists in Cypriot modernist movement in the second half of the 20th century and the first decade of the 21st century. She held her first solo exhibition in 1972 featuring abstract geometric paintings and continued exhibiting through 2003. She has works in the collections of the Byzantine Museum of the Archbishop Makarios III, the Loukia and Michalakis Zambelas Art Museum, the Municipal Art Gallery of Limassol and the State Gallery of Contemporary Cypriot Art.