Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) announces the 2-day artistic project “Participatory Community Mural: Migration, Empathy, Nature, Sustainability” in the framework of the innovative project “EMPACT – Empathy and Sustainability: The Art of Thinking like a Mountain,” coordinated by CUT and the Asst. Professors Efi Kyprianidou and Yiannis Christidis.
The artistic project is organised by CUT in collaboration with the festival “Pame Kaimakli” and will be held in Greek language.
This interdisciplinary project is the result of the collaboration between the architect and Lecturer at the University of Cyprus Konstantinos Avramidis and the street artist Vasilis Vasiliou (aka Twenty-Three) in the production of a socially engaged mural and an associated workshop.
The workshop — which precedes the mural — aims to engage the local community as well as equip it with practical skills to participate in the creation of the mural hosted in the neighbourhood of Kaimakli. For the creation of the mural solely carbon neutral spray-paint as well as recycled cardboard paper are used.
Participation is open to everyone following a public invitation realised within the context of the Pame Kaimakli annual festival. The workshop takes the form of a walk that seeks to map urban elements and imprints of local hidden histories in the neighbourhood.
These are to be transferred to the mural by the individuals who will have tracked them. Engaging members of communities in activities aims at exploring shared experiences and understanding different perspectives. The mural itself is a collaborative effort, representing the collective aspirations of the participants towards a more empathetic and inclusive society.
The theme and iconography of the mural address issues of social and environmental sustainability in the divided city of Nicosia. They focus on promoting interspecies inclusivity as well as undermining the notion of borders on the island. They take migratory birds that call Cyprus home as a starting point, symbolising the interconnectedness of all beings whilst challenging the conceptual and physical existence of borders.
This inclusion signifies the importance of extending empathy beyond human boundaries and fostering compassion towards all living beings. The portrayal of birds with human characteristics and elements of the local Cypriot culture is used to critically comment on the cultural/natural divide whilst encouraging viewers and participants to empathise with nature, promoting a sense of responsibility towards environmental preservation and sustainability.
At the same time, this adds a multiscalar dimension to the project: it highlights how the local social ecosystem interacts with and mutually shapes and is being shaped by the global environment.
Geographically, the wall of the mural/workshop is in close proximity to the green line (less than 100m). Kaimakli district is demographically and historically characterised by displacement, refugeedom and compassion. Thus this imagery and socially engaged approach serves as a reminder of the power of empathy in nurturing unity within the community and cultivating an interspecies ethos.
The workshop is free of charge.
September 22 & 23 at Ayia Varvara, Kaimakli, Nicosia – 6 pm