STUNNING art installations in Kato Paphos are drawing tourists and locals and are part of an open air museum being created by the organisers of the town’s upcoming European Capital of culture title.
The three installations are part of a larger project, which will see twelve works of art by five artists from Cyprus placed at different spaces across Paphos to create an ‘open air art museum.’
The project is titled, “Signs in time and space,” and participating artists were chosen from an open call in 2014.
The first artwork, “Views of Infinity”, is a geometric marble installation by Harry Paspallis, the second, a female form: “Sol Alter” by Yiota Ioannidou, and the third, the ‘Red Poppy’ by Andreas Paraskevas.
The creations emerge between the lighthouse and the sea, along the western coastline of Kato Paphos.
“Views of Infinity”, is a geometric marble installation by Harry Paspallis
It took Ioannidou a year to complete her sculpture, which leans on a rock and pays homage to Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
She told the Cyprus Mail the idea behind her work.
“The sculpture is of a young woman who looks after the place where Aphrodite lived and wants to be like her.”
The beautiful piece of art is crafted in bronze, the only material she could think of using at this spot she said.
“I wanted to use something that would look right set next to the castle and as the sea is behind, the waves and the weather could damage other material. Bronze is best.”
All five artists involved have completed a number of exhibitions and projects together, she said, in Cyprus and abroad. She said that the group wanted to be involved in Paphos’ winning bid for the prestigious culture capital title and that it was important to them to create installations that would leave ‘something behind.’
“We didn’t want this to be just like a festival or exhibition for a few days only, we wanted to leave a legacy for people to see.”
A spokesman for ‘Pafos2017’ said: “We wanted to transform the coastal walkway, where most of the works will be placed, into an open air gallery for tourists and locals, and give them a reasons to walk along this path.”
‘Red Poppy’ by Andreas Paraskevas
In the upcoming months, and during the year of Paphos European capital of culture title, nine more sculptures and installations will be placed in the area of Kato Paphos.
The artists will be creating sculptures and other artworks for open air venues, giving a new dimension to the concept and philosophy of the open air factory, said the spokesman.
“The theme was for them to create works which are to do with the history of Paphos, the sea and the sun, things that really mean something to Paphos. We wanted them to be not just current but for many years to come in the future.”
Ioannidou has already completed her second sculpture for the project, also a bronze, that of a young fisherman; a small boy with a big fish, she said.
Info: www.pafos2017.eu
