Re-visiting childhood

By Maria Gregoriou

It is hard to say that most of us grow up completely (or at least we hope this is true). This being said, if you have not yet had the chance to visit the From Fruitopia to the island of Fireworks exhibition at the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation in Nicosia yet, why not unleash your inner child (and also maybe take your kids) to the exhibition which is all about the stories we tell our children.

The exhibition, which will be running until the end of June, allows us to enter the world and imagination of Greek writer of fairytales and plays for children, Eugene Trivizas.

Trivizas, who famously wrote the TV series for children named Fruitopia in the 1990s, has been named a ‘gifted poet of fairytales and plays that speak to every child and to those adults who are able to travel aboard a dream and, through dream fantasy, discover the essence of an antipoetic and distorted reality,’ by professor Georgios Babiniotis who teaches at the University of Athens.

At the exhibition you will see props that were used in the original TV series, many items made to represent the writer’s magical world, a corner where you can read his books and also a little room littered with coloured pillows on the floor and a chair in the corner where the man himself sat and read to a sea of children when the exhibition was first opened.

Other guests have sat in the chair since and read fairytales to children during the Christmas period. But there is no law against you sitting in the chair and acting out stories with sound effects and expressions just make sure the foundation’s security guard also has a playful side.

From Fruitopia to the Island of Fireworks

An exhibition of the G. Gounaropoulos Museum dedicated to Eugene Trivizas, enriched with works by Cypriot artists. Until June 28. Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation, Nicosia. 10am-7pm. Tel: 22-677134