Mixing it up
Last week nine artists gathered in the same studio in Nicosia to intrude upon each other’s work. What they came up with is now on show
Think of an artist and you probably imagine someone working alone in a studio and creating something that can be solemnly defined as their own. With a view to challenging this image, the Stoa Aeschylou Cultural Organisation (SACO) challenged nine artists to come together in a common space and collaborate, interfere with and intrude upon each other’s work and combine ideas to create a final product that would belong to them all.
“The artists selected for this project, called ‘Big Other’s Little Others’ come from different contemporary disciplines. They express themselves differently and have the opportunity to dare to work quickly and directly in this space,” says Demetris Neokleous, one of the artists and organiser of the project.
It’s chaos in the narrow space in downtown Nicosia as artist’s materials are strewn around and the music blares as two overhead fans whir round, providing very little to cool anyone down with. As one artist splashes red paint across a mural, a second is diligently cutting paper with a guillotine. There is an air of collaboration, it’s almost as if there is some plotting going on.
“Our aim is to create one work of art. There are no limits and no rules to this as all artists entered the venue without any particular idea in mind,” continues Demetris.
“It’s the kind of group project that would eventually lead to a group exhibition,” adds Horst Weierstall, one of the participating artists. “The whole work experience is important, not necessarily that of creating an individual body of work. It’s about responding to the creative energies and statements in a common work space. About sharing a journey together”.
Some of the artists had not even met each other before the start of the week-long project, further adding to the challenge. “What we are interested in is not so much the end result but the process,” says Athina Antoniadou.
“An artist works in his own way and this sort of activity challenges that. You have to work outside yourself alongside other people. It pushes your practice more than in other circumstances,” adds fellow artist Stephen Little.
“It is interesting to see the things that might come up,” continues Stephen. “It makes you look at your own work in other ways and it helps when you go back to your own studio to look at your own work with fresh eyes”.
So this project is very much aimed at combining artistic experiences and perspectives to enrich each other as well as in producing a (perhaps) better product.
Stephen also said that it was ‘refreshing to work alongside people whose works or perspectives were until now unknown to you’.
As to the fact that this project encourages interfering with other people’s work, Stephen says that “it is an interaction, using your work on someone else’s in a particular way, it’s like a dialogue. It is not about destroying but adding something to it. However we must also take into account sensitivity. The only problem comes when someone wants to engage in another’s work in a way the latter would consider overruns his/her original message. That might be an issue”.
But on the whole, the artists face this project as a positive challenge. “It is not about conflict but exchange”.
This is the second activity of the Arcade Project by the Stoa Aeschylou group, which, over the course of two years, will host a series of experimental art projects.
The Big Other is psychologist Kleanthis Neophytou, who also has a part in this endeavour. And the Little Others are the nine participating artists. “He (Neophytou) observes and records everything he sees and finds important in our collaboration from his professional point of view. There are also discussions with the psychologist either individual or group talks and in different times and places, just like in (the TV show) Big Brother”.
No one really knows how this workshop will turn out, or what the final result will be. It all remains to be seen. But what all certainly agree upon is that the process and journey they make together during the course of one week is more important than the final exhibition they are set to produce.
The participating artists were: Elina Ioannou, Athina Antoniadou, Demetris Neokleous, Panikos Tembriotis, Niki Savva, Stephen Little, Cedar Lewishon, Patti Ellis, Horst Weierstall.
Big Other’s Little Others
An exhibition based on a workshop by nine collaborating artists. Until September 27. Opening hours: Weekdays 17:00-21:00, Saturdays 11:00-18:00. Stoa Aeschylou, Aeschylou 75 (behind Faneromeni Gymnasio), Old Nicosia. Tel: 22 686209, www.stoaaeschylou.blogspot.com
