RE:SOURCE 2.0: how art exposes eco problems

Over May 17-21, 2024, Limassol will host the main eco-event of spring – the RE:SOURCE 2.0 exhibition. The event, which combines ecology and contemporary art, this year is dedicated to the relationship between man and nature. More than 30 Cypriot and international artists, selected through an open call, will discuss the environmental issues that Cyprus and the world face every day.

Below, we ask four exhibitors to tell us what inspired their works:

Fanos Avouris

I’m a free-diver, underwater photographer, archaeology and nature lover and explorer above and under the surface of the sea. Since my childhood, I always had a deep connection or love for nature. Whether it was a forest or a coastline I would always see magic in it. All these mechanisms that worked together and the positive results that brought in human life motivate me to feel the need to preserve and protect them. Maybe I love the sea a bit more cause it’s the door to another mysterious beautiful world and this is every child’s dream.

Three years ago when I was in the middle of the sea while diving in a very distant place I found myself surrounded by many rubbish from all the countries of the Middle East that the currents had brought. At that point, I decided that I must show the people the negative effects on the sea environment from our actions. The plastic bag we forget at the beach can easily be eaten by a turtle as it looks like a jellyfish. The fishing equipment we lose or leave in the sea is a deadly trap for marine life, from fishes to seals and small sharks of the Mediterranean. So the next time we are going to say: “It’s just one plastic bag”, let us remember that if eight billion people say this then we create a serious problem. It’s all about to change our way of thinking.

Daria Fetisova

I’m an artist with an academic background. One of my goals is to explore new mediums and ways of engaging with the audience. In this project, I discovered the concept of recycling – using discarded items to create my visual metaphor. The idea of using doors as canvases came first, followed by allusions, references, and visual language. It was important for me not to introduce anything new as the foundation of the project. Through my work, I want to draw attention to the importance of organising such initiatives, like Green Point. I hadn’t seen anything like this before, and in my opinion, it’s a fantastic initiative worth developing and supporting.

Natalia Maltseva

I’m a ceramic artist. My journey began seven years ago in Moscow with a desire to work with children and this material. But as soon as I started diving into the world of ceramics, I realised how vast it is, and a whole lifetime wouldn’t be enough to unravel all its secrets. Ceramics is not just a cup, it’s real art. Ceramics can hang on the wall, stand on the table, and be a park sculpture. Working with this material by hand is a great pleasure. It’s my meditation, or as I call it — my introverted time. In silence, I create what overwhelms me and I need to express it through the material. Moving to Cyprus was a turning point in my life. And the first thing that struck me was the nature, completely different from the familiar picture outside my window. The change of seasons is barely noticeable, a slow, unhurried change of palette. People living here adjust to this rhythm, slowing down and contemplating these processes. It’s a shelter that doesn’t allow you to get lost but helps you find yourself.

My project consists of four simple-shaped ceramic vases, devoid of complexity and detail, made in the technique of hand sculpting. The colour and texture reflect my observations of the local climate, the palette of completely new seasonal colours of the island to me.

Nina Sumarac

A need to do the project about forest stems since my childhood fascination with trees. There has always been a profound connection with them within me. I was what you might call a ‘tree-hugger-child.’ To me, they were not just plants but rather immense, wise green companions. They seemed to listen to my youthful worries and offer comfort in return, and I reciprocated as best as I could. In them, I saw myself while feeling their spirit within me. My love for them anchored me to the fundamental essence of nature’s sacred unity. At art classes, where I teach, the first lesson I give is always a drawing of the tree. People have a special bond with trees, a sentimental one. We describe ourselves with a symbolism of the tree (we have roots, we grow, we branch out, we bloomed, we are fruitful…) Every of these drawings was very intimate and personal. A kind of necessary call to our inner self as each person seems like one self/tree is growing.

After 20 years I realised I had a whole forest in my cabinet waiting to be planted. I started to organise more workshops which I called We, Trees. In collaboration with performing artists, we add various practices, together with the drawing, which inspire reflection and synthesis aiming to bridge our growing disconnect from nature, resulting in most recently from the pandemic, the virtual world and urbanisation. In a bid to convey dynamic connectivity, which neutralises bias while initiating empathy and compassion, in those workshops, participants recalled and illustrated their innermost selves while considering the anatomical attributes of trees. It is through these deep personal insights; that I have forested into a collective digital plantation This project, titled “I’ll See You in The Trees” is an attempt re-establishing this natural symbiotic connection aiming at saving trees and people simultaneously since both are under threat.

The RE:SOURCE 2.0 exhibition is being organised by the City Friends Club and ARTNOW Agency, with sponsorship from Gaijin Entertainment and the Andrey & Julia Dashin Foundation.

• The show is free and open to the public.
• Opening Event: May 17th – 6pm, until late
• Duration: May 18th – 21st, 11am-7 pm
• Address: The Warehouse by IT Quarter, Sinergatismou 20, Limassol

More details can be found at: cityfriends.club/resource-2024