museum

Limassol street art celebrates Cyprus nature

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Limassol street art celebrates Cyprus nature

Italian artist Francesco Camillo Giorgino, known as Millo, is creating eight large-scale murals in Limassol, Cyprus, as part of the Art Square project. These murals, which are being painted on buildings under construction, aim to become a new landmark for Limassol and contribute to the city’s bid to become the European Capital of Culture 2030. The murals, which depict the beauty of Cyprus’s nature and its people, are expected to be completed by April 6. This project marks Millo’s third in Cyprus, following previous works in Yeroskipou in 2022 and Paphos in 2017. Millo’s work is characterized by bright colors, black and white line drawings, and large faces, and can be found worldwide, including in permanent museum collections.

Minister, church sign MoU on antisemitism

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Minister, church sign MoU on antisemitism

Education Minister Athena Michaelidou signed an MoU with the churches of Cyprus and Greece, the Jewish community in Greece, and the Jewish Museum to strengthen ties and combat antisemitism. The MoU aims at preserving the memory of the Holocaust. Cyprus participates as an observer in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance and has established an annual competition on Holocaust remembrance in secondary education. The ministry cooperates with the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Centre and hosts touring exhibitions on the Holocaust in schools. A new exhibition titled ‘Stars without Heaven – Children in the Holocaust’ will be introduced. Teachers from Cyprus receive training on teaching the Holocaust at the Yad Vashem Centre in Israel every two years and cooperate with other Holocaust teaching centres. Hosting Holocaust survivors in schools is an activity aimed at promoting coexistence.

Thousands of artists ask Venice Biennale to exclude Israel

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Thousands of artists ask Venice Biennale to exclude Israel

– Almost 9,000 people, including artists, curators, and museum directors, have signed an online appeal for Israel’s exclusion from the Venice Biennale art fair, accusing Israel of “genocide” in Gaza.
– The appeal was triggered by Israel’s offensive in Gaza following an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas militants in southern Israel.
– The Hamas raids resulted in 1,200 deaths and 253 hostages, as per Israeli reports, while Israeli actions in Gaza have led to nearly 30,000 deaths and the displacement of most of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, according to Palestinian health officials.
– Israel denies the accusations of genocide.
– The Art Not Genocide Alliance (ANGA) collective made the statement, comparing the situation to past exclusions of South Africa and Russia from the Venice Biennale.
– Notable signatories of the appeal include Faisal Saleh, Nan Goldin, and Jesse Darling.
– The Venice Biennale, titled “Foreigners Everywhere”, is set to feature pavilions from 90 countries from Apr. 20-Nov. 24.

Upgrade, not relocation urged for Limassol museum

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Upgrade, not relocation urged for Limassol museum

During her visit to Limassol, Deputy Minister of Culture Vasiliki Kassianidou stated that the Limassol Archaeological Museum should stay at its current location and receive an upgrade. Kassianidou toured various archaeological sites, including the ancient port and new burial sites in Amathounta, as well as the Episkopi Museum and excavation sites in Erimi. She emphasized the museum’s central location and its role as a workspace for archaeologists and conservators. Kassianidou mentioned the need for the museum to expand and highlighted its potential for educational spaces. She acknowledged the need for studies and budget integration before renovations can proceed and expressed goals to extend the museum’s operating hours. Additionally, Kassianidou discussed improving the maintenance and management of archaeological sites and making Amathounta more attractive to visitors. She also noted that the Episkopi community museum requires upgrades and maintenance and mentioned an issue with the site in Erimi, which is privately owned.