CRAFTLAND: ENVISIONING A FUTURE FOR TRADITIONAL HANDICRAFTS THROUGH CONTEMPORARY ART
Thanos Hotels and Resorts, Anassa, June 24 – October 7, 2022
We are excited to introduce you to Craftland, a project initiated by Thanos Hotels and Resorts, Anassa and the Cyprus Handicraft Service, hosted at the Anassa between June 24 and October 9, 2022.
Developed and curated by Christos Kyriakides, Craftland evolved into a multifaceted project aiming to empower handicraft arts and techniques, by exploring possible ways of preserving these delicate and time-consuming creative processes as we move into the future. It consists of a contemporary art exhibition, performances, workshops and a shop operating at the hotel premises.
The Craftland exhibition, emerges as a response to the following set of questions: Can contemporary art have a role in expanding our knowledge and understanding of traditional materials and techniques? Will the craft maintain its sensibilities in the digital era? What are the bytes of this evolving database of practices made of, and which drive can safe-keep their futurity? The exhibition showcases artworks by Cypriot contemporary artists and artisans of different generations, whose practices involve methods, techniques, and modes of thinking relating to handicraft traditions. The exhibition, taking the form of subtle interventions throughout the hotel’s indoor and outdoor common areas, invites the visitor to experience a selection of dynamic and refined applications of traditional handicrafts in contemporary art.
Craftland – the shop carries a curated selection of open and limited edition items commissioned and produced especially for the project. More than thirty local artisans and artists have designed and created objects, using a wide range of traditional crafts, such as embroidery, weaving, textiles, leatherwork, metallurgy, gold and silversmithing, basketry, woodwork, glass, and ceramics.
Craftland – the workshops will take place during the opening weekend. Three master craftsmen and craftswomen invite us to experience different materials and techniques of basket-weaving, tapestry and ceramics. More information on the three workshops will follow as the date of the opening approaches.
Craftland will open its doors on June 24, at 19:00, followed by a live performance by sound artists Maria Spivak and Androula Kafa at 20:00.
Art exhibition participants: Elysia Athanatos, Evelyn Anastasiou, Valentinos Charalambous, Vassos Demetriou, Alexandra Hadjikyriakou, Elina Ioannou, Soteris Kallis, Katerina Kana, Phanos Kyriakou, Joanna Loucas, Malvina Middleton, Melina Shukuroglou, Nikos Taliadoros, Leontios Toumpouris, Marina Xenofontos.