Art Seen is pleased to present the solo exhibition titled “Arizona, CY” of the duo Nicos Philippou and Marilena Zackheos from 1 March, 2024 to 13 April, 2024 at Art Seen Gallery, Nicosia. The show is curated by Maria Stathi.

“Arizona, CY” forms connections between the island of Cyprus and the Southwestern US state of Arizona through original poems and instant photographs that re-envision prevalent perceptions of Cyprus’s physical and social spaces.

The poetry draws from real-life interethnic conflict, bloodshed, exploitation of and violence against women, as well as narratives of disease and addiction. Stories of trauma, hate, and pain are articulated via an empathetic link between similarly lived experiences and through affective intimate moments. In turn, the imagery echoes the physical landscape of Arizona in an uncanny way, inviting the viewer to consider Cyprus as an “Other” space.

Moreover, “Arizona, CY” produces an alternate reading of place, culture, and society, highlighting resilience in hard conditions, creative adaptability, environmental care, and empathy.

The works presented in this exhibition include dialogues between projected images and sound installations, print material and Polaroid photographs, special risograph prints, as well as the “Arizona, CY” book.

Parallel Events:

* Wednesday 20.03 – Poetry Reading and Book Presentation

Poet Marilena Zackheos will perform poems from the book “Arizona, CY.” The poetry reading will be followed by book introductions from academic and performer Stavros Karayiannis as well as cultural officer and independent researcher Louli Michaelidou.

* Wednesday 27.03 Walk and Talk of the Exhibition

Meet the artists Nicos Philippou & Marilena Zackheos & Exhibition Tour at 18:00

A Walk and Talk session will take place with the creators about their book, exhibition works, and their creative process.

Nicos Philippou & Marilena Zackheos short bios

Nicos Philippou is a photographer with a strong interest in Cypriot topography and material culture. He has participated in several exhibitions in Cyprus and abroad. In 2010 he co-curated the exhibition Re-envisioning Cyprus and co-edited the volume with the same title. In 2012 he participated in the exhibition Sense of Place/ European Landscape Photography at the BOZAR in Brussels and in at Maroudia’s, a component of the major NiMAC exhibition Terra Mediterranea-In Crisis. In 2015 his book Coffee House Embellishments was shown in The PhotoBook Exhibition at the Benaki Museum in Athens. He is the co-editor of  Photography and Cyprus: Time, Place, Identity. In 2016 NiMAC hosted his solo exhibition Sharqi, and published a photobook with the same title. In 2022 he participated in the photographic exhibition In the Sea of the Setting Sun at the State Gallery of Contemporary Art- SPEL. His writings on photography, vernacular culture and Cypriot Identity have been published in journals, art magazines and collective volumes whereas his photography has been showcased in periodicals like photographies and Exposure. He, also, writes and publishes poetry. His first chapbook of haikus, titled Scrambler, was published in 2017. He is lecturing at the Communications Department of the University of Nicosia.

Marilena Zackheos grew up in Moscow, Beijing, Nicosia, Geneva, and New York City. She holds a BA in Philosophy and a BA in English Language and Literature with a concentration in Poetry Writing from University of Virginia. She also holds an MA in English Studies from Queen Mary, University of London, as well as an MPhil and a PhD in English from George Washington University. She has published on postcolonial literary and cultural studies, psychoanalysis and trauma, gender and sexuality. She is co-editor of Vile Women: Female Evil in Fact, Fiction, and Mythology (2014), From Cyprus With Love (2016), and Education in a Multicultural Cyprus (2017). She is also the author of the full-length book of poetry titled Carmine Lullabies (A Bookworm Publication 2016). Her poems have been translated into Greek, Turkish, Serbian, Albanian, and German. They have been featured in regional journals, anthologies as well as literary magazines abroad.

Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 16:00 – 19:00 or by appointment

For more information, please contact: Maria Stathi, Founder & Director, Art Seen +357 22006624 | info@art-seen.org | www.art-seen.org