cyprus

The Path Toward "A Tree for the Forest"

The installation of A Tree for the Forest, the new exhibition by Atlantika Collective members Gabriela Bulisova and Mark Isaac, has now begun at the Municipal Gallery at Ibrahim’s Khan in Pafos, Cyprus. It was an occasion for exhilaration, nervousness, hard work and considerable coffee consumption. It was also a moment to fully acknowledge the creative vision of curator Yiannis Sakellis, whose strategy for hanging the exhibition proved to be an excellent one. 

In this exhibition, the artists focus on the role of trees in the climate crisis. The work is simultaneously despairing and hopeful. It zeroes in on the tragic loss of forested areas to wildfires in recent years, but it also takes careful note of the new scientific discovery that trees communicate extensively with each other in underground networks, sending nutrients and warning of danger. “Mother trees” also provide essential support for younger trees in their vicinity. This discovery offers the promise that we can better protect our forests, which have the potential to substantially reduce greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. 

The main photographs by both artists are wide panoramas. Gabriela’s works are all more than 4.5 meters in length (that’s almost 15 feet stateside), and one reaches to 4.7 meters, or almost 15.5 feet. This easily surpasses the widest print that either artist has ever made. And the artists are interested in inquiring of other photographers who may see this post whether they have ever printed this wide, or know of someone who has? Mark’s works are not shabby in the length department either, reaching beyond 2.5 meters despite their origins on cell phones. 

Curator Yiannis Sakellis devised an ingenious method of hanging the works that involves panels of board joined together in one long strip. The long scrolls are then clipped to the panels and hoisted onto the walls of the gallery. A total of three large works were hung today, with the rest of the 10 images slated for hanging tomorrow. 

The exhibition also includes a multi-channel video installation, titled Mother Trees, that will be presented in a novel manner. Several video monitors will be placed flat on a table and will be viewed from above. The video includes images of trees that were captured in Prague and Paphos. It also includes original music and found sounds of communication, including sounds that were recorded as part of the Conet Project. The Conet Project is a famous set of recordings of shortwave radio broadcasts that contain instructions to espionage operatives around the world. 

Finally, the exhibition will include an installation of objects found at the scene of wildfires in the vicinity of Paphos, including Tala, Lemona, and Psathi. The found objects include almonds, olives, pomegranates and tree branches that were burned in the fires. It also includes tree sap that oozed out of trees when they were exposed to high temperatures.

In their statement to accompany the exhibition, the artists note that Cyprus is a hotspot in the accelerating climate crisis. It is among the parts of the world that are increasing most rapidly in temperature, and it experienced the worst wildfire in its history this year. 

They also explain that the title of the exhibition, A Tree for the Forest, is intended to emphasize the agency of each individual in responding to the crisis. In fact, the artists call on each person who encounters the exhibition to think of one additional action they can take to mitigate the climate crisis. “We can all stand tall, like a mother tree, connected to those around us, providing essential support for healthy forests and a healthy planet,” Bulisova and Isaac wrote. 

Climate Crisis Project Underway in Cyprus

Atlantika Collective members Gabriela Bulisova and Mark Isaac are already hard at work on their project as part of "Episkeptes, a residency at the Kimonos Art Center," an artist residency program based in Paphos, Cyprus. Much of their attention centers on ecological themes, and their work in Cyprus is focused on the ecological threats facing trees and forests, including the growing impact of wildfires. Around the world, the fire season is longer, more land is burned, and fires are more destructive than before. Of course, each of these events releases more carbon dioxide, worsening climate change. Cyprus is at the center of this new reality, having experienced the worst wildfire in the nation’s history in 2021. In Paphos, numerous smaller wildfires have broken out in recent weeks, and the artists have already visited several of these sites in the hope of incorporating them into the project. Their work simultaneously focuses on two related themes: the rampant spread of wildfires and the scientific discovery that trees communicate extensively through underground networks. Here are several details from the first theme of their work, which is created by treating an entire roll of film as a single image of a burnt landscape.

Mark’s and Gabriela’s work will be presented during the month of December in an exhibition organized and curated by Kimonos Art Center. More information and details will be announced soon. The program “Episkeptes” is funded by the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Youth.

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Η Gabriela Bulisova και ο Mark Isaac, οι πρώτοι συμμετέχοντες του προγράμματος φιλοξενίας καλλιτεχνών «Επισκέπτες» του Κέντρου Τεχνών Κίμωνος είναι ήδη σε ρυθμούς προετοιμασίας των έργων που θα παρουσιάσουν στην προσεχή τους έκθεση. Με το έργο τους να επικεντρώνεται σε οικολογικά προβλήματα, κατά τη διάρκεια της παραμονής τους στην Πάφο διερευνούν τις επιπτώσεις των πρόσφατων πυρκαγιών στις πυρόπληκτες περιοχές της επαρχίας μας. Σε όλο τον κόσμο η περίοδος των πυρκαγιών γίνεται όλο και μεγαλύτερη όσο περνά ο καιρός, με μεγαλύτερες εκτάσεις γης να καίγονται και τις φωτιές να είναι συνεχώς και πιο καταστροφικές. Αυτό φυσικά, έχει ως επακόλουθο σε κάθε πυρκαγιά να απελευθερώνεται στην ατμόσφαιρα όλο και περισσότερο διοξείδιο του άνθρακα χειροτερεύοντας έτσι, την ήδη καταστροφική κλιματική αλλαγή. Η Κύπρος δεν αποτελεί εξαίρεση σε αυτή τη νέα πραγματικότητα και τους τελευταίους μήνες έχει υποστεί τις χειρότερες πυρκαγιές στην πρόσφατη ιστορία της. Στην Πάφο είχαμε πολλές εστίες πυρκαγιών τις οποίες οι δύο καλλιτέχνες έχουν ήδη επισκεφτεί και φωτογραφίσει, εντάσσοντας τα αποτελέσματα αυτά στο ευρύτερο έργο τους. Στις φωτογραφίες που ακολουθούν μπορείτε να δείτε μερικά από τα δείγματα του έργου τους, τα οποία έχουν δημιουργηθεί ως μία μοναδική εικόνα από ένα ενιαίο ρολό φιλμ ως μαρτυρία μιας καμένης γης.

Το έργο των Mark και Gabriela θα παρουσιαστεί κατά το μήνα Δεκέμβριο σε έκθεση που διοργανώνεται από το Κέντρο Τεχνών Κίμωνος. Πληροφορίες και λεπτομέρειες θα ανακοινωθούν σύντομα.

Περισσότερα για το έργο των Mark και Gabriela στον ακόλουθο σύνδεσμο:

https://www.bulisova-isaac.com/

Το πρόγραμμα «Επισκέπτες» χορηγείται από τις Πολιτιστικές Υπηρεσίες του Υπουργείου Παιδείας, Πολιτισμού, Αθλητισμού και Νεολαίας.