To what extent does locality influence contemporary art? Can any
particular artistic practices be defined as uniquely Cypriot? And does
art from Cyprus transcend Western boundaries once it enters the global
art scene?
This volume uses Cyprus as a case study for the exploration of notions
of identity, regionalism, and the global and local in contemporary art
practice; it is not, therefore, a complete historiography of
contemporary Cypriot art. Rather, this critical text provides a
theoretical and historical framework that frames and contextualizes art
practices from Cyprus, while always relating these back to the
international art world.
Numerous current and pressing issues-all relevant beyond Cyprus-are
investigated in this book including, but not limited to, art as capital,
the emergence of the "periphery", the importance of thriving localities,
issues of memory and memorialization, archaeology, artists' identities,
conflict and politics, social engagement, gender politics, and such
curatorial alternatives as artist-run spaces. In doing all of this,
Contemporary Art from Cyprus not only bears on current and future art
practices in this region but highlights the importance of Cypriot art in
a global context too.
