Six weeks, 13 venues, 42 countries: Larnaca’s art takeover begins tomorrow
Source: in-cyprus.com
The fourth Larnaca Biennale opens tomorrow with its largest edition yet, presenting 115 artworks from 42 countries across 13 venues throughout the city over six weeks.
The opening ceremony takes place at Larnaca Municipal Art Gallery at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 15 October, launching a programme running through 28 November featuring exhibitions, installations, performances and workshops, organisers announced at a press conference on 7 October.
Curator Sana López Abellán organised the exhibition under the theme “Along Lines and Traces,” bringing together renowned international artists, established Cypriot creatives and emerging voices in what organisers describe as the biennale’s most ambitious iteration.
“For the past weeks, artists have been arriving from all over the globe to install their works, and now the lines and traces are no longer hypothetical but tangible,” López Abellán said at the press conference. “In this process, we have forged connections that will remain forever, and it is here that curatorial vision truly meets lived experience.”
Artistic Director Vassilis Vassiliades said art succeeds where humanity fails, noting that vastly different works coexist in harmony whilst engaging in artistic dialogue.
Exhibition spans district’s venues
The main exhibition occupies indoor and outdoor locations including Larnaca Municipal Art Gallery, Pierides Museum, Common Ground Gallery, Larnaca Municipal Market, Apothiki 79, Larnaca Medieval Castle, Zouhouri Square, Piale Pasha and Larnaca Salt Lake.
For the first time, the biennale extends beyond Larnaca city to host works at Kallinikeio Municipal Museum in Athienou and Costas Argyrou Museum in Mazotos.
Three installation-performances form part of the main exhibition. “Togetherness – Resonances of Expression” and “22 Stops” will both take place and be documented on 16 October before screening as exhibition components, whilst “Unspoken Messages” will be unveiled at Zouhouri Square, inviting public participation.
Guest artists Ann Tarantino and Steve Messam will present site-specific works created for Larnaca’s urban landscape, to be revealed in city centre public spaces following installation.
Parallel programme unfolds weekly
More than 15 parallel events will unfold week by week, offering opportunities to explore varied art genres, meet artists and experience the city from new perspectives.
A cyanotype workshop on 17 October and 1 November will guide participants through creating prints based on childhood photographs. Canada-based duo Anana Rydvald and Zach Fraser will lead a masked play workshop exploring identity on 18 October.
A two-day bicommunal weaving project on 25-26 October will bring together Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots through symbolic weaving and artistic celebration, organised by interdisciplinary designer Konstantinos Charilaou.
Performance events include Aphelion Dance Company’s contemporary reimagining of the Ariadne and Minotaur myth on 18 October, and Ex-Piercing Arts group’s participatory underground performance “Ichnilat(r)is” running select dates through 9 November.
Rydvald and Fraser will present their award-winning non-verbal mime performance “The Sighlence of Sky” on 23-24 October, exploring love and heartache through a family navigating disability and neurodivergence.
A shadow theatre performance suitable for children aged six to eleven will present “The Story of Charis Cola – The Man Who Produced the First Cola in Cyprus” on 31 October in Athienou.
Experiential events blend art and philosophy
López Abellán will lead a guided walk on 17 October, inviting participants to encounter the city as a living body of memory and movement rather than mere backdrop.
Host Igor Shnurenko will conduct philosophical symposium-style discussions combined with swimming and film screening on 22 and 26 October, connecting philosophy with water and everyday activities.
A performance walk on 25 October and 1 November will trace the childhood surroundings of iconic Cypriot artist Stass Paraskos, broadcast and projected in the city centre before concluding with a video installation featuring an interview with the late educator.
The Artist Quarter Piale Pasha Festival filled the weekend of 18-19 October with guided tours, performances, live music, open studio visits and street food.
Educational programmes include six thematic workshops for children exploring territory, time, text, rhythm, touch and weaving, culminating in a collective art installation at Larnaca Municipal Market on 22 November.
Six art schools will open their doors on 2 November to showcase student creative works and processes.
The Larnaka Cinema Society will present curated short and feature films across three evenings on 10, 17 and 24 November.
The programme concludes on 27 November with an exhibition and award ceremony in Athienou showcasing student and community designs inspired by local culture, history and traditions.
Larnaca Biennale is Cyprus’s only arts biennale, organised every two years by non-profit cultural association Artion. The event attracted over 60,000 visitors in previous editions.
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