Terra Mediterranea: In Action

The focus of this German-Cypriot cooperative project was the Mediterranean region, or “Terra Mediterranea”, geographically comprised of countries in Southern Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa. What distinguishes this region, which found itself at the centre of global political wrangling with regard to its role as a place of transit for refugees? What ties are being formed by the “liquid continent”, situated between Africa, Asia and Europe?
In cooperation with the Nicosia Municipal Arts Center in Cyprus, Halle 14 in Leipzig has developed an exhibition to address these questions. The exhibition examined the present and future of the Mediterranean region based on 18 artistic positions from nine different countries. The selected artworks included, for example, the “Maps of Common Property” created by the Spanish-Greek collective Hackitectura, and the cinematic works by the artist Eleni Kammas which reflect on the Gezi Park protests and the power of the freedom of expression. Other works included a talking monument of guilt, developed by the Kurdish artist Ahmet Ögüt, and pieces by the choreographer and anthropologist Panayiotou, who examines archival practices portraying his home country of Cyprus as a postcolonial patchwork object. The exhibition has been shown in Leipzig, Nicosia (Cyprus) as part of the European Capital of Culture programme, and in Petach Tikva (Israel). It marked the first time that a production organised by Halle 14 had been presented at other international art centres in Europe and Israel, strengthening ties between cultural producers from the Mediterranean region and Germany. In addition to events, workshops and discussions, the exhibition has been supplemented by the long-term participative project “The Stories of Things” which documents the experiences of the visitors.

Curators: Michael Arzt & Yiannis Toumazis (CY)
Artists: Ana Adamović (RS), Sofia Bempeza (GR), Banu Cennetoglu (TR), Marianna Christofides (CY), Tom Dale (GB), Hackitectura (ES), Elizabeth Hoak-Doering (US), Eleni Kamma (GR), Mona Marzouk (EG), Christodoulos Panayiotou (CY) and others#

Additional Venues:

Art education project “Die Geschichten der Dinge/The Stories of Things”, HALLE 14 – Zentrum für zeitgenössische Kunst, Leipzig: 17 Sep. – 31 Oct. 2016; Continued exhibition: Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre, Nikosia (CY): 1 Jan. – 31 Dec. 2017 and Museum of Art, Petach Tikva (IL): 2018