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xarkis__

@xarkis__

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We create, host + curate place-based experiences through slow attentiveness, learning, play + co-creation, towards joy, possibility + hope 🪔
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Save the date | 12 November 2026 ✨ Join us in Turin for the international conference “Decolonizing Heritage: Artistic Practices, Conflicts, and Transformations”, the final conference of Contested Desires, Constructive Dialogues (CDCD) project. 📅 12 November 2026 | 9:30–16:00 📍 Gallerie d’Italia, Turin Bringing together artists, researchers, cultural practitioners and representatives of cultural institutions, the conference will explore decolonial practices, the role of artists and local communities, and the relationships between cultural institutions and their audiences. Together, we will also reflect on the legacy of CDCD and its future perspectives. 🌐 Join us in person or online! 🔗 Registration is open – link in bio. Stay tuned for more details about the conference programme! Contested Desires: Constructive Dialogues is funded by the creative.eu programme of the @european.union and is implemented in partnership with: @eccom_it @d6_eu_, @xarkis__ , @labonnebcn @herengracht401, @muhnac @MuseuNacional @museodellecivilta @proprogressione @bjcem_aisbl @museoegizio @creativecourt._ @la_fabrique_art_studio Associated Partners: @d6culture @larnaka2030 @cyprusuniversitytechnology @fondazionesbac @casa_arabe In collaboration with: @nubuke_foundation @museodelamemoria RMCG - @uniofleicester #contesteddesiresconstructivedialogues #decolonizeculture #finalconference #turin
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My heart, mind and belly are full after Sharing Practice: Cultivating Learning on the island of Ven 💗 A gathering exploring how artistic and cultural practitioners develop and facilitate formats and spaces for learning, knowledge exchange and experience. So much food for thought on how knowledge is cultivated through craft, food, agriculture, land, ecology, architecture, rural life, community and artistic practice. I had the opportunity to share practice around communities of rural heritage, through 3 cultural platforms: sympraxis, Xarkis Festival and PIKNIK. @sympraxis @xarkis__ Through different formats, including film, photography, exhibitions, residencies, picnics and festivals, these platforms seek to bridge epistemic divides, attend to underrepresented rural perspectives, and facilitate intergenerational, transdisciplinary knowledge exchange and co-creation. What stayed with me was how different practices, people and places can bring us to similar questions: How can we listen better? How do we make space for knowledge that is often overlooked? How do we learn from place? And how can cultural practice become a way of connecting and creating common ground? Leaving with new thoughts about how we create spaces for learning that are intergenerational, transdisciplinary, local and rooted in place. Perhaps most importantly, with a renewed belief that gathering itself can be a form of practice; a way of listening, exchanging, unlearning, creating common ground(s) and community. Practice Matters is a creative platform for discussing the ability to act in relation to urgent issues of crisis, conflicts and global challenges - from climate change and ecological collapses, geopolitical and economic crisis and displacement of people, to democracy, social justice and equality. Sharing Practice: Cultivating Learning is a collaboration between IASPIS @iaspis.se and NaturKulturVen, @naturkulturven organised as part of Practice Matters, curated and hosted by Magnus Ericson and Åsa Sonjasdotter. 📍Ven island, Sweden Ft. The thatcher craft 📷 1-4 Grateful for this beautiful constellation of people and practices. Thank you for inviting me to be a part of this 🦎🌻
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I had the pleasure of presenting ‘Gaggle’ in the village of Kalavasos, Cyprus. Realised in collaboration with @paul_stan_nataraj & Mohamed B. Slama, who created the electrifying and special sound for the performance, and @amaiamolinet , who led a ritualistic procession from my performance to Paul’s. The installation draws attention to the labour involved in producing, handling and moving materials on a large scale. Sugar becomes a metaphor for labour and mass production, connecting to the Kalavasos mines and the wider history of Cyprus, where sugar was once a major export to Europe. Through the audience participation, filling, carrying and arranging the tea cups, the work brought the everyday into the industrial space of the Olive Mill. A very special thank you to the people of Kalavasos who lent their tea cups and became part of the work. 🤍 More special thanks to @d6culture & @contesteddesires for the opportunity. 🩵 📸 1-7 @andy.g_photography 📸 8-10 @uniconvisuals 📸 11 @stephenmyle XF2026 took place as part of @Contested Desires: Constructive Dialogues. #CDCD is co-funded by the @creative.eu programme of the @european.union and is implemented in partnership with: @eccom_it @d6_eu_, @xarkis__ , @labonnebcn @herengracht401, @muhnac @MuseuNacional @museodellecivilta @proprogressione @bjcem_aisbl @museoegizio @creativecourt._ La Fabrique Art Studio Associated Partners: @d6culture @larnaka2030 @cyprusuniversitytechnology @fondazionesbac @casa_arabe In collaboration with: @nubuke_foundation @museodelamemoria RMCG - @uniofleicester Xarkis Residency is also supported by the Deputy Ministry of Culture & the Community Council of Kalavasos @koinotikosymbouliokalabasou © Xarkis
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First test run for the Rage and Love choir, as part of the Xarkis Festival, in Kalavasos, Cyprus. ✨ 🙏🏻Special thanks to @sumer_erek @fauvealice @nicolas_kyrillou @argyrotoumazou who accompanied me bringing cypriot light and scent to the experience 🕯️ 🕯️thanks @gaiaolea for sharing your knowledge and inspiration 🌬️ 🍃 and to all those who accompanied this experiment and contributed with your walk and your voice. 🎶 🙏🏻Thanks also for the collaboration and support to @paul_stan_nataraj and @patrick_ziza whose beautiful performances were the connecting point for mine 🙌🏻 XF2026 took place as part of @contesteddesires : Constructive Dialogues. #CDCD is co-funded by the @creative.eu programme of the @european.union and is implemented in partnership with: @eccom_it @d6_eu_, @xarkis__ , @labonnebcn @herengracht401, @muhnac @museodellecivilta @proprogressione @bjcem_aisbl @museoegizio @creativecourt._ La Fabrique Art Studio Associated Partners: @d6culture @larnaka2030 @cyprusuniversitytechnology @fondazionesbac @casa_arabe In collaboration with: @nubuke_foundation @museodelamemoria RMCG - @uniofleicester Xarkis Residency is also supported by the Deputy Ministry of Culture & the Community Council of Kalavasos @koinotikosymbouliokalabasou 📸 Photos by Andrea Constantinide @uniconvisuals © Xarkis 📸 The pics where I don't appear are taken by me, and the second one, was my hand taking part at @paul_stan_nataraj 's performance 💅🏻 🚀 My specific trip has also been supported by @etxepareinst through their visual arts mobility grants 🙏🏻
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What a way to celebrate the final international residency of @ContestedDesires. 💫 At the @xarkis__ Festival in Kalavasos, all 22 artists came together to share artistic research developed over three years and shaped by encounters with place, history and community. It was a joy to see D6 artists @patrick_ziza and @paul_stan_nataraj presenting work alongside artists from across Europe, Africa and South America. Through residencies in Cyprus and beyond, they've built relationships, gained new perspectives and developed ideas that will continue to shape their work back home in the North of England. We were also delighted to reconnect with @efuasutherland, @andreas_mallouris, @afroscope, @marialuigiagioffre and @elguendelman, who have been part of our residency programme in Newcastle. Thank you to the @xarkis__ team and people of Kalavasos for this incredible opportunity for collaboration and cultural exchange. As this chapter closes, we're celebrating the friendships and creative possibilities that will carry on long after the residency ends. Thank you to every artist who joined us on the journey. 💫 Contested Desires examines the impact of colonial legacies through artistic collaboration. Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union. In the UK we are grateful for support from @aceagrams, @heritagefunduk, @communityfoundationnortheast & Newcastle Council's Culture Investment Fund. The programme is implemented in partnership with: @eccom_it @d6_eu_, @xarkis__ , @labonnebcn @herengracht401 @muhnac @museodellecivilta @proprogressione @bjcem_aisbl @museoegizio @creativecourt._, Fabrique Art Studio Associated Partners: @d6culture @larnaka2030 @cyprusuniversitytechnology @fondazionesbac @casa_arabe In collaboration with: @nubuke_foundation @museodelamemoria RMCG - @uniofleicester Images from the Xarkis Festival taken by: Andreas Gregoras @andy.g_photography | Andrea Constantinide @uniconvisuals © Xarkis Artist Maria Luigia Gioffre stands with with her back to the camera facing an audience sat on chairs. She has one arm raised, the other behind her back. The Troodos mountains are in the background.
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We are happy to look back at the recent Xarkis Festival in Kalavasos, where the work of 23 artists came together in a vibrant programme of exhibitions, performances, encounters and exchanges. As part of @contesteddesires , the festival offered an important space to share the outcomes of artistic research and residencies developed throughout the project. A special thank you to the @xarkis__ team for bringing these works and encounters together, and to all the participating artists for their commitment and creativity. We are especially happy to see the work of the artists who also spent time in residence in Amsterdam with us: @chrmndeheij , @sithabileartprojects , @marialuigiagioffre , @carlosnoronhafeio , @efuasutherland , @emmidiately and Mohammed. It has been wonderful to follow their journeys and now see the results of their work. We are proud to have been part of this process and grateful for the conversations, collaborations and connections that continue to grow. XF2026 took place as part of Contested Desires: Constructive Dialogues project. CDCD is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. Xarkis Residency is also supported by the Deputy Ministry of Culture & the Community Council of Kalavasos. Photo by  Andreas Gregoras @andy.g_photography  Andrea Constantinide @uniconvisuals © Xarkis
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It was nice to be with you all in Kalavasos, Cyprus. @koinotikosymbouliokalabasou (πολλοί = όλον = πολλοί!) (many = all = many!) Egg tempera made with the local red ochre pigment collected from a pigment mine with the help of the Kalavasos mayor and with the company of @efuasutherland Photo credits by @andy.g_photography Work produced under the auspices of the @xarkis__ festival as an integral part of Contested Desires: Constructive Dialogues project. CDCD is co-funded by @creative.eu a programme of the European Union. Carlos Noronha Feio
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🪐🫧🌪️🌀🎀 Still processing much of this. Meanwhile, feeling grateful for the energies, minds, and hearts that came together for XF2026. Featuring works and words by: Emiddio Vasquez @emmidiately Thea Christoforou @thea.christoforou Jimmy Papamiltiades Dorottya Martin @d_o_r_o_t_ttya Bona Dyssou @bonadyssou Simone Christoforou @koriconceptstore2024 Åsa Sonjasdotter @asa_sonjasdotter Mathieu Devavry @devavry Gaia Olea @gaiaolea Maya Luhichi @maya.louhichi Lais Andrade @akalais Helen Chrysanthou @helenchrisanthou Patrick Ziza @patrick_ziza 🌀 @xarkis__ @contesteddesires @koinotikosymbouliokalabasou 📷 Andreas Gregoras @andy.g_photography + Andrea Constantinide @uniconvisuals
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Art meets the stories of Kalavasos.. How wonderful to have Xarkis festival in our village.. #kal_view #kalavasos #xarkisfestival #visitcyprus #cyprusholidays
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Gracias a este árbol cantor estuve mostrando el proceso del primer demo de “Cancionero Botánico”, proyecto realizado en colaboración con Josefina Gilardi @jjjosefinag quien hizo la edición y composición sonora. Este es resultado del primer taller de esta serie, realizado en @museodelamemoria con la participación de estudiantes del Liceo Barros Borgoño. Gracias también a: Eugenia Jolly - Asesoría Sonido @eugejolly Rodrigo Baeza - Registro Sonido @rjbz_ Pascual Matus - Registro Sonido Florencia Vergara - Mediación Sandra Marín - Coordinación Nicolás Lara - Coordinación Isidora Gilardi - Diseño Gráfico @isidoragilardi Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos Proyecto realizado en el contexto de @contesteddesires
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Much grateful for taking part in the Xarkis Festival Contested Desires – Constructive Dialogues in the village of Kalavasos, Cyprus, 11–13 September. Much to learn, much to process…! Thanks to the Kalavasos community for hosting us so generously, and to the participating artists for the interesting conversations. Thanks to the Xarkis team for organising with such care, and to Christina Skarpari for connecting me with knowledgeable people in the region. Special thanks to goat farmer Petros Petrou, herbalist and gardener Eftichios Varellas, and craftsperson Helen Christanthou for sharing their knowledge and insights. It has been really interesting to learn about your work. As an artist and smallholder, I learned that we share many concerns and challenges, even though our situations are in other ways different. After the screening of my film Cultivating Abundance, Christanthou told us that some of the non-corporate grains seen in the film are grown on the northern side of Cyprus, but not in the south. This is one example among many of how cultivated plants are deeply embedded in, and part of, our social and political structures. My participation in Xarkis took place as part of an initiative by Practice Matter/IASPIS, opening a dialogue between practitioners developing decentring, arts-based formats for local and rural organisation and community engagement, with a particular focus on the creation of commonalities, social and ecological regeneration, agriculture, land use and food relations, craft, and the role of trans-cultural and intergenerational knowledge production. It has been a deeply encouraging stay. Heartfelt thanks to you all! @xarkis__ @contesteddesires @christina_skarpari_ @iaspis.se @asa_sonjasdotter
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‘waiting wars’ chapter IV for @xarkis__ @contesteddesires in Cyprus, Sept 2026 conception and performance/ Maria Luigia Gioffre movement dramaturg / Polina Fenko sound design/ Maria Luigia Gioffre, Fabio Orsi Contested Desires is co-funded by the Creative EU and implemented in partnership with: D6:EU, ECCOM, Foundation La Bonne, Museo Egizio, Centre de Cultura de Dones Francesca Bonnemaison, Xarkis, Stichting Herengracht 401, MUNHAC, Creative Court, Museo delle Civiltà, Pro Progressione, BJCEM aisbl - Biennale internationale des jeunes créateurs de l’Europe et de la Mediterranée, D6: Culture in Transit, Cyprus University of Technology, Museo de la Memoria y los Derechos Humanos, Herengracht 401, Pro Progressione, Kunstfort vij Fhuizen Associated Partners: D6 Larnaka 2030 - European Capital of Culture CUT Casa Árabe In collaboration with: Nubuke Foundation, DDHH RMCG - University of Leicester Xarkis is also supported by the Deputy Ministry of Culture & the Community Council of Kalavasos. 📸 Andreas Gregoras @andy.g_photography
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