As an incomplete linguistic entity, the non-standard Greek Cypriot dialect offers itself to a non-representational reading; clandestinely navigating the island’s cultural identity under conditions of post-global regimes that have once and for all outmoded such terms as ‘local’ and ‘traditional’. The 21st century’s reins of representation, long submitted to global market forces, orchestrate an experience of culture that is, predictably, increasingly hyperstandardized and hyper-saturated. Even the slightest allusion towards standard terms of cultural identity today risks conformity to this ‘glocalized’ experience, whereas anti-representational discourses are being subverted and contained as harmless offshoots. Non-standard dialects, such as the Cypriot dialect, that have not yet been codified and submitted to linguistic representation, still relying heavily on their affective impact to subsist, offer glimpses into non-representational human geographies adapted to the post-global condition yet without being of it.
Presented are testimonials by Maria Toumazou, Natalie Yiaxi, Phanos Kyriacou and Stelios Kallinikou to the Cypriot experience via a geography of what happens, not of what is, forgoing any concepts of representation (such as local or global, subjective or objective, private or public, etc.) and inviting a non-standard encounter. The works thus evade their legitimacy to represent Cyprus within the context of the Commonwealth Games and in doing so challenge the legitimacy of the Commonwealth project as a whole.
The Cyprus Dossier was invited by David Dale Gallery to participate in International Artist Initiated, an ambitious collection of events and exhibitions as part of the Glasgow 2014 Culture Programme for the Commonwealth Games. Issue 07 of The Cyprus Dossier was released as a special issue for this participation. Both the exhibition and issue 07 of The Cyprus Dossier were commissioned by David Dale Gallery and supported by the Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture of the Republic of Cyprus.
Artists: Maria Toumazou, Natalie Yiaxi, Phanos Kyriacou, Stelios Kallinikou
Location: David Dale Gallery, Glasgow, Scotland
Duration: 18/07 – 30/08/2014