OUR BUFFER ZONE STORY
https://theartunited.com/2017/07/10/our-buffer-zone-story/
Our first event, the photography exhibition of theArtUnited in the Buffer Zone was a great success. The photography exhibition was open for 3 days, 26-28 June during the Unite Cyprus Now protest within the Buffer Zone. After the end of the exhibition the photos were sold and all the proceeds from the sale of the photos was donated to the UCN initiative which is a grass roots independent self-funded initiative of Cypriots from all communities promoting actions in support of peace and the reunification of the island through a negotiated settlement of the Cyprus problem.
The photography exhibition was held by five photographers who are invited by theArtUnited group who declaims that they acknowledge the mistakes of the past and feel the pain of the war and division that’s why they believe that all the Cypriots need to be together in one Cyprus.
They say that: “We are a group of Cypriot photographers united by Art.
We find friendship in each other, we can see our common causes. We acknowledge the mistakes of the past and we feel the pain of the war and division . We need to be together in one Cyprus.
The green line that has kept us apart all these years, is an open wound. Each one of us struck by this symbol of division and pain, has tried to approach it from a photographic point of view It is a part of our homeland.. yet inaccessible, dead, filled by memories and ghosts..
For the last month, the Nicosia buffer zone has come back to life. Both Greek and Turkish Cypriots have been gathering at the buffer zone and demanding PEACE and a reunited Cyprus. This gives us faith for each other, gives us hope for a united future.
We have joined our artistic forces and produced some photos of the buffer zone story.
We would like to exhibit them and share them in that very part of Nicosia the Buffer zone.
We want a solution that safeguards peace and safety.
We want to breath life to the dead zone.
We want to show to the world that we can be together.
THERE SHOULD BE NO OTHER SIDE.”
The photographers included in the exhibition is Bobbe Theoklitou, Tijen Erol, Niki Gavrielides, Mehmet Yakup and Ismail Gökçe