A multi-disciplinary art project Tales of Cyprus, to be showcased in December at the Melbourne’s gallery Chapel off Chapel, will explore the homeland of a graphic designer and artist Con Emmanuelle, the culture of Cyprus and its traditional way of life prior to 1950.

The exhibition will depict and merge Cypriot cultural heritage with contemporary notions of family, community and connections to the homeland, through digital reproductions of rare old family photos, quotes from personal interviews and original drawings of traditional and iconic scenes from old Cyprus, based on Con’s attempt to recreate the glamour of the travel poster from the 1930s.

“The focus of my project is before 1950 and the reason I chose that as the end date is that after 1950 Cyprus changed forever. The Cyprus of my parents’ upbringing is gone; we’ll never see it again.”

Con Emmanuelle is now inviting the Cypriot community to give their own stamp to the exhibition with their old family photos.

A scanning booth will be set up on Sunday 24 August, from 1.00 pm to 4.00 pm, at the Melbourne Polytechnic Library, Building K, St John Street, Prahran.

The family photos must have been taken on the island of Cyprus before 1950. Full accreditation and acknowledgement will be given to the family.

As a sign of appreciation, a special high-res digital file and digital print of the photo chosen for the exhibit will also be given to the family. The original photos
will be scanned in the presence of the owner and returned immediately.

For more information about the project, visit www.talesofcyprus.wordpress.com or contact conemmanuelle@nmit.edu.au

Read a full interview with Con Emmanuelle in this Saturday’s English edition of Neos Kosmos.