Sharp and Flat notes, that hurt Images and verses

The “Sharp and Flat Notes, that hurt – Images and Verses” exhibition opened Thursday, July 1 2010 at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre. It is part of the “Memories of Occupied Areas” event, co-organized by the Strovolos Municipality and the Committee of Occupied Municipalities.

The exhibition features photographs from the occupied areas (mainly from the Pentadaktylos mountain range, the Northern coast and Ammochostos) by Yiannis Kypri, George Hadjipieris and Nikiforos Orphanos, complemented by Yiannis Kypri’s verses.

Yiannis Kypri, a refugee from Mandres, Famagusta, Deputy Chief Executive Director of the Bank of Cyprus Group and Chairman of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation; George Hadjipieris, Lawyer and songsmith, originally from the occupied Akanthou; and Nikiforos Orphanos, former executive for the Bank of Cyprus and member of the Bank of Cyprus Cultural Foundation Board of Directors from Strovolos have looked to the sharpness of the photographic lens to send their own messages to those willing to hear. Indeed, they are messages imbued with concern for the future of our land and they come coupled with a feeling of apprehension and a call for an awakening from lethargy. Still, they are not without hope and optimism. Yiannis Kypri’s verses have been added to the pictures, to deliver a loud and clear message.

In fact, the title “Sharp and Flat Notes, that hurt” comes from the homonymous poem by Yiannis Kypri and serves here as a supplement to images of destruction and desertion – products of the Turkish invasion and ongoing occupation.