By Heidi Trautmann

There were two topics combined in the students’ exhibition at Emaa’s Art Centre in Nicosia as outcome of courses for young adults under the heading “Young Art Travellers”

In the course “Fashion and Creativity” it was aimed at turning waste into a piece of art by using artistic methods, as well as 2D and 3D visualisation to contribute to the contemporary fashion sector. The course instructors were: Birol Ruhi, Constantinos Economides. Course participants were: Aysun Tuzcu, Emine Başaranel, Mine Egemen, Hatice Dörtlemez, Laden Turhan and Buğu Şah.

The “Experimental Art Course” is designed and instructed by Nicolas Panayi and Serhat Selışık and is for those adults especially interested in indoors and outdoors experimental artwork. Özge Yücesoy, Panayiotis Kyriakou, Charis Papadopoulou, Bedia Kale, Chistina Chvistofi, Leman Ahmetoğlu, Gül Öztek, Şefki Yoldaş, Figen İnan, Ünsal Cağda and Loannis Macheriotis participated in the course.

What first strikes me whenever I come to Emaa’s exhibitions is the professional way the art work is displayed, the setting up of an exhibition being a very important part of art. The hanging and lighting are perfect. The floor is usually part of the exhibition, a room feeling in the true sense of the word.  So it was in this case.

The instructors have very well succeeded in making the students observe the project from different angles, away from established and restricted conservative ways to a more personal and critical point of view.  Installations, paintings, photography,  all artistic means were permitted. The aim of the courses to make students see and create was more than reached.