The Alien Trail

Making an obscure part of our society visible

The Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre, Associated with the Pierides Foundation [NiMAC] and the European Capital of Culture Pafos2017 organise and present the photography exhibition titled Τhe Alien Trail on Friday, 8 December 2017, at 19:30 at NiMAC. Initially presented in Pafos, the exhibition travels to Nicosia in the framework of the Nicosia Pop-up Festival 2017 and under the auspices of the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cyprus.

The Alien Trail exhibition forms an integral part of a wider project created by Nicolas Iordanou to raise public awareness about refugees and migrants living in Cyprus and to promote their integration into society. The increasing number of these people living among Cypriots underlines the need to enhance the understanding of the local society about who the refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants are and why they came to Cyprus.

NiMAC’s Director, Yiannis Toumazis, points out that “the exhibition, which is taking place immediately after the completion of the major project Terra Mediterranea: In Action, underlines NiMAC’s efforts to raise our awareness against segregation and partitions of all kinds. Culture is an important agent in drafting hospitable, cohesive and inclusive futures by encouraging a creative dialogue among different groups of citizens.”

“UNHCR welcomes such initiatives, which promote understanding, acceptance and mutual respect. If refugees are accepted for who they are in their hosting societies, are seen as equals and given the chance to engage fully in all aspects of community life, integration can be achieved and cohesive societies built,” said Mr. Damtew Dessalegne, UNHCR Representative in Cyprus.

The photographic exhibition presents the work of renowned photographers from Europe, who were invited to Cyprus to showcase through their lens the lives of refugees and migrants. They wandered in neighbourhoods where these people live, visited the reception centre for asylum-seekers at Kofinou and spent time getting to know them by listening to their stories, dreams and aspirations. Through their photos, they tell the untold stories of refugees and migrants; through their art, they contribute to achieving social inclusion.

The participating photographers in the exhibition are Bieke Depoorter / Magnum from Belgium, Antoine d’Agata / Magnum from France, Nikos Economopoulos / Magnum from Greece and Nicolas Iordanou from Cyprus.

Curated by Nicolas Iordanou and Sylvia Nicolaides, the Alien Trail exhibition was first presented at the Old Powerhouse in Pafos last September as part of the Pafos2017 programme. NiMAC, Pafos2017 and the UNHCR office in Cyprus are grateful to the German and Swedish Embassies in Cyprus for their support in having the exhibition presented in Nicosia.