Does Europe Exist? v2.0

Does Europe Exist? is a project initiated by ARTos Foundation and aims to investigate Europe at a National, European and International (neighboring countries) level.

Is Europe a need for grouping together (like many times in the human history and then go separate ways)? A fear of another war? A Need for identity? A need of power and competition? Or is it a real need and we try to create a culture out it?

The project “Does Europe exist? v1.0” was first implemented in 2012 when Cyprus had the presidency of the Council of Europe. In a paradoxical way the results of the exhibition and the symposium seemed to be a ‘prophetic’ scenario of a film we experiencing today, in relation to immigration, the Syrian conflict, the Brexit etc. It was natural, to return back, 5 years later and re-evaluate this project from a local, European and peripheral prospective now and in the future.

It will include three actions:
1. The exhibition of the “Does Europe exist? v2.0”
2. Symposium/ Pop-up think tank
3. Interactive installation in public space with the use if internet technologies.
4. Digital publication

1. Exhibition - Does EU exist? V2.0
15 - 22 November 2017 @ ARTos Foundation
- Opening: 15th November 20:30 – 23:00
- Opening hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 – 17:00
Saturday 10:00- 15:00
Sunday closed

The exhibition "Does Europe exist? v2.0" primarily highlights, challenges and initiates actions aimed at Europe's self-awareness, reflecting the burning Middle East and the refugees via the realities of a small but important country like Cyprus as an outpost of Europe in the southeastern Mediterranean.

Artists from abroad who will be invited by ARTos Foundation as short Artist Residencies to interact with each other and other selected Cyprus based artists.

Artists:
JeannoGaussi (Afganistan- Berlin)
Khaled Barakeh (Syria- Berlin)
Marcus Vergette (UK)
Jane Jin Kaisen (Korea – Copenhagen)
Wouter Osterholt (The Netherlands –Berlin)
Theodoulos Gregoriou (Cyprus)
Tony Maslic (Serbia-Cyprus)
Achilleas Kentonis (Cyprus)
Stefanos Kouratzis (Greece- Cyprus)
Nicos Philippou (Cyprus)
Marilena Zackheos (Cyprus)
Vasilis Vasiliou (Cyprus)

2. Symposium/ Pop-up think tank
15th November 18:00 – 20:00
Short interventions addressed to thinkers, artists, academics, researchers, anthropologists, internationalists, philosophers etc. The symposium will take the form of a pop-up think tank, invited artists, thinker will present and discuss the European challenges of today.

Speakers:
Dr. Costas Mavrides (European Parliament)
Dr.Giorgos Kentas (University of Nicosia)
Khalled Barakeh (Syria- Berlin)
Marcus Vergette (UK)
WouterOsterholt (The Netherlands -Berlin)
Nicos Philippou / Marilena Zackheos (Cyprus)

3. [We sound together Interactive installation in public space]
Bell designer Marcus Vergette, technology concept Achilleas Kentonis
Location- Outside Ledra Palace (Across Home for Cooperation)
‘The bell is been placed in the buffer zone for everyone to ring and no one to own’ Artists’ statement.

The production of the installation is a synergy between the bell designer Marcus Vergette who designed and built the bell and the trans-disciplinary ‘person’ Achilleas Kentonis who had the technology concept and worked with Constantinos Pashiardes and Constantinos Constantinou as the software and hardware coders of the online voting system. Everybody can vote online on the question Does Europe exist? [yes/no] and this special polyphonic bell will be sounded once a day in a "coded sound" so anybody who hears it will know the results of the voting each day. The results will be also displayed in real-time over the internet.
Website: www.does-europe-exist.net/does-eu-exist

4. Digital publication
All actions will be documented in a digital publication and it will be published in December 2017