Urban Legends | Poetry Reading | Drawing Display

Apothiki 79 presents a poetry reading by Ishmael von Heidrick-Barnes and a display of drawings by Tatiana Tavoukjian Ferahian, on Saturday 10th of December 2016, at 6:00 p.m., at the Polychoros cafeteria.

Urban Legends manifests a sweeping force that shifts the dynamics of power relations between agent and scapegoat, colonist and the displaced, the native and the bizarre. Tatiana Tavoukjian Ferahian’s eighteen drawings, ink on paper, stand free and uncontrolled. Each heralds its liberty to transform and, in the process, to be metamorphosed. Ishmael von Heidrick-Barnes' eighteen contiguous poems gracefully carry this release. He liltingly dovetails the artwork. In this synergetic affair, both artist and poet envelop social oddity and political pathology, as if they were fantastic(al) sites that urge us to dwell there in whichever ways continuity allows. - Maria Petrides , Independent Writer, Cyprus 2016

Tatiana Tavoukjian Ferahian is an Armenian-Cypriot born in Lebanon. She currently lives and works as an art teacher in Limassol. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts from the Empire State College and a Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies from the University of Denver. Throughout her artistic career, Ferahian has represented Cyprus at art exhibitions, as well as residencies all over the world, most notably, at the 2nd, 3rd and 5th Beijing International Art Biennales in 2005, 2008 and 2012 in China; the 24th Alexandria Biennale of Mediterranean Countries in 2007 in Egypt; 2nd and 5th Shingle22j Biennale of Contemporary Art of Anzio and Nettuno in 2009 and 2015 in Italy.

Ishmael von Heidrick-Barnes is an award winning American poet. Born in San Diego, he continues to work in California as a poet and a journalist. He has also served as editor of the award winning Magee Park Poets Anthology. He holds degrees in Religion and Theology as well as Surgical Technology. His recent volume of poetry Intimate Geography published by Ragged Sky Press, won the 2012 San Diego Book Award for Best Published Book of Poetry. Ishmael also writes lyrics and has collaborated with German opera singer Andrea Hörkens Roderburg. His weekly column in the San Diego Free Press is titled Geo-Poetic Spaces. To date, he has created a hundred Projection Poems for the online newspaper.